Can I create a Showcase Forum with Xenforo Media Gallery

[MoonShadows]

My forum deals with Hobby Greenhouse Growers. I want to create one forum where owners can showcase their greenhouses. I would need the new thread to have several tabs like Overview, Planning & Construction, Plants, Videos, Discussion. I was going to use Bob's Showcase "Item Management System", but it will be a while before he has it compatible with XF2.0. Will the Xenforo Media Gallery allow me to do this or similar? Thanks.

 

[Chris D]

It sounds like you want more functionality than the Media Gallery can provide.

Maybe even the Resource Manager would be better, from the perspective of the fact that you could disable or hide some of the functionality (such as being able to upload "versions"), you could upload images to the main resource description, they can be rated, have a discussion attached to them, etc. Though of course you would lose the ability to have videos.

 

[MoonShadows]

Thanks @Chris D. I can live without the videos. I'll take a look at it and then search the forums to see how folks are using it. Is there a demo available?

 

[MoonShadows]

OOPS. Didn't realize it's part of the main XF demo.

 

[MoonShadows]

@Chris D...After taking a close look at the Resource Manage Add-on, it appears it will not be suitable for what I am trying to accomplish. If anyone has any other suggestions, I am open to them; otherwise I guess I'll just have to wait for Bob to update his Showcase "Item Management System" so it is compatible with XF2.0. This is frustrating for me because I purchased my XF license only a couple of days after the 2.0 version was released. There are a good number of add-ons I want that just are not yet compatible with xf2.0.

 

[TPerry]

@Bob has a GREAT add-on called ShowCase that would fit the bill to a T. It's highly customizable.
Once he gets it to compatibility with 2.0 it's what I would use.

If you haven't already converted (or have it live) in the 2.0 format, just use XenForo 1.X for now and then once Bob gets it updated the conversion should be easy. The 1.x line should be available under your current license.

 

[MoonShadows]

@Tracy Perry I already have XF2.0, and Bob has no idea when Showcase will be updated.

 

[TPerry]

@Tracy Perry I already have XF2.0, and Bob has no idea when Showcase will be updated.

I was aware of that from an earlier post - I just didn't word this well.. but if your site is not an established site (recently started) or was recently upgraded/converted my point was it may be better/worth using the 1.x line of XenForo until Bob gets the 2.X compatible version out. The only downfall would be that you will most likely lose any recent data.
Even though you downloaded the 2.0 version, you can still use the older version.

 

[Suzanne O]

@Tracy Perry I already have XF2.0, and Bob has no idea when Showcase will be updated.

try contacting whoever created showcase and ask them when is it going to be updated.
If they aren't going to update it then i suggest that you look around for something similar.

 

[MoonShadows]

Thanks @Tracy Perry. How would I do that? Would it just be a fresh install? And, besides losing the data, would I lose the few little changes I've done, i.e. extra user fields? I only started the forum this past week, but I have 7 members and 25 posts already. I would consider using the earlier version. I guess it would be trade off, but might be worth it.

 

[MoonShadows]

try contacting whoever created showcase and ask them when is it going to be updated.
If they aren't going to update it then i suggest that you look around for something similar.

I did contact the developer, but he is making no commitment on when he will have it updated. He only said it will be a while. I also checked and can't find anything similar. I did check out the Resource Manager as suggested by @Chris D, but it doesn't seem the Users can upload, just me, and I want a place where users can showcase their greenhouses.

 

[TPerry]

Thanks @Tracy Perry. How would I do that? Would it just be a fresh install? And, besides losing the data, would I lose the few little changes I've done, i.e. extra user fields? I only started the forum this past week, but I have 7 members and 25 posts already. I would consider using the earlier version. I guess it would be trade off, but might be worth it.

If they are CSS style changes in the EXTRA.css equivalent, then no as a lot of that is going to be different.

The extra user fields and everything would have to be redone. It would be the same as setting it up fresh just like you had to the first time.
It would probably be better to do that now since you don't have that many posts and you could always have the users register again and then simply have them do a place holder post that you could later cut/paste the data from the 2.0 site DB into that post for them.
You would simply create a different DB to use for the 1.X site and then use that DB from then on - still having the 2.0 DB to access the data from.

The RM won't match what ShowCase can provide.

 

[MoonShadows]

I did just see this post. This might work.
https://xenforo.com/community/threads/social-groups-for-xenforo-2-x-paid.134006/

 

[TPerry]

I don't think it will work to do what you are actually wanting to. It appears to simply make an album for the group - you can already do that with the XF Gallery add-on.
The only thing that will fit what you are wanting is Bob's stuff... and the only current way to get that is to go with XenForo 1.x line for now.

 

[MoonShadows]

I don't know. I looked at the one on @Snog's site, and it seemed like it was much more than a photo album. I have an email into him. I'm in no rush. Going to 1.x is an option on the list.

 

[MoonShadows]

I just heard back from @Snog. He said: "The photo area in the group system is a very rudimentary system. It is not intended to be used the way you're thinking."

 

[Suzanne O]

I did contact the developer, but he is making no commitment on when he will have it updated. He only said it will be a while. I also checked and can't find anything similar. I did check out the Resource Manager as suggested by @Chris D, but it doesn't seem the Users can upload, just me, and I want a place where users can showcase their greenhouses.

Use the media gallery.
Chris might be able to give you a hand with setting that up for you if you ask him.

 

[TPerry]

Use the media gallery.
Chris might be able to give you a hand with setting that up for you if you ask him.

The media gallery will not meet his stated wants of

I would need the new thread to have several tabs like Overview, Planning & Construction, Plants, Videos, Discussion.

A simpler (and cheaper) solution would be simply to create a node and have a template example as a sticky for them to emulate. Any video's would have to be posted on a supported multimedia site.
The media gallery could be used in conjunction with this - but the BEST solution is a retrograde to Xenforo 1.x line and using the current version of Bob's Showcase.

 

[MoonShadows]

Use the media gallery.
Chris might be able to give you a hand with setting that up for you if you ask him.

The Media Gallery isn't going to accomplish what I want. I need more than just pictures.

 

[MoonShadows]

Right now I do have a Forum called
Show Us Your Greenhouse
Create a Thread Showcasing Your Greenhouse. Pictures welcomed!

I like your idea of a template example as a sticky to emulate. I could easily create that. This actually will work, it just won't have the different categories (Overview, Planning & Construction, Plants, Videos, Discussion). It will save me money and I won't have to install xf1.0.

I wasn't too happy about having to do it that way for now while waiting for the Showcase to be updated, but I think that sticky template example would go a long way to having some kind of uniform structure to this area. Thanks for that suggestion @Tracy Perry.