Fetchr4SSP(TM) is a Fetchr(TM)-based PHP script that will fetch photos from Flickr to display as albums inside the awesome gallery software SlideShowPro!

Features

• Allows you to fetch all of your Flickr photosets as albums inside your gallery
• Allows you to fetch any Flickr user’s public photosets, recent photos, “favorites”, and/or “most interesting” photos (according to Flickr) and load them as albums inside your gallery
• Allows you to fetch an album of photos from a Flickr group
• Allows you to fetch an album of photos filtered by specific tags
• Allows you to fetch photos at any resolution that Flickr supports
• Allows you to fetch both public AND private Flickr photos that you have READ access
• Allows you to fetch photo descriptions from Flickr to use as photo captions inside your gallery
• Allows manual and programmatic refreshing of your XML images file, or your entire cache of Flickr API calls

The final result is a Flickr photo gallery wrapped in a premiere Flash-based slideshow interface that is delightful to your web visitors.

Visit the official Fetchr4SSP homepage!

Background

This project started for me just trying to finagle my own way of getting all my Flickr photos organized into album photosets and all available in an easy-to-use interface on one of my WordPress-driven websites. A tall order… but I knew it was doable. After fumbling with some WordPress plugins and such, nothing really worked smoothly enough. A Flash solution was needed, so purchased a license for SlideShowPro (SSP) and I couldn’t be happier!

The next task was putting together a PHP script that would build the complex XML needed to properly load all my Flickr photos organized into photosets into SSP. I tried an existing one with some success, but it lacked a few vital functions I needed… and it wouldn’t handle certain SSP abilities. Soooo, I coded my own. And after some polishing decided to put together a sharp website to peddle my fine creation to the masses.

Among the many design nuances that I had fun creating was the header graphic. The menu bar across the top needed to appear as a glassy semi-transparent strip partially obscuring the stellar colors and shapes, and the search bar needed to mold into that as well. The search capability also uses the Google Search API to return actual Google results integrated right back to into the design. I also implemented thumbnailing code into the archive pages and sub-pages.

This design was created for Negative99.com.

I created this utility after much pain and discontent while trying to perform Flash development in a fickle, IE-laden environment. I frequently ran the possibility that – for various reasons – my Flash player would fail to update to the latest version I required. And to make matters worse, previous little Flash version “widgets” (like this one) would often cache themselves on the client or on the server and produce erroneous results!

So I created the simple, accurate, and completely un-cache-able Flash player version detector that you see here: LIVE DEMO

Gray and clean, yet nuclear green.

All site content that is not part of the site’s physical design is dynamic… programmers know that’s extremely significant. ALL images are called out in CSS or inside the MySQL schema… not in the source xhtml files. All main textual content is stored in MySQL.

The website and design have been featured on Screenalicio.us, the British CSS Design Yorkshire, Light on Dark, Most Inspired, StyleCrunch, the very exclusive design site CSS Mania, CSS Galerie, CSS Galleries, and a special editor’s pick on the prestigious W3C Sites.

You can get full details and loads more info about this web design, and its content management system mechanics, by clicking here.

I am currently redesigning the website for long-time customer Advanced Battery Services for a few reasons. First, the company switched from a provider with a Windows Server environment to a provider running Linux servers and needed me to convert their ASP pages to PHP. Second, I wanted to focus the site’s content more on its business purpose as an introduction to their products and services (rather than the previous version which felt like a shopping cart site without the cart).

For the redesign I’m changing the style to be more of a stark, industrial, yet professional motif that both presents a clear and simple appearance while relating to the mindset of potential customers and partners.

Our only CD, titled Blunder, showcased our sound well… with the fusion of moody electronic vibes, a full rock rhythm section, and McClaine’s vocals which are always passionate and honest. After Pat moved to other projects the band’s sound diverged from the polished electronica-influenced CD to a more raw, live, and heavily guitar-driven style.

After a while I needed to step away from the band, and just afterward the band decided it was a wrap… but we had a good run and are all still friends – and even occasionally play together.

myspace.com/hundredmonkeytheory

Terra Nova Church is tremendously blessed with talented musicians and leaders who seek to use their God-given skills for His glory by playing both with worshipfulness and excellence.

terranovachurch.org

Feed the Animals is a fresh new cover band local to Albany, NY specializing in bringing a party atmosphere to any venue. They cover such artists as U2, Nickelback, Bon Jovi, and STP.

myspace.com/feedtheanimalsband

phoebehenry.com