[scenicoregonParticipant]

Hey Jean-

If you’re still using the old original version of Symbiostock that Leo developed, before Robin took it over (hummingbird logo), then most of the time if I adhered to rules #1-6 in my previous post to Erik, then I could get it to process, but only if I limited it to perhaps 6 images at a time.  I then migrated to a new host for my website (Bluehost) which helped a lot, and also switched over to Leo’s grfx plugin and Symbiostock to grfx plugin (ss2grfx).  Leo helped me a lot with that conversion.  I ran into other image processing problems at that time, mostly having to do with what I was using for my IPTC editing, the solution being, after editing the IPTC, to open and resave each image in Photoshop (Elements, for me), a process that is easy to automate as a batch but which I still do.  I’ve zero experience with Robin’s new Symbiostock, looks to me like it is working for others, for me grfx is doing the trick.  However, while Leo is truly very helpful, even self-sacrificing, when you get a hold of him, he tends to have a lot of pans in the fire, and seeing as grfx isn’t a moneymaker for him, I think it has fallen to a much lower place in his priorities, meaning that it can be very hard to reach out to him now, and the grfx plugin is no longer found on the WordPress plugin store.  If you want it, you can still get it at github, it is opensource:

https://github.com/orangeman555/grfx

If you can bring yourself to switch away from the old “legacy” Symbiostock (non-hummingbird), you really should, it doesn’t work nearly as well as even grfx does, at least in my experience.  What you should switch to is a much tougher problem, and depends a lot on how much money and time you’re willing to invest.

[scenicoregonParticipant]

Hi Erik-

On the Legacy version of Symbiostock, there were a number of things that could trip up the ImageMagick image processor:

These are things that can trip up ImageMagick so that the images either won’t process, or that they process incorrectly.  Some of these affect it some of the time, some of them all of the time.

1.  If the dpi of the jpg is set to 72, instead of the preferred 300

2.  If the jpg is set to something other than the preferred “baseline” (doesn’t like progressive)

3.  If the file extension is uppercase JPG instead of the preferred lowercase jpg

4.  If there is an apostrophe ‘ in the file name

5.  If there is a dot . in the file name other than the normal one before the extension

6.  Images larger than about 9500 pixels on a side, at least for me

Looking at your file name, I wonder of the underscore might be causing a problem, too.  Additionally, there were other things that could cause problems, which is why I started this thread, and the developer helped me solve the issue, but I don’t remember what the problem was, and I no longer use the Legacy version of Symbiostock (have moved on to another system).  I do remember this being an issue with some processors:  The editor I used for IPTC would sometimes make the image unprocess-able, specifically Irfanview and Exiftool.  I found that in that case, if I opened the file in Photoshop and then resaved it, the image could now be processed.

Hope any of that helps, if not, you might explore getting help from the developer, but you’ll have to be patient.  Best of luck.

[scenicoregonParticipant]

Hi EggHeadStock-

My memory_limit = 128, already set that way.  I always upload through FTP.  The number of files didn’t matter.  Any image caused the problem, and I double-checked the images for corruption.  My host couldn’t find the problem, either, but others with the legacy version directed me to the legacy version developer’s support forum, and he fixed it (too soon to find out from him what the problem was).

Thanks for trying to troubleshoot this with me.

[scenicoregonParticipant]

nope

[scenicoregonParticipant]

Hi Robin-

Y’all got a list of folks who are giving the new plugin a try, so we can get feedback on how it’s going before diving in, and help from others’ experiences when things don’t go perfectly?

Thanks

Rick (ScenicOregon)

[scenicoregonParticipant]

Thanks EggHeadStock, that helped.  I’d a vague notion that the problem was originally a conflict between the older version of the emailer and the newer version of the Symbiostock theme, but since this one didn’t stem from an update, I was stumped.  Anyway, just deactivating all the plugins solved the issue, if my tests don’t lie, and even when I reactivated all of the plugins that were active before, the problem did not return.  My guess is that something needed to be refreshed.

Whatever the cause, the fix was easy– just hope it stays fixed, it is not something I’d normally test for.

Thanks again

[scenicoregonParticipant]

Hi Robin-

You still accepting beta testers?  And the hosted site we get– I’m assuming that is temporary, just for beta testing, or do we get to keep it afterwards (and save on the hosting fees)?

I may be interested (still weighing if I’ve the time to help out).

[scenicoregonParticipant]

Hi Robin-

My legacy installation runs on WordPress installed in a directory on my domain (the photo site is just one part of my total website).  I was thinking of just creating another directory, installing WordPress to it, and putting the plugin version of Symbiostock on that.  However, recent experiences on my website have opened my eyes to some possible problems, so now I’ve got some questions:

1.  Will the media importer for the plugin work if both installations are on the same domain, just different directories?

2.  Will it even work to have two WordPress installations on the same domain, in different directories?  My concern with this is that the database for the WordPress installation is separate from the installation in the directory– it contains things like user logins, and a lot more.  Since it is separate, wouldn’t both WordPress installations then be trying to write to the same database, and wouldn’t that then end up with a big conflict between the two?  I don’t want to have to incur the expense and trouble of a whole new domain to try out the plugin, and I’m pretty heavily invested in the current domain.

Thanks

Rick (ScenicOregon)

[scenicoregonParticipant]

Hi Robin-

Couple of questions regarding migration:

1.  My legacy site seems to take up a lot of disk space, perhaps something to do with all of the preview images generated and whatnot.  How will the plugin compare?

2.  I see on your demo site the watermark is Symbiostock.  Do we get to have personalized watermarks?

[scenicoregonParticipant]

OK, so if I understand:

Symbiostock plugin self-service at the .org forum, and Symbiostock plugin hosted solution at the .com forum, correct?

OK, now all of a sudden I’m having major problems on my legacy site (never had problems before).  With all the forum changes, I don’t know where to go for help.  Where’s that, now?

Thanks

[scenicoregonParticipant]

Hi Robin-
OK, so the forums are back to .org now, rather than .com? Please clarify.
Thanks
Rick (Scenicoregon)

[scenicoregonParticipant]

Thanks for the update, Robin. When Leo started talking about a major change in Sym many months ago, I stopped updating my theme (I think at the point that I would have had to abandon my customizations), waiting for things to settle down. It looks like things are still very much in the air. I have not a little trepidation over the new plugin, but I think I’m willing to try switching over to it if there is plenty of documentation and support, since I won’t be able to have you host it for me (I do have the pro version– would that credit toward a premium theme?). Maybe a summer project. If it is all getting things working better, and more likely to generate sales, then all the better. Would the new plugin still network other Sym members together?

[scenicoregonParticipant]

Here’s what I did to work around the problem for this image.
First, I located the preview image in the directory, and used that as a reference what to name the file I was going to create and what size to make it. Then I took my full size original, resized it, manually applied the watermark (took some liberty while doing that to improve the positioning of the watermark on this particular image), then replaced the preview image in the directory. After deleting the image from the cache, the page now displays with the new preview, and the blurring is much reduced, any remaining blurring now due to just a reduction in resolution.
That’ll hold me until I’m on line with the new Symbiostock.

[scenicoregonParticipant]

Still blurry if I view just the image, or if I right click and download it, then view it in a graphics program, still blurry. Got an idea for a work-around?

[scenicoregonParticipant]

I haven’t found any pattern yet, other than it seems to do with the image itself– color, contrast– rather than being a part of a batch. I really think it has something to do with the compression.

So…how to fix? If I can find the preview image itself, perhaps I could replace it with a better version– maybe there’s a full-sized watermarked version, or I could manually add a watermark to a properly sized preview and replace the normal preview image with it? Any info along those lines would help.

BTW I double-checked my original to be sure I hadn’t just sharpened it for the header, and have confirmed that the original is nice and sharp, too. Just the preview is blurry.

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