do bulk settings really work?

jim_h

After an hour of futile thrashing I am doubting whether "bulk settings" can actually change the settings of a number of galleries at one time. I select multiple galleries (they're highlighted with yellow borders), I select a 'quck setting' that I've created, I click "Apply" and I get a full "settings" page for the first of the selected galleries (it's title and description are filled in) and when I click "apply" I find I've modified only that gallery.

Maybe the problem is how I enter "bulk settings". I pick any gallery and click on "customize" - go to its settings page - then click on "bulk settings" and as described above, am tricked into believing I can custominze multiple galleries.

I've spent as much time on this as I think it's worth but I hate to give up. Anybody?

devbobo

Hey Jim,

I understand your frustration, perhaps if you are using Firefox...you might be interested in trying out my SmugBrowser extension.

I have included a Bulk Update feature, which allows you to set one or many Gallery options and apply them to your entire account, Category or Subcategory.

If you're interested...check it out here.

Cheers,

David

jim_h

Thanks for the reply. As I continue pounding my head against "bulk settings", it makes even less sense. Maybe it's just me. According to Help, a "quick setting" doesn't include Theme. Huh? Isn't that the thing you'd most like to set for all your galleries?

I think I've confirmed by experiment that "bulk settings" basically does nothing. I click "apply" on it and I just bounce back to the Settings page for the gallery for which I originally clicked "customize". From there, I modify that gallery's settings as if my trip to Bulk Settings never happened.

If you're saying that Bulk Settings really doesn't work and you have an alternative, I'll check it out. Yes I'm using FireFox.

I hope this doesn't sound like a rant. I like SmugMug and most of it seems to work quite well. But Bulk Settings seems like a loser.

devbobo

jim_h wrote:

If you're saying that Bulk Settings really doesn't work and you have an alternative, I'll check it out.

I'm not actually saying that Bulk Settings doesn't work, what i am saying is that it may not work the way you expect it to work.

My extension provides solution which IMO is quite intuitive, straight-forward and easy to use.

jim_h

I just installed it. Nice tree view. I select one of my categories for which I'd like to change the theme on all the galleries. I right-click "properties" and get a nice property sheet - but I can't change the theme.

I am just not getting this. What does "look and feel" mean, if not "theme"? How can I set the theme for all my galleries?

devbobo

jim_h wrote:

I just installed it. Nice tree view. I select one of my categories for which I'd like to change the theme on all the galleries. I right-click "properties" and get a nice property sheet - but I can't change the theme.

I am just not getting this. What does "look and feel" mean, if not "theme"? How can I set the theme for all my galleries?

doh, ok i haven't implemented themes yet...mainly because i don't have a way to retrieve a list dynamically..and i really didn't want to hard code it.

But if that's what you're trying to do, I will hard-code a list until the dynamic method becomes available. I will work on this tonight my time (Oz) and do a release, so you should get it in the morning...is that ok ?

btw, the names on the tab ('look and feel', etc) relate to the gallery customisation headings on smugmug

jim_h

Hey I'm not trying to lash you to the wheel. There's no rush here - actually I'm a software writer myself. But sure I'll be happy to try it tomorrow.

BTW I don't see anything in the bottom pane - what's it supposed to show?

devbobo

jim_h wrote:

Hey I'm not trying to lash you to the wheel. There's no rush here - actually I'm a software writer myself. But sure I'll be happy to try it tomorrow.

Nah, that's cool...i'm happy to do it...should be no problem.

jim_h wrote:

BTW I don't see anything in the bottom pane - what's it supposed to show?

The UI needs an overhaul, but i wanted to get it out to beta before I started that process. The bottom window, is the upload window.

Cheers,

David

Andy

jim_h wrote:

According to Help, a "quick setting" doesn't include Theme. Huh? Isn't that the thing you'd most like to set for all your galleries?

Right - and to do this for all your galleries, you choose the theme in your control panel, as default theme, and then set the gallery to default.

jim_h

My question really is, how do I change the theme (and other stuff too) for a bunch of existing galleries?

jim_h

jim_h wrote:

My question really is, how do I change the theme (and other stuff too) for a bunch of existing galleries?

I eventually found how to do this - Control Panel, Organize and Customize, "All Pages Theme".

{JT}

Jim, bulk settings might be working a little different than you expect. In the instructions at the top of the page it says to select the galleries you want to change, then to select a quick settings template in the drop down and then hit apply. Do you see a quick settings drop down? As long as you have created a template you should.

jim_h wrote:

Thanks for the reply. As I continue pounding my head against "bulk settings", it makes even less sense. Maybe it's just me. According to Help, a "quick setting" doesn't include Theme. Huh? Isn't that the thing you'd most like to set for all your galleries?

I think I've confirmed by experiment that "bulk settings" basically does nothing. I click "apply" on it and I just bounce back to the Settings page for the gallery for which I originally clicked "customize". From there, I modify that gallery's settings as if my trip to Bulk Settings never happened.

If you're saying that Bulk Settings really doesn't work and you have an alternative, I'll check it out. Yes I'm using FireFox.

I hope this doesn't sound like a rant. I like SmugMug and most of it seems to work quite well. But Bulk Settings seems like a loser.

jim_h

Yes, I get the 'quick settings' list. Part of my confusion was assuming that I could set themes in this way. But it still seems that whatever I did affected only one gallery. After I hit 'apply' on Bulk Settings I go back to the Settings page for the gallery from which I came, with its title, description etc. showing. It seems only that gallery is modified.