Gallery vs Folder

beagleowner · June 25, 2016

I have just started but, despite looking at the tutorial, I am unclear as to when to create a gallery and when to create a folder. I chose to arrange my photos by continent with subcategories for locations within those categories. I thought making the continents galleries and the subheading folders it would work best but SmugMug doesn't seem to want me to do that. Any advice?

denisegoldberg · June 25, 2016

beagleowner wrote: »

I chose to arrange my photos by continent with subcategories for locations within those categories. I thought making the continents galleries and the subheading folders it would work best but SmugMug doesn't seem to want me to do that. Any advice?

Galleries contain photos.
Folders can contain folders, galleries, and pages.

From your description it sounds like you would have a folder for each continent, and then galleries within each continent folder to contain the photos.

If it would help to see an example, this page on my site represents a set of folders - http://www.denisegoldberg.com/Gallery/. Selecting one of the folders (in most cases) takes you to a page showing the galleries contained in that folder. Selecting a gallery shows the photos in that gallery. The only folder where that isn't quite true is the Travel folder because I use a second layer of folders within Travel.

--- Denise

beagleowner · June 26, 2016

I seem to be lost. I uploaded a series of photos into several folders and galleries and have simply created confusion. I can't seem to even create a proper opening web page from which to move out. Your folders all have pictures on them but several of mine are blank with no obvious way to create a cover image. In the tutorials numerous options show up on each screen but I seem to find myself on screens without the editing options I need. Perhaps I should shelve what I have done and start from scratch again. It is not an easy process as I had hoped.

denisegoldberg · June 26, 2016

beagleowner wrote: »

I seem to be lost. I uploaded a series of photos into several folders and galleries and have simply created confusion. I can't seem to even create a proper opening web page from which to move out.

To place images on your home page, click Customize... Content and Design. Click Homepage. Drag a content element onto the page that represents the content you want to see on your home page.

beagleowner wrote: »

Your folders all have pictures on them but several of mine are blank with no obvious way to create a cover image. In the tutorials numerous options show up on each screen but I seem to find myself on screens without the editing options I need. Perhaps I should shelve what I have done and start from scratch again. It is not an easy process as I had hoped.

To select an image for a folder, open the folder, click customize... Folder settings... Click Feature image and select an image.

If you need more help, post specific questions and include a link to your site related to the question. In addition, I recommend adding your site link to your signature here so it is always available to those trying to help. Click the clipboard icon above, then Edit Signature. Begin your link with http:// to make it clickable.

--- Denise

beagleowner · June 26, 2016

Thank you Denise. I now have the start of a home page and was able to add a title. Now I would like to place several images but cannot seem to do it. I click on "multiple images" and drag but no luck. I have created some folders and some galleries. How do I move some images in?
Joe
https://gijoe.smugmug.com

denisegoldberg · June 26, 2016

beagleowner wrote: »

Thank you Denise. I now have the start of a home page and was able to add a title. Now I would like to place several images but cannot seem to do it. I click on "multiple images" and drag but no luck. I have created some folders and some galleries. How do I move some images in?

What happens when you try to drag the multiple images content block onto the page?
Where are you trying to drop it? You should see an indication of where it is OK to drop an element, example is shown below.

It looks like you have already added a multiple images content block to your home page.

You might want to add a menu to direct users to different parts of your site.

Are you aware that there is an automatic browse page generated for your site - https://gijoe.smugmug.com/browse.

See this help page for a list of other system pages on your site - How to Customize Your System Pages.

Consider changing your top level of "Joe's Photos" to have the top level be a set of folders representing the top level folders on your site. Your URL essentially is "Joe's Photos". Using a folder with that name as a single top level entry forces viewers to click an extra time to get to your galleries.

It looks like many of your folders are currently empty or contain only unlisted galleries. Instead of presenting empty folders, consider changing them to unlisted until you place galleries in the folders. Once content is available change the folders back to public. The public vs. unlisted properties are in folder settings (or gallery settings) on the security & privacy tab.

--- Denise

beagleowner · June 26, 2016

I remain overwhelmed. Would that I had an SmugMug veteran sitting next to me.

As far as the homepage is concerned, I have added images to it. I would like to have the title across the top but I see no options to permit me to move it from the right side, even if I click left or center. I also have images of different sizes and cannot seem to find a means of making them more equal in size, even if it means deleting one.

Phyxius · July 2, 2016

Hi,

It looks like you're doing great so far and you have some seriously awesome wildlife shots! I see that you have moved your name to the top of the page.

For the images on your homepage you currently have a multiple photos content block with a single image (bird in flight). A single image content block with a baboon (I think that's right?) and then below them you have a multiple photos content block with three images: a wolf, polar bears, and elephants. Due to the mix of content blocks and the mix of settings you're seeing the images as different sizes. In addition the images themselves are different ratios. The bird image is wider but shorter than the baboon. The wolf image is more square than the elephants image and the polar bears image is in portrait orientation. You can select images that are shot or edited to be the same ratio (so all images are the same width versus height like all 2:3 or all 4:5 or all 1:1 square, for example).

Or, you can force a specific ratio by changing the "layout" to grid. To do that click Customize > Content and Design then, hover over the multiple photos content block with the three images and click the wrench. Then, change the Layout to Grid and choose a Photo Aspect Ratio from the drop down menu. You can update the image content blocks the same way, except with the single photo content block you won't choose a layout.

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask, we are always happy to help!

leftquark · July 8, 2016

We also host a series of Webinars to help you get started and comfortable! http://help.smugmug.com/customer/portal/articles/1078673

Gallery vs Folder

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