As mentioned in an earlier post, I am trying to integrate PhotoFrame into Moodle. I would be happy if someone was willing to try it out.
There is still a lot of stuff missing: no logs, no backups (allthough that should be not much of a problem because like in the original PhotoFrame most things are stored in files inside your course files directory), no recent activity shown, errors show up when someone accidentally renames the directory out of which the pictures are taken....I want to continue working on this, but in the meantime ...
Programming Moodle
proves to be harder than
Hai Ku'd have forseen ....
Nice Haiku, Jan. 
This looks like a cool module! I can see our teachers really using it a lot.
Is it included in 1.4?
-- Art
This looks like a cool module! I can see our teachers really using it a lot.
Is it included in 1.4?
-- Art
Thanks!
No not included in the official Moodle. I think there is more than 17 syllables to be added to the code, before it's ready ...
I still have to...
- make sure all the output passes through the Moodle filters
- add backup / logs for this module
- make the recent activity box show the picture that was last added (a request from one of my students)
I'm having doubts about the commenting feature. I have disabled it for Guest users, so anonymous comments are not possible. In PhotoFrame comments can be moderated, but at the rate my students were commenting on pictures last year, this is not an option for me: too much work!
I'm thinking of 2 solutions:
1) ask some of the elder ones (16-18y) to moderate their own student Gallery. They could divide tasks.
2) no moderation, but everyone has the right to delete comments.
Any thoughts on that?
It would be nice to have the option of turning on the comments on or off, off course. But it would be okay not to have the comment option.
A small frame at the top to show you are still in Moodle might be nice, too.
(But hey, I'll take it any way you make it, Jan!)
-- Art
Well,
I have showed this to a couple of teachers and they were very enthusiastic about it.
We will be adding this module to our site the day that you and Martin tell us it's ready. (Although I am afraid to think about what will happen to our remaining server space when I actually do add it...)
Thanks agin!
-- Art
Cool!
This would be great in CVS - email me your sourceforge username if you want access. Otherwise I'll definitely take this up one day soon.
This would be great in CVS - email me your sourceforge username if you want access. Otherwise I'll definitely take this up one day soon.
Otherwise I'll definitely take this up one day soon.
This is great news.
It was fun trying to get PhotoFrame to work as a module and I learned a lot about programming, but I think PhotoFrame's code is safer in the hands of it's creator 
...so if you have time to make it a module, this would be very nice.
...so if you have time to make it a module, this would be very nice.The gallery (we used Gallery back then) was definitely the most visited page of our school website. I started integrating PhotoFrame into Moodle to make it easier to manage. My students will like this a lot.
I just uploaded it to my site. Here's some observations.:
1-It only seems to support jpg files as thumbnails. Gif files only appear as their names as thumbnails, although if you click on them they do appear in the main frame properly.
2-Image files that are smaller in dimensions than the thumbnail size are actually expanded, but then appear as their smaller real size when clicked on. It would be better if the thumbnail size specified would only be applied to image files that are larger than that size.
3-The thumbnails are not being resized to the actual size I specified for some reason. I specified 150, and instead all of them are 130 pixels in width, with the other dimension relative to that depending on the original image's relative dimensions.
4-The navigation bar at the top disappears.
5-The slideshow doesn't seem to be functioning.
6-It should be made clear whether deleting the image deletes it only from the gallery or from the folder that it is in.
You know, I see definite potential for this module for my students to use for their own images at some point in the distant future (distant because of my own plans, not the pace of development at Moodle) if there were a way to allow students to create their own galleries. However, for my own uses, I'm holding out for the data module, because PhotoFrame as is simply is not scalable for use with courses that are image-centric and need a lot of images and metadata.
1-It only seems to support jpg files as thumbnails. Gif files only appear as their names as thumbnails, although if you click on them they do appear in the main frame properly.
2-Image files that are smaller in dimensions than the thumbnail size are actually expanded, but then appear as their smaller real size when clicked on. It would be better if the thumbnail size specified would only be applied to image files that are larger than that size.
3-The thumbnails are not being resized to the actual size I specified for some reason. I specified 150, and instead all of them are 130 pixels in width, with the other dimension relative to that depending on the original image's relative dimensions.
4-The navigation bar at the top disappears.
5-The slideshow doesn't seem to be functioning.
6-It should be made clear whether deleting the image deletes it only from the gallery or from the folder that it is in.
You know, I see definite potential for this module for my students to use for their own images at some point in the distant future (distant because of my own plans, not the pace of development at Moodle) if there were a way to allow students to create their own galleries. However, for my own uses, I'm holding out for the data module, because PhotoFrame as is simply is not scalable for use with courses that are image-centric and need a lot of images and metadata.
Another observation. When deleting a gallery, the thumbnails created for it do not get deleted.
Dear Jan,
Very nice work. I like what you have done and the integration so far. I have tested in on my server but found some of the same mistakes as n hansen. I realise some of them come from the limitations of the original Photoframe that I have been using for a while now.
Especially the loss of the navigation bar is a pity.
With me the moderation did not seem to work as expected. My setting was comments are allowed and moderated, but everybody seems to be able to add comments at will. How is the moderation supposed to work?
I have a near ready Dutch translation, but I am imagining you might have one already. I cannot wait to get it on my production server!
Kind regards,
Hans de Zwart
Very nice work. I like what you have done and the integration so far. I have tested in on my server but found some of the same mistakes as n hansen. I realise some of them come from the limitations of the original Photoframe that I have been using for a while now.
Especially the loss of the navigation bar is a pity.
With me the moderation did not seem to work as expected. My setting was comments are allowed and moderated, but everybody seems to be able to add comments at will. How is the moderation supposed to work?
I have a near ready Dutch translation, but I am imagining you might have one already. I cannot wait to get it on my production server!
Kind regards,
Hans de Zwart
Hi Art, it's nice to see PhotoFrame being integrated into Moodle. This is a great combination. Thanks for letting us have a look.
My pleasure, John.
-- Art
Hi Art!
I think I will install the mod and try it with PowerPoint files. Will report the results of this MoodleGallery with PPT files.
WP1
I think I will install the mod and try it with PowerPoint files. Will report the results of this MoodleGallery with PPT files.
WP1
Hi Art!
WP1
- Is this Jan's code?
- Did you make any modifications to it?
WP1
Yes, it is Jan's code. I did not modify anything.
I know it is still under development, but I think it's pretty spiffy right now.
-- Art
We've tried the new module. Great.
For test we made an explanation for an other new module 'brainstorm' with screens and put the pictures in a galery with text informations.
Look here.
Hi Raif,
That was an inventive way of using the MoodleGallery[?] mod.
I wonder if it could also be used to display PowerPoint files, particularly for those who seem to have some problems displaying PPT files on their systems? hummmmmmmm! Maybe some kind of filter to make sure the correct sequence is kept.
WP1
That was an inventive way of using the MoodleGallery[?] mod.
I wonder if it could also be used to display PowerPoint files, particularly for those who seem to have some problems displaying PPT files on their systems? hummmmmmmm! Maybe some kind of filter to make sure the correct sequence is kept.
WP1
Hi WP1,
I see no problems. Take the powerpoint file -> save as jpf-files and copy the files in a folder of the fcourse for gallery.
It's nice seeing people use this module in all kinds of inventive ways. It encouraged me to have another look at the code.
Unfortunately, really integrating this into Moodle would mean (among other changes) using the database to store captions and comment. Up to now I have kept most of the original PhotoFrame and added loose bits here and there. I think using the database and adding upload functionality to this module would basically mean starting again from scratch. (Not completely, most of the original PhotoFrame functions, now in lib.php, could be reused)
Right now I am too busy with other things for our school's Moodle. Maybe I will have some time in December.
Adding a navigation bar is not that difficult. I hesitated to do this because of course the navigation bar would only show up in the main frame, not in the small frame with the thumbnails in it...
Or should it be added in a frame on its own?
Unfortunately, really integrating this into Moodle would mean (among other changes) using the database to store captions and comment. Up to now I have kept most of the original PhotoFrame and added loose bits here and there. I think using the database and adding upload functionality to this module would basically mean starting again from scratch. (Not completely, most of the original PhotoFrame functions, now in lib.php, could be reused)
Right now I am too busy with other things for our school's Moodle. Maybe I will have some time in December.
Adding a navigation bar is not that difficult. I hesitated to do this because of course the navigation bar would only show up in the main frame, not in the small frame with the thumbnails in it...
Or should it be added in a frame on its own?
The navigation bar is a nice feature when you've reached the gallery from within your Moodle site. Running a PhotoFrame gallery like this isn't a perfect solution but it's ok for now I think. This way the site navbar is still visible but the space available for pictures is slightly reduced, it's a fair compromise.
Login: user; testing p/w; testing
Login: user; testing p/w; testing
> Adding a navigation bar
> is not that difficult. I
> hesitated to do this because
> of course the navigation
> bar would only show up in the
> main frame, not in the small
> frame with the thumbnails in it...
> Or should it be added in a frame
> on its own?
I cast my vote for putting the navbar in a small frame of its own.
And, if possible, a "print this picture" button would be nice.
-- Art
> is not that difficult. I
> hesitated to do this because
> of course the navigation
> bar would only show up in the
> main frame, not in the small
> frame with the thumbnails in it...
> Or should it be added in a frame
> on its own?
I cast my vote for putting the navbar in a small frame of its own.
And, if possible, a "print this picture" button would be nice.
-- Art
This is great! Just found it. Thanks Jan.
Just wondering if anyone has done any modifications to have it working in a frame (with a navigation page)
Just wondering if anyone has done any modifications to have it working in a frame (with a navigation page)
I want to download you module to testing/using, but can't do it - there are message "Sorry, but you can not enter this course as 'Gastgebruiker '"
I'm registered in you server (like here, name is Ne Nashev) but can't enter anyway...
Help me to download, please
Should be there again. Meanwhile this module is making me feel sadder and sadder. I wanted to start working on it again, but I haven't done any programming since school started in september and it seems I have forgotten everything I learned during July - August. 
A lot of the code suddenly looks strangely unfamiliar. 
A lot of the code suddenly looks strangely unfamiliar.
Well, does reminding you how much we appreciate the work you have done so far cheer you up a little?
-- Art
Thank you.
Just want to note that the Photoframe module is working out well here:
http://www.smsaiken.org/moodle/course/view.php?id=3
Thanks!
-- Art
Wow, it really looks great there Art!
It's excellent for a general picture resource. Is it also possible to see who has uploaded each photo?
I want students to upload their photos and describe them and be graded on it...
It's excellent for a general picture resource. Is it also possible to see who has uploaded each photo?
I want students to upload their photos and describe them and be graded on it...Thanks, Tim.
As far as I can tell, only admins can upload photos, but you can enable comments for each picture.
I would really like to see the ability to send pictures as postcards. That would be a great feature for the St. Mary's site.
Anyway, I just thought someone might want to see the module on an actual site.
By the way, Moodle is their CMS. We simply link to a guestbook, a survey mod, etc.
-- Art
I couldn't download your module so I created a simple alternative. I added this code to the bottom of user/index.php ( just before the last ?> ) to print out a table of names and photos that can be printed out. Maybe it could be added in a future version as a seperate link. Personally I put the whole page in
if (isteacheredit($id)) {...
}
to stop student access to other student's personal details.
// start photogallery
if (isteacheredit($id)) {
?><table><tr><?php
$picturesPerRow = 6; // this is the number of pictures per row
$loop = 0;
foreach ($students as $student) {
$loop++;
?><td><?php print_user_picture($student->id, $course->id, $student->picture, true); ?></td><?php
$studentFirstName[$loop]=$student->firstname;
$studentLastName[$loop]=$student->lastname;
if ($loop==$picturesPerRow){
?></tr><tr><?php for($i=1;$i<=$picturesPerRow;$i++){
?><td align="center"><?php echo $studentFirstName[$i]."<br>".$studentLastName[$i]; ?></td><?php } $loop=0; ?></tr><tr><?php
}
}
if ($loop!=$picturesPerRow)
{ ?></tr><tr><?php for($i=1;$i<=$loop;$i++){ ?><td><?php echo $studentFirstName[$i]."<br>".$studentLastName[$i]; ?></td><?php } } ?>
</tr></table><?php
}
// end photogallery
I've tried it and it's what I needed... The only thing is I use postgres7 so I created the postgres table...
untar the attachament to :
<moodle dir>/mod/gallery/db/
and install as usual
great work
Vasco Barbosa
untar the attachament to :
<moodle dir>/mod/gallery/db/
and install as usual
great work
Vasco Barbosa
Hi there!
I Can't download this module. (from the link you posted in the first place)
Please, is there some other place I can download it?
Thanks!
I Can't download this module. (from the link you posted in the first place)
Please, is there some other place I can download it?
Thanks!
It's confusingly called Gallery module. Just click on download Gallery
I am not developing / using this module anymore. I believe it will eventually be replaced by the data module.
I am not developing / using this module anymore. I believe it will eventually be replaced by the data module.
In one post you said this shouldn't be used on a production server. I'm not extremely techie -- what problems would I potentially cause if I tried to use it with in a course with student access?
I really like the comments feature! I can use that!
Sharon
Moodle stores information students enter in a database and has some features to make sure nothing dangerous gets added to the database.
PhotoFrame does not use a database. It stores information in text files, so you can use it on a server with no database attached. Of course PhotoFrame already has some security features attached, but integrating it into a larger apllication demands some more thinking about security (think about redirecting other students to a fake login page, etc... such things are not possible inside the original PhotoFrame because this didn't use a login page...) I can't predict what could go wrong.
Unfortunately, further integrating PhotoFrame in Moodle would mean rewriting almost all of the code. It's not a matter of fixing some bugs. As I am no longer using the module myself, it is kind of low on my to do list. Sorry to have posted a first version and then abandoned it. Because of lack of server space for the pictures, and beause student comments proved too be to hard to moderate, our school is now hosting the picture gallery on a simple and cheaper (no php) webspace.
The datamodule will provide ability to upload pictures with metadata attached to them.