Image handling stinks in PS

[Havouza]

One thing that has got me very close to change platform is PS image handling. From the second you add a product, manually or by import, the images disappear in a mysterious web of folders and changed names. Impossible to find again. We have many categories with clothes where the product has many images. If someone is missing for some reason it is impossible to find out which.

I can only pray that this is one of the developments that TB will do to go back to a more simple system. I can't see one reason for the one that is today

[alwayspaws]

I don't like the folders PS creates, either. I have the images for each category and subcategory in their own folders so I can find them via FTP.

[Havouza]

I can't do that. We work with drop shippers and get the images in zip files that I download and unzip in one folder with a PHP script every 3rd day with cron. Then I use XML to create or update the products and it takes the pictures from that folder.

[alwayspaws]

Sorry about that.

[yaniv14]

This is just one part of the issue. I am not sure if you guys aware to the fact that the original image that PS keeps in the folder is not really the original uploaded file but a cloned version of it in lower quality. All images being processed by GD Library, and I couldn't find any way to maintain the original quality of the image. All thought the changes are minor, when your client is providing you with Studio quality photos, he expects them to remain the same.

[Havouza]

What is the meaning with studio quality pics when 90 % of the computers cant show them anyway

[alwayspaws]

@yaniv14 I did not know that about the images.

@Havouza very true.

[Havouza]

I really hope that that is one of the things that is cleaned out

[alwayspaws]

@Havouza said in Image handling stinks in PS:

I really hope that that is one of the things that is cleaned out

There is so much work to do to get everything right and the team really needs more developers to get involved.

[Havouza]

I have no rush. First shop is now alive with TB and works fine

[MockoB]

@yaniv14 the issue is not with the regenerated images quality the bigger issue that the right images are not served to the right device @Havouza you are wrong, somewhere in the forum I quoted site where it is shown that in 2016 less than 15% I think it was, are using resolution lower than 1366x768 and more than 50% are using 1920x1080 and higher resolution. Which is more than enough to show studio quality pictures. And according google analytics my shop is visited more than 50% by mobile devices which are in most cases capable of showing studio images.
@alwayspaws I saw in other topic you are using iPhone and iPad and I can't believe you are not aware with what retina images are! Natively prestashop should handle those images but it doesn't really. At least there is option in image preferences "generate high resolution images" for high pixel density screens. Which makes x2 copy of every thumbnail in the image folders and when device - mobile or pc with high res display is browsing your site should see those images. @yaniv14 it is absolutely enough believe me to view those studio quality pictures. But guess what as @mdekker said it is half baked potato what prestashop did. The images are generated, they are there in the image folders, but that's all! They are just taking disc space and that's all they do, when you @alwayspaws browse with your iPad instead seeing those images you are hurting your eyes with those blurry low quality pictures. And that's not all until we are fighting to get those x2 pictures on your iPhone or iPad, more and more devices are capable of x3 and x4 images... I miss those days when the only display in my home was the black and white tv display ... and maybe PS miss them also ...

[Havouza]

But OK where are these pictures needed? What customers see the difference or bother about the difference? My customers buying RayBan sunglasses or industrial machines or cleaning equipment or.... they don't bother.

[MockoB]

The difference is like you are watching champions league final on VHS tape on 14"CRT screen or on 50" flat screen with full HD signal. The problem is that on high density screen devices such as most smartphones, tablets and recent pc monitors the pictures are blurry. The picture you actually see on such device is like when you zoom 100/100 pixel picture to 200/200 pixels on your computer. It is the best way I can explain it. And the pictures are what customers see on internet and believe me they do care about quality. I don't want to loose all clients with iPhone, iPad and other expensive devices. Do you?

[Havouza]

My customers have no need and don't care about the quality. Anyway, they are very aware that the old saying that pictures don't lie is not true anymore. Anyway, I have worked with computers long before the PC and DOS era. I have watched the crazy hunt for performance. Not from the company world, if they could decide, we would have much simpler computers today. The hunt is led by the gaming industry and to some extent also the mobile platform industry. But believe me, the mobile phone industry would love to be able to make simpler phones and not have to chase performance because it is very expensive. I have no smartphone, why should I. I use the phone for what it was developed, to make phone calls. What people that must have the latest model all the time forget is that we now have devices that already is better than the human eye and brain can see and interpret. We just feed the industry. its like with cars. My first cars would make 300000 km without a problem. That is not possible today because people must change cars to make a profit for the industry so the cars are meaningly made to last much shorter time.

Rant over

[MockoB]

I could agree at some point with you about the technology industry competition. But after all isn't it the main reason we are able to sell to whole world from our home? And pictures are actually lying it is true but in this particular case if the above feature is working as it should the pictures will deliver to users much better experience and realistic appearance. About smartphones, I was thinking like you some time ago but it is not actually a phone it is a computer. When you own business you have to be always in touch with your clients (email, Facebook, etc), communicate with suppliers, manage shipments etc. Why should I be stuck in front of the monitor whole day. I did all those while skiing last month and will do it on the beach soon :) We are victims of technology revolution but I could live with that ;)

[yaniv14]

I think you guys missing my point. Maybe I wasn't clear in my post. My customer uploaded an image 1200X1200 pixel (600kb) from prestashop BO. All images preferences is configured to 100% quality, which mean no loose in quality. The image that prestashop saved in the folder (the original one, that can be regenerated later) is not the original one, but instead its a cloned version of it with the same dimensions of 1200X1200 pixel with a size of 415kb. And if I compare both files in Photoshop, you can clearly see the different. It's not blurier but you can see that the blue color (in this case) is faded compare to the original (its not as sharp as the original). I have done more than 50 PS shops and its the first time I've noticed that because the client mentioned it to me (this client really cares about quality). I have tried to look for solution online and it seems that it has something to do with the GD library PS use. take a look here: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3617272/php-gd-bad-quality-on-resize and http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3563103/php-gd-library-losing-quality-other-ideas/3565391

[Havouza]

@MockoB I live in Cyprus. I have 500 m to the beach. There is 10Mb Internet there. I have a tablet. I can do all that you can do but on a more comfortable screen size. Still my 10 y.o Nokia E51 fill its purpose to 100 % ;-)

[MockoB]

@yaniv14 I hope you will find someone who will guide you where and how to change that function! @Havouza I live also 500m from the beach but still can't imagine myself skiing with my 9.7 iPad ;) You are welcome in Bulgaria on ski vacation and then leave feedback about ski with tablet, it is not far away from Cyprus :)

[Havouza]

I don't ski so not any need. I have lived abroad for 20 years in different countries but now we stay here.

[MockoB]

@mdekker it looks nice module but I just read some posts in the other forum about security vulnerabilities with it. Is there something to be concerned about?

[MockoB]

Thank you!

[alwayspaws]

Do you have installation instructions for those on a Mac?

2 errors Unable to install module. Imagick extension not found on system. The following module(s) could not be installed properly: mdimagemagick : .

[Havouza]

But you dont install it locally and your webhost is not Mac or..

[alwayspaws]

It says instructions for Ubuntu. I don't know what else to come up with.

I downloaded the zip file, added new module, uploaded the zip file. Clicked install and got those errors.

[Havouza]

The webhost has to have ImageMagic installed. Ask them