When I find a plugin that kicks butt, I want to share it with everyone.
I've been searching everywhere for a quality WordPress plugin that allowed me to integrate a dynamic portfolio page within this blog. With the popularity of our infographic category – there had to be more of an effective means of displaying them for our readers, instead of just one at a time.
Enter Category Grid View Gallery. This plugin generates a grid view of the first images grabbed from posts of a category and displays the image and titles using a shortcode.
Since it's based off of shortcodes, the extensibility is incredible. You can determine the size of the image displayed, the quantity of images displayed, if you want lightbox integration, you even have the flexibility to display your portfolio in a post or on a page.
To be honest – when I first saw this plugin, I immediately thought of the Jay-Z site Life + Times. You can essentially build a similar site to that, with the active and inactive tiles using this plugin – that's how powerful this thing is.
The plugin is available in the WordPress Plugin Directory and was updated as recent as 7/6/2011 – that's a good thing with the new restrictions that are soon to be implemented within the Directory from Automattic for “stale” themes and plugins being hidden from view.
Checking the author's main blog it appears as though they are actively developing the plugin and very much on top of user comments and suggestions – another good thing.
I definitely recommend this plugin if you're in need of this type of functionality.
Hi James, was really excited to find your post as I’m working on a site to do this very thing; however, it appears this plugin has been pulled from WP due to a serious vulnerability found, check out the details here: http://forums.cnet.com/7726-7813_102-5206454.html. I’m on the hunt for an alternate and have a few I’m QA’ing.
@rhondamichelle thanks for sharing this. I was recently looking to make changes and found that the plugin author’s site was no longer active. Please keep me in the loop as you do your QA
Well so far I’ve not found a plugin that accomplishes the exact same thing. The closest one is Featured Posts Grid ~ it’s similar though I haven’t got it to do what I need yet ~ the spacing is off. If you try it let me know how it works for you and I’ll keep you posted on my findings/adventures as well 😉
@rhondamichelle I searched both in the WordPress plugin repository and codecanyon.net last night and didn’t find anything decent.
@jameshicks Really, wow. I’ve found several articles on how to it w/o a plugin but it’s quite involved with multi steps and I’ve read many variations on it so I’m uncertain as to the best/right way to approach it. Gotta be another code wizard out there who could turn it into a secure plugin. I’ll germinate on this some more…
Hi James, was really excited to find your post as I’m working on a site to do this very thing; however, it appears this plugin has been pulled from WP due to a serious vulnerability found, check out the details here: http://forums.cnet.com/7726-7813_102-5206454.html. I’m on the hunt for an alternate and have a few I’m QA’ing.
@rhondamichelle thanks for sharing this. I was recently looking to make changes and found that the plugin author’s site was no longer active. Please keep me in the loop as you do your QA
Well so far I’ve not found a plugin that accomplishes the exact same thing. The closest one is Featured Posts Grid ~ it’s similar though I haven’t got it to do what I need yet ~ the spacing is off. If you try it let me know how it works for you and I’ll keep you posted on my findings/adventures as well 😉
@rhondamichelle I searched both in the WordPress plugin repository and codecanyon.net last night and didn’t find anything decent.
@jameshicks Really, wow. I’ve found several articles on how to it w/o a plugin but it’s quite involved with multi steps and I’ve read many variations on it so I’m uncertain as to the best/right way to approach it. Gotta be another code wizard out there who could turn it into a secure plugin. I’ll germinate on this some more…
Oh dear I had only just found and used it for a project and about to use it again for another. Maybe it can be deconstructed and vulnerabilities removed?
@winninginch I like your thinking. Hopefully a plugin developer sees this and takes on the task
@jameshicks There is a fix. The problem is with the timthumb script. Here is a fix to the problem. http://www.agentwp.com/how-to-fix-the-security-issue-in-timthumb
I tested on existing site and having made the mods it all works.
@winninginch@jameshicks This is great news! Thanks winninginch! I’d love to get a copy of the plugin and make the mods myself ~ problem is I can’t find the plugin online anymore. Would either of you be able to send it my way? I too have a project I can use right away on with this ~ I can DM you my email or if there’s some other way you’d prefer…let me know ~ it’d really be great to be able to use this all fixed up.
@winninginch@jameshicks Also, there’s this super easy fix + it scans all your plugins for old vulnerable Tim Thumb: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/timthumb-vulnerability-scanner/
@rhondamichelle@jameshicks Hello, OK excuse the mess as I just started developing my new site yesterday.. However, I have uploaded the security fixed “category grid view gallery” file for you at http://www.winninginch.co.uk/category-grid-view-gallery-plugin-for-wordpress-security-fixed/ You can the modified plugin working at http://www.winninginch.co.uk/portfolio/ but again excuse the mess.
@winninginch@jameshicks Thanks so much for doing this winninginch, that’s really thoughtful of you! However, I did go and try to download and it won’t work ~ I get a box that pops up when I click the “download” link and the spin wheel spins. trie din both Chrome & FF.
@rhondamichelle@jameshicks Hello, Sorry fo the delay I have been away on a commercial shoot. There was a conflict, ironically, with the WordPress “Download Manager” I installed and the “category grid view gallery” LOL! Anyway after a bit of head scratching both the demo and the download are all good. Kev
commercial shoot? Let’s talk more about that. Maybe we can collaborate on our other site as well, INFOtainment News (http://www.infotainmentnews.net)
@jameshicks OK what have you got in mind? Have not check but can you PM me?
Hi I am using this plugin as well.. My question is how to use this plugin with search results. I mean I want my search results to have this nice grid style. Any “hacks” or “tricks” are more than welcome! One of the most powerful plugins this is…
Oh dear I had only just found and used it for a project and about to use it again for another. Maybe it can be deconstructed and vulnerabilities removed?
@winninginch I like your thinking. Hopefully a plugin developer sees this and takes on the task
@jameshicks There is a fix. The problem is with the timthumb script. Here is a fix to the problem. http://www.agentwp.com/how-to-fix-the-security-issue-in-timthumb
I tested on existing site and having made the mods it all works.
@winninginch@jameshicks This is great news! Thanks winninginch! I’d love to get a copy of the plugin and make the mods myself ~ problem is I can’t find the plugin online anymore. Would either of you be able to send it my way? I too have a project I can use right away on with this ~ I can DM you my email or if there’s some other way you’d prefer…let me know ~ it’d really be great to be able to use this all fixed up.
@winninginch@jameshicks Also, there’s this super easy fix + it scans all your plugins for old vulnerable Tim Thumb: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/timthumb-vulnerability-scanner/
@rhondamichelle@jameshicks Hello, OK excuse the mess as I just started developing my new site yesterday.. However, I have uploaded the security fixed “category grid view gallery” file for you at http://www.winninginch.co.uk/category-grid-view-gallery-plugin-for-wordpress-security-fixed/ You can the modified plugin working at http://www.winninginch.co.uk/portfolio/ but again excuse the mess.
@winninginch@jameshicks Thanks so much for doing this winninginch, that’s really thoughtful of you! However, I did go and try to download and it won’t work ~ I get a box that pops up when I click the “download” link and the spin wheel spins. trie din both Chrome & FF.
@rhondamichelle@jameshicks Hello, Sorry fo the delay I have been away on a commercial shoot. There was a conflict, ironically, with the WordPress “Download Manager” I installed and the “category grid view gallery” LOL! Anyway after a bit of head scratching both the demo and the download are all good. Kev
commercial shoot? Let’s talk more about that. Maybe we can collaborate on our other site as well, INFOtainment News (http://www.infotainmentnews.net)
@jameshicks OK what have you got in mind? Have not check but can you PM me?
Hi I am using this plugin as well.. My question is how to use this plugin with search results. I mean I want my search results to have this nice grid style. Any “hacks” or “tricks” are more than welcome! One of the most powerful plugins this is…
I am using this plugin for a website I am making these days. It is quite powerful and I want to know if there is a way to include the same style for search results. I mean want my search results to have the same grid style. Any help is appreciated!
I am using this plugin for a website I am making these days. It is quite powerful and I want to know if there is a way to include the same style for search results. I mean want my search results to have the same grid style. Any help is appreciated!
UPDATE: The plugin has been updated and the TimThumb vulnerability has been addressed. Good times !
UPDATE: The plugin has been updated and the TimThumb vulnerability has been addressed. Good times !
Awesome list of great Videos. Most of them are music videos. So a lot of them use Youtube to “hear” music…domain finder tool
Awesome list of great Videos. Most of them are music videos. So a lot of them use Youtube to “hear” music…domain finder tool
Nice information, many thanks to the author. It is incomprehensible to me now, but in general, the usefulness and significance is overwhelmingoverwhelming. Thanks again and good luck!easygovgrants
Nice information, many thanks to the author. It is incomprehensible to me now, but in general, the usefulness and significance is overwhelmingoverwhelming. Thanks again and good luck!easygovgrants
[…] it and speed up your site.Category Grid View GalleryThis suggestion comes courtesy of our friend James Hicks. On his repeated recommendation I checked out the Category Grid View Gallery plugin and am pretty […]
[…] it and speed up your site.Category Grid View GalleryThis suggestion comes courtesy of our friend James Hicks. On his repeated recommendation I checked out the Category Grid View Gallery plugin and am pretty […]