Tim
Life is good Joined: Nov 2007
Location: Kalamazoo

My last post I asked for reature requests. One of the things was for a multi file uploader. Yeah I've got that covered. A few revisions ago (back in December) I started working on implementing a Silverlight based file upload. Then in January I made it avalable to everyone along with a number of other fun new things.

The uploader is pretty simple to use, a little slow, but it's a work horse so it's ok. To use it open up one of your collections and click the Upload Multiple Images link that is not on top of your toolbox here:

You'll be taken to the uploader from there. Of course, if you are not using IE or FireFox, you may be out of luck. This control needs Silverlight installed to work. It takes about 2 minutes to download and install. And it should prompt you to do so, thats one of the cool things about it.

Once it's loaded, just click Select Files and your on your way. When I implemented this I made a decsion. The decsion was to support only .jpg files for upload. The reason being is to simplify things. Also because that is the vast majority of the files uploaded.

Once you selected Select Files you will be able to select as many files as you want. I tend to pick and choose so I make use of a Ctrl + Click to select my files. It will be displayed like this:

Notice how the file names are all listed in the File name box. Once you've picked your images, just click Open. This will drop them all into the control to be uploaded.

You can pick a bunch at once or jsut a few at a time. I normaly select about ten at a time, then go back for more. Any time I do more I screw up and forget to Ctrl + Click and to unselects them all. From here if you find one you did not mean to click just click the little red circle next to it and it will be removed from the list.

Once everything is selected or if you just want to get the ball rolling click Upload and let it fly. If you want to add more to the list while it's uploading, go for it. Once it's completed all the files will turn gray and a little message will popup at the bottom saying all files finished.

After your done uploading pictures it's time to tag them, comment them and select your default. Of course only the last picture you pick to be your default will actually be your default. To do this just click the Back to collection link and then click the Update new files link above your tool box. This will list all of your images that have been uploaded from the multi file uploader that have not been modified. Currently you must change something about the image to make it clear the list, I'll be changing that process soon. Because some times you just dont want to tag it or comment it.

If you dont feel that this uploader is up to par, or to clunky, well it's better than 3 at a time I guess. And it sure beats the heck out of those ActiveX or Java VM ones that actually invade your browser and your machine. Plus this has a .NET backend so it integrates seamlessly with the site.

I'll also be implementing a SilverLight based slide show and even video viewer. Though the videos have a way to go, a LOT of testing to do and will be limited to 2 megabytes. So you *may* have to find yourself a video editor if I cannot figure out how to do it on the server. But this is a ways off still.

As always when I make a new (full) release I put all the updates, bug fixes, and security patches in the About section. I've yet to do it for the last few things I've added and fixed (here, here, here and here) but thats because they've been "minor" releases. I'll be more aggresivly making updates in the very near future again so I'll be making a full release by the end of next month. I'll notate all my changes in that update.

But in the mean time check out the fun new stuff.