X3Photo Gallery Forums

For sure, I agree the general share-dropdown is too hidden away to have the best chance of getting visitors to notice any buy-button ...

Just need to add support for html in description fields, and we are set. You can even set the popup caption to not hide, as it does now after mouse inactivity. You can also use a styled button-link like this, with some basic custom css and html:


Sorry, but I just need to focus on launching X3 before I can spend time with features like this, although not too complicated.

swamphox wrote:With you last post on this you state " with some basic custom css and html". Is it possible now to do something in the image description on my own with css and/or html to have this feature to work. I am not asking for you to do it at this point but I do know people with more developed skills that could help if indeed it is possible.

I am trying to emphasize in my last post that NO, unfortunately this is not yet possible until I can add support for html into description field.

swamphox wrote:Last thing. Is it possible to change the sharing icon from the arrow to a shopping cart?

It is not a setting, but we could hack it by adding some custom CSS. Of course, clicking this button will still show a dropdown-menu, with additional "toolbar links".

I suddenly became a bit curious about shopify. Are you using it strictly for e-commerce as in the examples in this thread, or do you have a separate website for your products through shopify also?

I am thinking we may be looking into finding the most appropriate e-commerce solution to intertwine with X3.

Thing is, e-commerce is such a multi-faceted, massive undertaking, and is not something we are willing to waste time on. Like you mention, it requires many options, flexibility, and everyone has different requirements. It also needs to cascade into payment-processing and orders. I know a lot of X3 users will be looking for some "shop" front to either sell images or products, with the flexibility to pack/print their own products, without making commissions towards a service. With X2, we used Fotomoto, but they take a high commission and handle the entire process including printing, which is not an option for many.

If we find nice a flexible solution that plays well alongside X3, we could build a bridge to make integration easier and prettier. Will look more into Shopify later ...

Hi Karl,
Lets keep this website and you will consider for integation into X3 after many things stable.
I will try it when I have a time. http://www.x-cart.com/
http://kb.x-cart.com/display/XDD/Developer+docs

GGANG wrote:I will try it when I have a time. http://www.x-cart.com/
http://kb.x-cart.com/display/XDD/Developer+docs

Sure, but I wonder if x-cart has an embeddable popup/api solution to integrate directly with a separate website like X3?

Example
Basically what we are looking for, is something like this using shopify:
http://www.realmilkpaint.com/paint
... scroll down, click "add to cart" on any product, then click "checkout". See how nicely Shopify integrates as an interactive layer on top of the website?

I was reading this cart link thread with great interest, however, I assume at this point, that nothing is possible to add a
"buy button" at this time. I did not like the FotoMoto in X2 very much because I rather would have worked with Fine Art America
for print needs. I did like in X2 that I had a field to paste a "paypal button" for example. This is becoming a critical need very soon and
I am hoping that some form of having the ability to attach some sort of buy button to images will be feasible soon.

I rather not have some form of "shopify" integration or need to mess with the toolbar. It's hard enough as it is to "modify" some layout features without being a programmer. It took me hours to find references / samples on how to change the font color of the topbar next to the logo. Took me hours to come up with this:
|topbar:color,800000 ....
The documentation is not always helping to find the right solution, being a new product, of course it is work in progress. I like the new software very much and it is without a doubt more versatile than X2. I thank you Karl for your fantastic work and hope to see a simple
implementation of a purchase link.

sunqueen wrote:I was reading this cart link thread with great interest, however, I assume at this point, that nothing is possible to add a
"buy button" at this time. I did not like the FotoMoto in X2 very much because I rather would have worked with Fine Art America
for print needs. I did like in X2 that I had a field to paste a "paypal button" for example. This is becoming a critical need very soon and
I am hoping that some form of having the ability to attach some sort of buy button to images will be feasible soon.

As mentioned earlier, I don't see how a "buy now" link in X3 will help you in regards to "Fine Art America". They are just a "shop" website, and you can't connect to single products from a click ... Actually, I'm not sure about FAA, but when I click the link it just looks like one massive shop ... I can't find any developer links or nothing.

sunqueen wrote:I rather not have some form of "shopify" integration or need to mess with the toolbar.

I could really write a long post on this, but sorry you simply can't expect to have any website app just click-and-connect to any e-commerce system. Either it needs to be added natively to the application, or you have to mess with the toolbar ... The reason the toolbar settings look complex to you (JSON config object), is exactly for reasons like this, to allow advanced configuration of buttons that may be used for example to connect to shopping carts. Flexibility.

sunqueen wrote: It's hard enough as it is to "modify" some layout features without being a programmer. It took me hours to find references / samples on how to change the font color of the topbar next to the logo. Took me hours to come up with this:
|topbar:color,800000 ....

Well, you can change all colors with CSS also ... I'm sorry it's complicated, but modern web design IS complicated. Most styles/skins/colors are already in place so you don't ned to do this, but you can if you want, but normally it requires some general web knowledge ... I have been working with web design daily for 15+ years, and it's still complicated ...

sunqueen wrote:The documentation is not always helping to find the right solution, being a new product, of course it is work in progress. I like the new software very much and it is without a doubt more versatile than X2. I thank you Karl for your fantastic work and hope to see a simple implementation of a purchase link.

Thanks. You can already implement a "purchase link" ... but what do you want that button to do? Where is it gonna link to?

mjau-mjau wrote: As mentioned earlier, I don't see how a "buy now" link in X3 will help you in regards to "Fine Art America". They are just a "shop" website, and you can't connect to single products from a click ... Actually, I'm not sure about FAA, but when I click the link it just looks like one massive shop ... I can't find any developer links or nothing.

First off, I do not use X3 for photographs, but as gallery for Fine Art pieces, with the intent to have the ORIGINAL artwork for sale
to my visitors. FAA or Fotomoto are a convenient way to offer "prints" and other sundries of the artwork without much fuss or implementing a shopping cart at this time, until I find a reputable and high quality printing outfit to supply mass produced merchandise
on my own, in order to increase the profit margin, as FAA or Fotomoto is not really a decent pay rate, eh!.
Behind the scenes is basically a "Website" for the artist, and it is possible to direct link to a piece of art for the different print options
to appear for that particular piece of art.... something like this: http://fineartamerica.com/featured/gold ... agina.html
No need for any API or developer interface, at least for me at this time.

mjau-mjau wrote:I could really write a long post on this, but sorry you simply can't expect to have any website app just click-and-connect to any e-commerce system. Either it needs to be added natively to the application, or you have to mess with the toolbar ... The reason the toolbar settings look complex to you (JSON config object), is exactly for reasons like this, to allow advanced configuration of buttons that may be used for example to connect to shopping carts. Flexibility.

I understand and welcome flexibility, and at some point shopify might even become an option for other merchandise besides
original artworks. I personally do not have the expectation of any website app to click and connect, but to have at least the ability
to "link" to a third party site (like the one in the beginning of this thread to shopify), or simply have a place to paste for example a
Paypal created html button.

mjau-mjau wrote:Well, you can change all colors with CSS also ... I'm sorry it's complicated, but modern web design IS complicated. Most styles/skins/colors are already in place so you don't ned to do this, but you can if you want, but normally it requires some general web knowledge ... I have been working with web design daily for 15+ years, and it's still complicated ...

I looked at the CSS for the daylight "skin" and heaven forbid I should ever have to learn to 'modify' any of it. I looked for
the slide show staging size for 1.index, but scrolling 2000 characters to the right is not my thing, not to mention I don't even know what to look for.

mjau-mjau wrote:Thanks. You can already implement a "purchase link" ... but what do you want that button to do? Where is it gonna link to?

Where exactly could I implement such purchase link? The toolbar is not much of an option, as it is rather obscure to put one there. I think that a lot of visitors would not associate it with 'purchase'.
I like the sample and idea that you showed with the nifty shopping cart icon in the description field. I understand that at some point
in the future you might enable html in the description field, which would work for me just splendid.
That button would link to Paypal Checkout most likely, and I can't really see any potential buyer wanting to get more than 1 item at a time anyway. (the pricing being between $500 - $5000+ per item)
Here is an example of a button I made for one piece:
<form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post" target="_top">
<input type="hidden" name="cmd" value="_s-xclick">
<input type="hidden" name="hosted_button_id" value="82TXX6EB7ACBS">
<input type="image" src="https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/i/b ... now_SM.gif" border="0" name="submit" alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!">
<img alt="" border="0" src="https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" height="1">
</form>
I read your road map to future releases and what you are wanting to implement.
It is all very exciting and once those changes are in place, I would not have any other needs and even this topic would be not an issue.
I know your fine work by now and there was no hesitation to purchase the new release.
Just having the opportunity to post questions and issues in a forum and actually receive answers is astonishing in this day of age...
thank you again for your dedication and exemplary work.
kind regards

sunqueen wrote:...

Ok, no need for a long reply here I guess ... I will look into a custom purchase-link feature asap, although this will require you to add certain "data" manually on a per-image basis.

What was slightly unclear to me though, is if you want a link that goes to a specific page on fineartsamerica, or if you want to add links that directly go to Paypal. I would assume Paypal? In which case, I don't see that fineartsamerica is part of any equation from our perspective ... I thought perhaps you wanted X3 to link to fineartsamerica first, but perhaps I was mistaken.

Also, just to be clear in regards to adding a custom vanilla Paypal button: The visitor will be able to click, proceed to Paypal and make a payment. There is no automation after the payment, and you would likely just need to add a custom receipt message at Paypal "Thanks for the purchase! We will process your order and get back to you as soon as possible."