Image Slideshows with WPCycle and the EZ Homepage Slider

Last week I took a look at how several of the the Catalyst Theme settings are closely integrated with WordPress functionality and this post continues in a similar vein.

One of the great features of WordPress is the WordPress Plugin Repository which contains thousands of plugins to provide an awesome array of options providing all sorts of functionality.

Functionality like that provided by the image slider plugin WP-Cycle.

WP-Cycle allows you to load up several images and then ‘rotate’ between them – providing a slideshow of the images.

So you could have 3 or 4 (or more) images and as one fades out, the next fades in to replace it.

The plugin provides a number of options for how the transition between images occurs – fade, slide in, wipe-over, etc – along with the time each image is shown and the time take for the transition to occur.

It’s a free plugin, provides solid basic slideshow functionality, and is very popular.

And the Homepage Slider option in Catalyst’s EZ functionality (in the Dynamik options) is all set to roll with it by default!

Here’s how simple it is to set up a Homepage Slideshow with Catalyst Theme.

First, use the normal WordPress functionality to search for, and then install the WP-Cycle plugin.

Then go to the WP-Cycle settings and upload your images.

You will need your images to be sized appropriately to suit the area you want them to fill on your site  and those image dimensions should be entered in the WP-Cycle settings.

Note also that, optionally, each image can be hyper-linked to wherever you like.

Adjust the other settings to suit and Save them.

Now we go to the EZ settings tab in the Dynamik options and activate the Homepage Slider option.

The EZ Homepage Slider can stretch right across the site width by clicking the ‘Outside Sidebar’ option as shown here, or can be selected to only stretch as far as the sidebars (if present) by choosing the ‘Inside Sidebar’ option.

We also need to set the height of the EZ Homepage Slider to match the images as well.

If we now check the WordPress Widgets Page, we’ll see there is a widget area called EZ Home Slider.

When using the WP-Cycle plugin there is no need to drag any widgets to this area or configure anything else. WP-Cycle is coded in as the default for this area.

So because of the integration of Catalyst Theme with WP-Cycle, there is nothing else needed here and we’re finished.

It’s that simple!

Here’s the result using an EZ widgetized Static Homepage with the Slider set ‘Outside Sidebar’ which shows the Slider Area stretching across the site.

One image is shown sliding in from the left to replace the other.

And here’s the result using a default WordPress Homepage instead – this time with the Slider set ‘Inside Sidebar’ – again showing the slideshow transitioning between two images.

If you wish to use a different slider plugin (there are many with different features and advantages), then that is also straightforward. Many of them typically use a shortcode for each slideshow – such as [pb_slideshow group="1"] – to be included where you want it to appear.

So in that case, all you’d have to do is drop a text widget containing the shortcode into the EZ Home Slider widget area shown above, in which case it will over-ride the default WP-Cycle code.

Whether you take advantage of the integration of Catalyst Theme and the WP-Cycle slideshow plugin, or use a different plugin, adding a great slideshow effect like this is just so easy using Catalyst.

Have fun.

David.

David Pritchard is the author of the Catalyst Theme Cheat Sheet – the 250+ page guide that helps users make the most of Catalyst Theme. Licenced Catalyst Theme users can get their FREE copy in the downloads section of the Catalyst Theme forum. David also has a site that with guides to using Catalyst Theme, WordPress, SEO, internet marketing techniques and other topics at http://www.FastStepInternetMarketing.com