Insert Gallery Problem
-
I´ve partially resolved this, but thought that a post would help others. I see the issue posted in several threads, but never resolved. My first experiences trying to get a gallery working on a page (not a post) were frustrating and unsuccessful. It turns out that the Gallery documentation is missing a key point, and the Gallery feature itself is limited in undocumented ways.
The problem in short: I was able to insert lots of images, but not able to get them into a gallery that I could insert on the page. The “Insert Gallery” button never appeared, no matter what I did.
Here´s what seems to be the problem: You cannot choose images from existing locations such as ones already uploaded to your Gallery tab, or from the URL tab or the Media Library. The gallery feature only appears to work if you upload all your photos AT THE SAME TIME by CTRL-clicking on multiple files when you select them. YOU CANNOT ADD FILES ONE-BY-ONE.
Very non-intuitive, but easy enough to deal with once you know what the problem is.
I hope this helps someone else, and I´d like to see the documentation clarified.
The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)
-
An even better solution to this issue would be for WordPress to allow you to insert a single-picture gallery, which you could then edit and add more images to. Barring that, at least print a message under the Gallery tab that tells you that you can´t insert a single-image gallery and what to do about it.
-
Sorry, your observations aren’t correct.
1) Being able to upload several images at once is actually an advantage of the gallery feature.
2) But you can upload the images one by one as well. The gallery popup won’t show up after you upload only one image (because a gallery of one image doesn’t make sense), but it will show up after you upload a second image and click “Save all changes”.
3) If you have uploaded at least two images to a post, the gallery popup will also show up if you click the Add an Image tool then click the Gallery tab.
4) No matter how many images you have uploaded, and no matter if you have uploaded them all at once or one by one, you can add a gallery by switching the editor to HTML and writing this:
[gallery]
You can add variables to this shortcode (to change the number of columns etc. – see Support doc on galleries). -
Unfortunately what you said here:
“2) But you can upload the images one by one as well. The gallery popup won’t show up after you upload only one image (because a gallery of one image doesn’t make sense), but it will show up after you upload a second image and click “Save all changes”.”
did not occur. This is the real problem.
-
This also doesn´t happen:
“3) If you have uploaded at least two images to a post, the gallery popup will also show up if you click the Add an Image tool then click the Gallery tab.”
In this case, I get a gallery tab with just the new image in it, and it doesn´t have the “insert gallery” button. “Insert gallery” only appears when the images are uploaded together.
-
This is the window that should pop up (and does pop up in my dashboard) in cases 2 and 3:
http://en.support.wordpress.com/images/gallery/add-gallery/
What browser and version are you using? -
I only get that when I have added more than one photo simultaneously. I am using Firefox 6.0.1 on Ubuntu linux 11.04. If I only add one photo at a time, then I don´t get the gallery settings or insert gallery button. Instead I get a different gallery tab for each image, and it says Gallery (1). Basically the images are treated as separate and don´t get connected.
-
Are you uploading individual images to the media library rather than uploading them while you are editing a page?
You said:
Here´s what seems to be the problem: You cannot choose images from existing locations such as ones already uploaded to your Gallery tab, or from the URL tab or the Media Library.
You can’t use images in a gallery from a URL, nor can you designate them from the Media Library. Images in a gallery on a post or on a page must be attached to that post or page. Images become attached to the post or page by being uploaded while you are editing that post or page.
One by one, or as a group, if they are uploaded while editing a page (or post), then they will become a part of the gallery for that page (or post).
-
Just tried it with Google Chrome, and was able to add another image, but only via uploading from the computer. The other tabs still did not allow me to select images and have them go into the gallery. Basically I had to right click on one of the images on the page, and then upload another to get a gallery with two images. The other images on the page are still ignored– i.e. they do not show up in the gallery tab. Instead they have their own completely different gallery tab.
It´s a UX nightmare, but perhaps they simply didn´t test on linux, since it seems to work for you. I assume you are on another O/S? Why the behaviour would be any different, I don´t know. Chrome and Firefox should work the same way for this regardless of operating system. But apparently not… I will try and get someone to test this on Windows and Mac and see if they run into the same issues or not.
I´m about to teach hundreds of artists how to set up a basic website on various platforms. I´m hoping WordPress can be an option, but galleries not working or being difficult to use will be a show stopper.
-
Thanks for helping figure this out.
What you say about having to use uploads only is fair enough, but the user interface certainly implies otherwise. It shouldn´t give you the other options if you can´t use them.
I uploaded multiple images separately, clicking on the image icon each time. So there are several images associated with the page, but they do not get associated in the same gallery tab. So although I can add multiple images to the page, I cannot associate them in the same gallery.
Each one gets its own gallery tab with only one image in it. On Firefox, I cannot add more images to that gallery, but with Chrome I can.
I know you said that it won´t allow a gallery with only one image because “it makes no sense”, but frankly it makes sense to me and this problem would not exist if it was allowed. If you are setting up a gallery, it makes perfect sense to start with one image and then add to it.
-
I’m on a Mac OSX 10.5.8
works in Safari and FireFoxbut I just realized that after some computer problems my FireFox is 3.6.21: how the heck did that happen?! I was using FireFox 6.…
-
No, Panos said that the gallery option won’t pop-up with only one image, but by switching to html, you can have a gallery with a single image in it.
4) No matter how many images you have uploaded, and no matter if you have uploaded them all at once or one by one, you can add a gallery by switching the editor to HTML and writing this:
[gallery]the emphasis is mine: switching to html, you should be able to have a gallery with only a single image
-
Thanks for your help.
I´m glad we´ve found a couple of work-arounds for what appears to be a bug combined with a questionable user-interface. I´m not going to teach beginners to use HTML, but I will warn them to always upload at least two images together on a gallery page, and will teach them about CTRL-click to do that. (Many people don´t know about that.)
Hopefully this issue will get addressed in a future version. I don´t know how to get it on the radar, besides making this post. Is there a WordPress issue queue somewhere?
BTW, putting a gallery on a “post” rather than a page is as straightforward as you could imagine. Just click Gallery for the format option. This is wonderful UX– simple, clear, one click and it just works. Hopefully one day it will be as easy for a page.
As a veteran of other CMSes I´ve always heard that WordPress had a great user interface. I agree that it does for most things, just not for galleries on pages.
-
There is a treasure trove of information on the galley functions >
Not the Official WordPress.com Gallery FAQ -
Now, my opinion only, as a volunteer/fellow blogger: the gallery feature here does not seem to be fully developed. There are lots of things it could have as improvements.
My suggestion is that you might refer to the problem with “Ubuntu linux 11.04” in a new thread in the ideas forum. Refer or link to this thread as well…
Because your blog is private, I can’t see what the galleries on your pages look like… Perhaps reading the link timethief gave above will be more informative than I am? Usually I use tables to place pictures in an array because I have more control, but I can certainly understand that lots of folk would not want to learn html to do that.
-
We’re not sure yet that we’re talking about a bug, because your terminology isn’t very clear (for instance, when you say you add an image, that’s very vague). I’ll get back to the terminology later, but first:
If I only add one photo at a time, then I don´t get the gallery settings or insert gallery button. Instead I get a different gallery tab for each image, and it says Gallery (1).
Do you mean you upload a series of images from your computer via the Add an Image tool of the same post or page and get a series of “Gallery (1)” tabs? Could you provide a screenshot please?
As for your BTW, post or page makes no difference as far as inserting a gallery is concerned. The Gallery format option has to do with the appearance of the post on your main page, not with the gallery feature itself – see here:
-
Panos, hmmm. yes, I see the point about the BTW…
To me, one of the shortcomings of the gallery function is that it is really a gallery for that post (or page) rather than a gallery the writer chooses.
Two different ways to think of “gallery.”
1 set in place (ie defined as monument sort of thing where art won’t be moved around: by which post the pictures are attached to)
2 an array of art, defined by the designer (blog writer)But I’m not familiar with the OS the OP is using. Maybe there is a bug there.
?? -
-
Yes, when multiple images are uploaded via “from computer” on the same page the problem exists. Knowing what I know now from this discussion, I will go through the whole process from scratch with both pages and posts and on multiple browsers and confirm what works and what doesn´t. But not tonight— it´s very late here.
My main concern is having a clear user interface for beginners, not whether it can be made to work or not with extra effort and assistance.
Thanks for helping sort this out.
-
Indeed.
We are time’s subjects, and time bids me gone.
Don’t give up, show the screen shot tomorrow: Mr. Adam is very good at pointing out a way…
- The topic ‘Insert Gallery Problem’ is closed to new replies.
WordPress.com Forums 