Feature request - sell images

[jpeters]

Hello,
can you add a option to sell images.
- digital delivery
- printing service

this is beyond the current options for selling digital goods.. and like the photo selling demo of phoca cart.

add a product (images) with original size.
on product details define multiple sizes
on delivery the images is resized to the ordered size (to prevent that the shop owner has to create al the images sizes and upload them)
add option to watermark the images on the shop (thumbnail and preview) to prevent right-click and save the images
the ordered images are based on order with or without watermark.
so on the product you can define the details of the specific images (size, with/without watermark, perhaps format (jpeg,png,raw,pdf,etc)
add option to define % quality of the image
Ordered images can be downloaded
add option to printing services
when image printing is ordered the show owner receives a mail with download link of the actional images in the correct sizes (filename extended with ordered size) and/or add a option to define a specific mail address (for example printing shop) and the can download / receive the correct images and shipping details.

add option to define photo albums (category) that its public or private
the public pictures can be seen and buy by everyone
the private prevents public access and only access for specific user (and/or password protect) in case of a photo shoot request of someone. the photographer can dan use phoca cart to deliver the images.. (little bit like joomla event gallery).

protect folder to place images (not image based) to prevent downloads
define sizes general (all folders and images)
define sizes folder based (define on folder level the images sizes) for the actuel images inside that folder
resize images based on selling (keep ratio aspect)
if multiple downloads add to download sperately and all images of the order in a zip file

[Jan]

Hi,

added to feature request list: https://github.com/PhocaCz/PhocaCart/issues/93

But to be honest, this is much more a task for external plugin, which will exactly follow the needs - This is too much heavy feature for the core for now

Jan

[jpeters]

Okay.. clear on that..
It is something not easy or simple..

Currently it is possible to sell images but its basically that specific image so all variants you need to generate first and than uploaded.

Perhaps contacting event gallery to make some kind of integration..

[Jan]

Hi, yes, for now you need some automated script which can prepare the images into products and ZIPs for donwload, but yes, as the eshop is not primarily gallery component, watermark and similar functions are just not a part of the system.

The question is what could be better way: to add this function to eshop solution or to build some external solution which can prepare the images in with watermarks and ZIPs to download, etc. etc.

Jan

[jpeters]

perhacs best of both worlds..
use event gallery for the image features (resize, watermark) but the shopping and checkout part with Phoca Cart.
that way you can offer digital goods and other goods inside the same shop and the enduser has one general profile to access and use.

[Jan]

The problem with using another component is, such needs to be ready to protect the access rights to the images on the server, so this cannot be some normal gallery component

Jan

[jpeters]

Hello Jan,
Event Gallery is a image selling component and it has already image protection .
the name of the component is confusing but it's already there.

[Jan]

Hi, which kind of image protection?

Jan

[jpeters]

Hello Jan,
- image / image folder protection to prevent direct download
- configure image quality, watermark and size of images on website (to prevent screenshots etc) low resolution, noise, etc)
- images sold are prepared in the ordered sizes (generated automaticly from original) and only available to download for right customer (secret url specific for that order)
- limit amount of times images can be downloaded

[Jan]

Hi, even Phoca Gallery has similar features, but when selling images, maybe it is better to prepare all the "stuff" on your PC

- create main image with watermark- to represent it
- create all the sizes and sort them to ZIP files - such can be added to product itself or to product attributes

Then everything can be managed only by one component, by ecommerce.

In Phoca Cart:

- you upload image with watermark into product
- you upload ZIP for download for product or size alternatives for Product attributes

Then:
- you are sure, there is no original image on the server which can be accessed (so no need to setup folder protection because images include watermarks and they are not the high quality)
- ZIP files are automatically displayed for download when user orders and pays the images
- Limits are managed by Phoca Cart

So if you prepare watermark and different sizes on your PC with your favorite software, you are sure, on your server, there are no such images, no originals and you have much more control over them - originals are all stored in ZIPs only, which are protected by token (stored in folders with token) but even they can be stored behind public_html (so in fact double protection) and you still manage it all only with one component and you have 100% overview where all your original images are stored (there is only one place for them, not more used by two different components).

So hard to say, but maybe when selling images, it is better to have control over it and use as few as possible server tools for this.

Jan