PLUGIN NAME: SM Gallery

DOWNLOAD VERSION 1.1.8
Author’s name: sethcarstens, sethmatics
Author’s URL: http://sethmatics.com/
URL of ZIP file: https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/sm-gallery.1.1.8.zip
Plugin Homepage: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/sm-gallery/
Official WordPress Plugin Page: https://wordpress.org/plugins/sm-gallery/
Rating out of 5: 5
List of tags: featured image, gallery, image, media, page
Version number: 1.1.8

Gallery plugin that’s simple because it leans on existing WordPress gallery features provided by http://sethmatics.com/.

NEW TO WORDPRESS? Please read about how the default gallery works at https://codex.wordpress.org/Gallery_Shortcode

We decided that the default gallery that WordPress builds is lacking some very simple features.
Enhance your gallery’s without having to learn a completely new interface! Upload images as you
normally would, insert the “gallery” tag as you normally would, with the plugin enabled BAAM!
Your gallery is not in a beautiful showcase. Wait, don’t have room on your page for a showcase?
No problem, we got you covered! Ad a simple attribute (modal) to the gallery code and define a
thumbnail image… now you have a thumbnail that opens an overlay box on the page with your gallery showcase
in it. No, it doesn’t navigate away from the current page, its very similar to a lightbox effect.

But wait, you want more you say? Oh you mean you use the featured image enhancement from WordPress?
Good news, we even offer you the ability to link your featured image to your gallery showcase. It
will cause the featured image, when clicked, to open the sexy overlay box for you. Snazzy!

Great…. so now I have to worry about 10 more javascript libraries on my page… Nope! The only
scripts we are loading on the page are jQuery UI and small gallery plugin for jQuery. This means it
shouldn’t conflict with any of your other site features. Well, if your not sold yet, just try it out
and see for yourself how quick and easy it is to extend the gallery WordPress features.

Features include:

• uses the existing WordPress gallery shortcode to keep inserting galleries easy and simple
• tiny plugin, overhead media files and scripts are minimal
• scripts optimized to be loaded at proper times to keep page load time down
• extends featured images to link them to a gallery of your choosing
• built as part of the SM plugins group which is being compiled to optimize page load speeds when using SM plugins together by minimizing files loaded on the site to 1 library. Stop loading 50 stylesheets and 39 javascript files, instead using the SM Plugins will pull from a single library and detect whats been loaded to keep you site load time down.

Features Coming in version 2, Next Version Updates:

• javascript post-load images upon visibility to reduce page load time
• modal box will load its contents with AJAX to reduce page load time even more
• some styling options inside the wordpress interface (currently only available using CSS)
• ability to select more plugin options while inserting the gallery from the WordPress media popup
• ability to select an existing image from the media gallery for use as a gallery thumbnail image

Don’t forget to rate our plugin so we know how we are doing!

1. 

   Sample of the gallery, which looks similar inline to what you see in this popup modal box.

2. 

   Sample of the "featured image gallery" options which links your featured image to a gallery popup.