[Resolved] shrinking image size?

lives4him06

i have a gallary of shrunken images that are links that point to the full sized image. (i dont know whether or not to call this a thumbnail because the image is only smaller due to html code as seen below). The paths for the images are saved in a database and 6 images are shown at a time using PHP.

$pic = the path of the image.

 echo "<a href=/images/$pic><img src=$pic width=100 height=150></a>";

The problem is, is that these images are rather large and consequently the page takes a long time to load due to the page trying to load 6 images that take up considerable disk space.

is there anything i can do to shrink image size of the tumbnails through php or will i have to manually make thumbnails?

Weedpacket

Try searching the forums for the word "thumbnail".

lives4him06

ok... so much different stuff.. can you further define the direction in which i should go?

trinitywave

Try something like this.....

This grabs the path to the image from the database and puts it into the HTML.... Then you can specify your thumnail size!

<img src="<?php echo $row_ImagePath['ImagePath']; ?>" width="150" height="100">

lives4him06

yes, but the problem is is that the page takes time to load because the pictures take upo too much disk space

wilku

I have found function resize somewhere (probably at this forum). I've made some changes to it, so it makes the picture smaller after uploading and saves it to disk. You have to make changes so it sends the picture to the browser instead.

function  resize($start_path,$end_path,$end_size,$type)   

{ 
        $picture_location = "$start_path";  

        $picture_save = "$end_path";  

        $size = $end_size; // size in pixel you want the picture to come out height or width - whichever is bigger 

    $im_size = GetImageSize ( $picture_location);  
    $imageWidth = $im_size[0];  
    $imageHeight = $im_size[1];  

    // do all your color allocations here 
    //$font_color_black = ImageColorAllocate( $im, 0,0,0); 

    if ($type == "jpg")
    { 
            $im2 = ImageCreateFromJPEG($picture_location);  
    } 
    if ($type == "png")
    { 
        $im2 = ImageCreateFromPNG($picture_location);  
    } 
    if ($imageWidth>=$imageHeight)  
    {  
        $width=$size;  
        $height = ($width/$imageWidth)*$imageHeight;  
    }  
    else  
    {  
        $height=$size;  
        $width = ($height/$imageHeight)*$imageWidth;  
    }  
    $im = ImageCreateTrueColor( $width, $height );  

    ImageCopyResized ($im,$im2, 0, 0, 0, 0, $width, $height, $imageWidth, $imageHeight);  


    if ($type == "jpg")
    { 
//            Header("Content-type: image/jpeg");  

            ImageJPEG($im,$picture_save,80);  

        } 
        if ($type == "png")
        { 
//             Header("Content-type: image/png");  

            ImagePNG($im,$picture_save,80);  

        } 
        ImageDestroy($im);  

        ImageDestroy ($im2); 
}//end of resize

It requires GD library and jpeg-6b library. You can check if the function gd_info() returns something on the line of JPEG Support=>true.

lives4him06

thank you, but im still pretty confused. by library im assuming you mean directory? what are the funtion variables: $start_path,$end_path,$end_size,$type stand for?

wilku

GD library is an extension to php (i think?). It must be activated somewhere in php.ini
If You want to check if it's installed or not run a scipt below:

<?php
var_dump(gd_info());
?>

When you get an array with JPEG Support field set to true You can use resize function.
The function variables mean:

$start_path - a path to original picture
$end_path - a desired path of a thumbnail (as I wrote before, this version of resize saves created thumbnail to disk)
$size - maximum size of a thumbnail (both width and height)
$type - pass "jpg" for jpg files and "png" for png files (newer versions of GD do not support gif files - for license reasons I understand)

I hope it helps You though it's not exactly what You want to achieve(if I understood right). You have to think how to send pictures to browser instead of sending to disk - see .manual
for help.
I would suggest uncommenting the lines with Header functions and passing only the first variable in imagejpeg and imagepng functions (see if it does the trick).

lives4him06

so how do i configure php.ini to work with GD library and jpeg-6b library?

also what is this code doing as it executes?

lives4him06

the gd library readme says the following:

If you are a PHP programmer, you may be in the wrong place. The
current release of PHP includes its own GD dll which works well
with that language. You do not need this version for PHP.

if this is the case, then how come the following doesent work?

<?php 
var_dump(gd_info()); 
?>

wilku

In php.ini (in Windows it is located in windows directory) there is a line

;extension=php_gd2.dll

To enable gd You should remove ";" from the begining of the line and then restart apache.
Be sure that you've got something like

extension_dir = "c:\Program files\php\extensions"

earlier in php.ini set to the directory where the dll's (or Unix libraries) are.
I don't know how to install jpeg-6b, I hope administrator of the server where I have my page does, because I'am waiting for him to do it .🙂
The function does this:
- get size of the original image (GImageSize)
- depending on type of image it creates image representation in memory (ImageFromFile)
- calculate new width and height of the image (using size)
- create blank image of calculated size in memory (ImageCreateTrueColor)
- copy from one image to another with downsizing (ImageCopyResized)
- depending on type saving resized pictures to disk (ImageJPEG or ImagePNG) - this is the moment where You should make some changes so it sends pictures to browser instead of disk.
- at last freeng memory (ImageDestroy)
I see it this way: in a script where you want to have thumbnails You put <img src="thumb.php?f=picture.jpg">
Then in file thump.php You put

 
$filename=$_GET['f'];
if (is_file($filename))
{
resize($filename,$yoursize,"jpg");
}

function resize($start_path,$size,$type)
{
//this should be the changed version that sends image to browser
//thats why it does'n need $end_path

}

lives4him06

so this will work for any jpeg, how about gif or other?

also am i needing to change the data in my database?

wilku

The function works only on jpeg and png images. As, i'm sure, i mentioned before ;-) gd library won't work with gif files (at least won't be able to create them). It is because of licensing problems.
And you don't have to change paths in your database - just give the path from the database to the thumb.php script i scratched above.

mtimdog

Don't forget to check for the 'cached' thumbnails before you remake them...otherwise you're wasting time recreating them.

lives4him06

this is my entire php.ini file:

; php.ini for PEAR tests
include_path=..
[mail function]
SMTP= localhost ; for Win32 only
sendmail_from= me@localhost.com ; for Win32 only
upload_tmp_dir = C:\PHP\uploadtemp ; temporary directory for HTTP uploaded files (will use system default if not specified)
[Session]
session.save_path= C:\PHP\sessiondata ; argument passed to save_handler
error_reporting= E_ALL; display all errors, warnings and notices
[/QUOTE] 

should i add the:

[QUOTE]
extension=php_gd2.dll

[/QUOTE] 


and where in the httpd.conf file should i add (or does it matter?):

[QUOTE]
extension_dir = "c:\Program files\php\extensions"
[/QUOTE]

wilku

Both lines should be added to php.ini not httpd.conf. You can try at the end of the file (first extensions_dir then extension)

lives4him06

ok, i added this to the php.ini file

extension_dir = "c:\Program files\php\extensions"
extension=php_gd2.dll

and everytime a person accesses the website an error message pops up saying that extension /php_gd2.dll could not be found.

wilku

Well - check if php is installed at that path and if not change the path to where it's installed. Check if there is such file as php_gd2.dll at that directory - if not look for something with gd in its name and change the second line.
If none of this works - I have run out of ideas :-)