Beancounters - not just shilling, actual question needing tech advices

[rohina]

So.

It has come to my attention that Chapter 1.2 of the Beancounter Legacy is missing from the Exchange, quite possibly because it contained the word "vagina" (and the word "gobstopper" in the same sentence). Now, Pescado has offered to host the pix here on the awesomeservar, but I have to say, I really don't like reading the story by having to read the caption and then click to see the picture, or even scrolling down through a post to look at a picture with a caption. Also, because my chapters hover around 100 pictures, the latter would be unwieldy to say the least.

Now, I am handy with a blog, and could do it that way, but the thing that holds me back is that I really do like the page flipping set up in the BBS - one picture and caption per page. So I was wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of a webcomic plugin or similar that could do that kind of setup: with a picture and caption, and then some kind of "next" button.

Y'all know that I am often mocked as a technical goofus, but I can manage stuff like blog software, and I can access technical help, so it can have a slight level of technical difficulty.

Suggestions much appreciated. To show my gratitude, I will even move your simself in to the BeanHood. Or leave you out, by request.

Also: Chapter 2.0.

[floopyboo]

When I was looking at doing mark2 of my webcomic, I was looking at these guys with all kinds of seriousness. This was a while ago, so I can't say for certain if they've gone downhill. I will strongly recommend you stay the hell away from webcomicsnation (formerly keenspace) as it's clunky as hell & quite crappy with the support & stuff. Make sure you read up on retaining your intellectual copyright - a lot of comic hosts like to say what's yours is now actually theirs.

I realise this is probably not precisely what you are looking for, but it is a nice, FREE, option coming with a recommendation from a former webcomicer.

[GayJohnScarritt]

   I'm no blogger at all, but a quick search led me to stripShow plugin for WordPress and ComicPress.   http://stripshow.monkeylaw.org/

[rohina]

That's heading in the right direction, but not quite right because the emphasis is on making the frames (which I do not really care about), rather than the page-turning.

[J. M. Pescado]

We don't actually need a host. A faster alternative to scribbling up my own software is all that's important. If it's simple, crude, and efficient, even better.

[talysman]

Bloxsom with either the imagegallery plugin or the meta plugin (and a carefully-designed template) would do the trick. The first plugin is actually not available anymore for download at the listed site (dead link,) but it's possible to find it via the Wayback Machine, and in fact I've already done so. The meta plugin is still available for download at the original link. Either route also requires either interpolate_conditional or interpolate_fancy, to allow variables in the template to be interpolated.

Another option is a very simple image display script a friend of mine wrote. Here it is in action. I can't remember if he wrote it in Perl or in PHP, but there's a Perl version redesigned for use with PerlHP (another friend's project.) The source is available here, and the PerlHP module source is here.

[Sagana]

http://www.flashslider.com/

[leaths]

I read an apocalypse story that the writer uses SlideShare to embed in her blog.

Link

[jolrei]

This is a good idea - my stories tend toward the high number of pics as well and having to click on all of them seems very unweildy.  At the same time, I don't want to use the exchange.  I will look into some of these apparent "solutions".

[snowbawl]

This is a good idea - my stories tend toward the high number of pics as well and having to click on all of them seems very unweildy.  At the same time, I don't want to use the exchange.  I will look into some of these apparent "solutions".

When you find a good one, that is not too difficult, let me know.  I would like to do the same.

[talysman]

I just realized that the PerlHP-based solution I linked to, although easily modifiable, doesn't include comments/captions specific to each image. I thought it did, because I had modified it for my own use. So, I quickly modified and tested one more appropriate for Sims stories. Create a folder on a web server with an up-to-date Perl, upload PerlHP.pm and this script to that folder, make them executable, and then upload image and text files with names like this:

• 001_story.jpg
• 001_story_thumb.jpg
• 001_story.txt
• 002_story.jpg
• 002_story_thumb.jpg
• 002_story.txt

Etc. You don't have to use numbers, but the script sorts them alphabetically, so be aware of that when deciding which image should go first.

[rohina]

Is now working in Awesomeviewer. I have Old Chapter 1.1 up so far. Check it out.

[Cimaronna]

I did and I loved it! It certainly beats the "click a pic" format!

I've been catching up on the stories. I'm loving yours so far! Well done, Ma'am!

[Liz]

Looking forward to reading it from the beginning, rohina!
BTW, I just took a quick peek, and the chapter seems to be opening to the last pic (had to click the << to go back to the start).

[miramis]

Chapter 1.2 is up on the exchange, I can't seem to find Chapter 1.3 though.

[jolrei]

This is excellent.  I must try something like this.  And it was fantastic to re-read the backstory - I had forgotten most of it.  Always good to go back and read the old classics.

[rohina]

Chapter 1.2 is up on the exchange, I can't seem to find Chapter 1.3 though.

Yes, one of my chapters got mysteriously deleted, which is one of the reasons I am moving them.