Random Thumbnails

coldclimb · August 12, 2013

I've looked around a bit and been unable to figure this out, so please forgive me if this is repetitive, but I'd really like to have the ability to show a random thumbnail for each gallery/folder (possibly from a selection of images) rather than a single "featured" image. I categorize my site by year, so currently I have one single image to represent an entire year of photos on my homepage, and I'd like that to be different every reload. I recall this being the case previously. Thanks!

denisegoldberg · August 12, 2013

I'd like to see this too. A selection of photos to generate the random thumbnail from would be awesome but I could also accept a return to the random photo on legacy smug.

--- Denise

Reign · August 13, 2013

Agree!

DBR · August 17, 2013

Agree!

coldclimb · October 30, 2013

I haven't dug around, but has this been implemented yet?

taylowa · October 31, 2013

I agree... this is much needed. The old site did it, so why doesn't the new? It looks bad when you have a blank category out there also.

edgelore · January 13, 2014

Same here!
Totally AGREE! Finally just migrated and unveiled only to realize the change on this. I don't remember seeing it in any of the FAQs or anything, but I found this article after the fact which states that if a featured image isn't set it will just grab the first one for the thumbnail.

http://help.smugmug.com/customer/portal/articles/1230234-new-can-i-pick-the-thumbnail-for-a-gallery-page-folder

Lame! But it must not be that big of a deal to very many people if it still hasn't changed and there isn't a longer thread about it. Maybe there's a feature request... there are - maybe a small handful of related feature requests - but the most specific one and the one with the most votes still only has 7 votes (before I'm voting):

http://feedback.smugmug.com/forums/17723-smugmug/suggestions/5006961-feature-image

I'm pretty surprised. This was one of my favorite things about legacy SmugMug - getting a new random thumbnail view on all galleries with every page load. Sigh.

Allen · March 19, 2014

Randomize images for galleries in folder
Add a selection to the drop to use random thumbs/images for the galleries in a folder.
All you would need is the AlbumID, AlbumKey and image size for each gallery.

.../photos/random.mg?AlbumID=xxxxxxx&AlbumKey=xxxxx&Size=Small

This would only apply if a "featured" photo is not set for the gallery.
Or this could also be set for "current location" by default.

Testing of random images on page refresh/reload here.
http://www.photosbyat.com/Test-old-journal/n-nF9zb

denisegoldberg · March 21, 2014

I'd love to see this too.

--- Denise

taylowa · March 24, 2014

Works for Events why not Galleries?
They have it so that the featured events change their cover picture so don't understand why the galleries don't do the same thing? On my homepage, I have the events on the left and the galleries on the right and I can refresh and get a new image on the left but same ol' image on the right. Come on SM, be consistent!

taylowa · March 24, 2014

I've seen another post about this recently opened, http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=245973, so hopefully between the 2 of them one of them will get noticed but I doubt it (I know, I'm being negative but haven't had much luck with SM doing what I want). It is weird, featured events on my homepage randomize some and the galleries stick with their individual picture.

taylowa · March 24, 2014

There was a post about this already, http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=238665, I think.

lashmonster · May 10, 2014

This is the feature I miss the most and find myself listing my SM site less and less as everything thinks nothing has changed :-(

coldclimb · May 15, 2014

I'm still looking for this too. My homepage is a bit dull with the same photos every time, and my website's purpose and my mind's method of organization are not dynamic enough to be interesting in other ways. Can we please have this back? Or maybe at least get some sort of feedback on this suggestion?

denisegoldberg · May 16, 2014

This is really needed. I can't understand why this capability was dropped between legacy and new smug.

Please add it high on the priority list.

--- Denise

AceCo55 · May 16, 2014

+1 Should be do-able and would add a lot to viewer experience and a fresh look to website.
I also don't know why it was left out in the New Smug

AperturePlus · May 16, 2014

This one wholeheartedly gets my vote.

juanheredia · May 19, 2014

+1

MomaZunk · May 20, 2014

When will this happen? It has been over 1 year since the new smugmug, and this was one of the features that got a lot of noise as not being available in the new version, but still nothing.

thenickdude · May 20, 2014

My bet is that it will never be implemented because it (a new folder thumbnail on each reload) is a severe performance hit.

taylowa · May 20, 2014

I agree, SM will not make any changes like this. I've been after them for years about what I believe are important things and I never hear back anything. IF this gets fixed, it will be years. I don't believe it is because of the performance (it used to do it) but because of laziness.

coldclimb · May 20, 2014

Well I for one think Smugmug *IS* actually filled with a bunch of cool people who listen to ideas (I've even met a bunch of them), so I'm still optimistic.

It would be great to hear some feedback on whether this will be considered or not though. Is this forum just here for us to rant, or is this actually the proper avenue to suggest features? If I should be going about suggesting this in another manner, somebody please show me how to get this in front of the right people!

bokehlover71 · May 21, 2014

This is my #1 wish too. I really hope this will be implemented in a near future.

mbonocore · May 22, 2014

Hi guys,

Yes, we have this on our Feature Request list that we review every week. Unfortunately, it is an issue that isn't cut an dry. We continue to discuss it, but as of now, I do not have an update for you.

I apologize.

denisegoldberg · May 22, 2014

mbonocore wrote: »

Yes, we have this on our Feature Request list that we review every week. Unfortunately, it is an issue that isn't cut an dry. We continue to discuss it, but as of now, I do not have an update for you.

Michael -
Keep in mind that this feature is one that allowed our sites to be "fresh" as opposed to always showing the same images. Now if we want that functionality we need to touch every gallery and change the featured image.

This feature is sorely needed.

--- Denise

coldclimb · May 22, 2014

mbonocore wrote: »

Hi guys,

Yes, we have this on our Feature Request list that we review every week. Unfortunately, it is an issue that isn't cut an dry. We continue to discuss it, but as of now, I do not have an update for you.

I apologize.

Thanks for the reply! As Denise said above, this feature perhaps above all others is what keeps my website from looking exactly the same every time someone visits. I was very disappointed that it was no longer a feature in the new rollout, and I've been missing it every time I look at my site ever since.

mbonocore · May 23, 2014

coldclimb wrote: »

Thanks for the reply! As Denise said above, this feature perhaps above all others is what keeps my website from looking exactly the same every time someone visits. I was very disappointed that it was no longer a feature in the new rollout, and I've been missing it every time I look at my site ever since.

Yeah, I totally understand. This is a cool feature I would like to see as well.

coldclimb · September 27, 2014

Is this even in the works? My website is pretty stagnant with the exact same pictures on the front page all the time.

taylowa · September 28, 2014

I don't think they really care about any of the important things that used to work. Just like if you delete the first picture in your gallery it doesn't pick another gallery picture for you. So stupid. I know it makes the site load quicker, but sometime you sacrifice performance for looks.

coldclimb · November 12, 2014

How can we get this feature request to someone who can make a difference, here? I realize this "isn't cut and dry," but it would sure make a world of a difference in the quality of my website. I still want this, just as bad as I always have.

pigeon · November 13, 2014

I'm still at the legacy version of SmugMug until this is implemented. Can we get an update - is this feature in the works?

thanks,
teresa

Random Thumbnails

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