Introducing Uploader 2.0...
Since the release of 72photos, there's always been some gripes about our uploading method. In light of this long overdue update, we finallyhave a re-vamped uploading function for you…
Uploader 2.0
Uploader 2.0 is our new uploading method that accepts multiple file and zip uploads with a handy progress bar. Now you can select any type of image file and zip (even a combination of images and zips) and leave the rest to us.
Access Uploader 2.0 as you're used to, by clicking the "Upload" button on your images page toolbar.
A few requirements…
This new Uploader requires the latest version of Flash (yeah, we're not to crazy about that either, so if you don't already have it, we suggest your head over to this link to download it.
We're still experimenting with better methods for uploading, however, for the moment, this is a major upgrade to our current system.
if you have any issues with the new uploader please send us in a bug report (we've also kept our basic uploader if you have any immediate problems).
Tell us what you think of the new uploader!
API and More! (for real this time)
If you're a somewhat regular reader of this blog, you may have caught us on several occasions rambling on about a so called "API" that has been "coming soon" for what has seemed to be months now. However, I'm glad to say we've finally got our act together and released this API.
Perhaps you're unaware of what exactly an API is or what it can do for you. Well, if your not a developer of any kind, you might feel confused about or left out of this coming event, but fear not, in the next paragraph I' ll attempt to devise an explanation that should give you a brief overview of how cool an API is. Don't believe me? Read on.
Basically, an API is like a public gateway to an application (for example XMG Image). Through this gateway a developer can call upon dozens of xmg functions that have been made publicly available, such as getting the latest uploaded images or adding a comment to an image. Having an API allows developers to build basically any kind of desktop application or web application such as widgets, facebook apps, desktop image uploading apps, xmg image plugins for blogs, and much more.
Now for the technical details:
The XMG Image API employs XML-RPC and SOAP protocols for sending and receiving requests. To get started all you'll need is an API key (which you can get from your user control panel).
For all the details on getting started check out our new API page:
Along with this release, we've posted in-depth documentation covering the entire API, including all the methods available and other helpful tools resources which can be found here:
http://xmgimage.com/api/documentation/
We've got much more coming apart from the API, but there are simply to many new features for one post.
As always, your comment/suggestions on the API and in general are greatly appreciated.
Happy developing!
Make Your Own Widgets! (Mac OS X Leopard)
For Mac OS X Leopard users, creating XMG Image widgets can be done in just a few clicks.
Begin by logging on to xmgimage.com in your Safari browser. If you already have an XMG Image account, login or you can sign up for a free account .
Once logged in, you can choose to make any area of your XMG Image Dashboard or Profile a fully functioning widget.
For instance, by selecting the Stats area, you can check your profile statistics without having to open your browser every time to do so.
Simply click on the scissor icon (located on the top left hand-side of your browser's address bar), and then, select the area you would like to turn into a widget. Move or stretch the round toggles to the desired position and then click add. It's that easy!
Your new widget should appear on your Mac dashboard in just a few moments. Clicking the 'i' icon flips the widget around allowing you to choose from different styles making your XMG widget truly personalized.
You can also choose any other area of the XMG Image site to be 'widgi-fied'.
For example, if you like keeping up to date with XMG's lastest images. Just navigate to the Browse page, click the scissors, select the main image and click add. Voila! Instant 'wigification' !
New Galleries are Here!
As promised, we've just completed and deployed a massive re-work of our gallery section/functions. This updates includes an insane amount of usability enhancements as well as a ton of new features.
A full overview of the changes
We've completely redesigned the gallery "editing" interface, which has been renamed to the "customization" interface. A few things you may notice at first is some small changes in the initial "New" gallery window, where we've removed a few useless options and simplified it.
On to the"customization" interface…
To get started, as usual, select a gallery you wish to add images to and/or customize then click the "customize" button on the menu bar or click "C" on your keyboard. You'll be taken to our new customization interface which features a real-time preview of the gallery you're currently customizing on the right and the customization options to the left.
- The first panel on the left is entitled "details". In this panel you'll be able to change the title, description and enable/disable the slideshow feature (pro customers only) for this gallery.
- The next panel, entitled "add images", is fairly self explanatory.
- The final panel, "customize", is where the magic happens…We've added a myriad of customization options enabling you to completely change the look and feel of your gallery. We've also added the "Themes" option where we'll be periodically adding themes into the system.
Now for the presentation…
Once you're done customizing, head back to the main galleries page and click on a gallery name to view the actual gallery as normal viewers would see. As a bonus we've enabled all images in your gallery to open up in a lightbox. Here's a demo.
The dirty details
With this magnitude of updates to the galleries section we spent a lot of time focusing on what to keep and what to eliminate from the old system. In the end, we've decided that it was time to let the "Standard HTML" and "CSS" galleries go. They had a great run, but just couldn't keep up with cross-browser compliancies and other complexities. If you're a user of one of these gallery types, you've been automatically converted to our new "Custom" theme where you'll find you have a load of new options to explore. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused to current customers, but we definitely believe you'll have a much better experience using the new themes.
There are a myriad of new features I haven't mentioned that came with these latest updates, but I'll save that for another post.
We'll be deploying bug fixes for the next few days, but, if you happen to spot one before us, feel free to report it using our new bug reporting feature located on the bottom left of every page in your client area.
As always, feel free to post feedback/comments/suggestions on the new interface! Happy Gallerizing!
New Knowledge Base Entries!
A batch of new knowledge base entries have been added in your support section. We've been striving to make these as informative as possible, they now include screenshots and very detailed descriptions. We suggest taking a browse if you have a question on a feature or to just find out about a feature you didn't know existed!
You can access the exclusive knowledge base by logging into your xmg image account and clicking the 'Support' tab.
