Clarifying User Categories

[mlm2005]

Hello,

I'm trying to figure out if Coppermine will actually work for my store.  I have had it installed for over a year and just recently upgraded.  I want to clarify a few things first though.

I need two Categories that two different groups of people can upload to.  From what I am reading, this is not possible.  Even though I have renamed the user category with one of my category names all new users end up in this category and don't have the option to select the second category.  So, I can make this work by having customers post their photos into the User Category and for my creative team I will have to post their images myself to the Creative Team category.

I have two related questions to clarify the above issue

1.  Can new Users place their albums in any other category except the User category?
2.  Can new Users have an account with no gallery or a hidden gallery? (so they can post comments to other User's uploads but their image uploads would be completed by the administrator in a separate category.)

Thanks much!

[Stramm]

1. no, but they can upload their pictures to all albums in all categories where you give them upload permission
2. yes, users don't start with an 'album'. If they want to have own, they need to create it. If you allow users to comment then they of course can. You have the possibility to approve uploads (recommended setting). Before new uploads become visible, you check them and move them into the right category/ album

[mlm2005]

Hello and thank you.  I think I figured out a work around but it is not without problems.

The Registered Group will not have rights to a Personal Gallery and will have rights to upload to public galleries.  This should prevent the User Category from showing at all - is that correct?   That is what my goal is.

I will have the following Categories/Sub-Categories set up:

Creative Team
   Creative Upload Album - This is set up with Viewed by Everybody and Visitors can Upload Files
   Creative Team Member Album - After the CT member uploads to the above album, I can create a specific album for them and move the photo to that album.

Members
   Members Upload Album - This is set up with Viewed by Everybody and Visitors can Upload Files
   Member XYZ Album - After the Member uploads to the above album, I can create a specific album for them and move the photo to that album.

Now my problem:  I have Registered Users who have files uploaded to Personal Albums over the past year.  Is there a way to move these files to my defined categories?  The other side to this is that these people registered before I changed the Registered category to No Personal Gallery.  I had a non-admin account that I had registered a year ago and tested this and sure enough - not only could I save to the albums above, put Personal Album was a choice too.  My Test Account registered today did not have a Personal Album option available.  Does that sound right?

On a positive note:  These registered users are past creative team members so theoretically I could manually add their photos to my defined category and just delete their albums.  It would be great if I could keep the view and comment history.

As these questions are all related to the same topic I thought it was best to keep them together.  Thanks for taking the time to help me!

[Stramm]

you can move pics from personal to public albums. If no pics and / or albums are in the 'users category', the link will disappear.

the rest sounds good to me... all normal

[mlm2005]

Hello,

I was able to move the files to the albums I defined.  I am so glad I was able to do this!  One small problem.  In the User Gallery (the one Coppermine defines) I have zero files and four albums left.  So . . . the Category is not going away as planned.  I've checked everywhere to see if I can delete the albums.  Any suggestions?

Thanks so much for your help!

[Stramm]

this should help you deleting the empty user albums
http://forum.coppermine-gallery.net/index.php?topic=31917.msg148529#msg148529

[mlm2005]

Hello,

That did the trick!  Well with that I am left with one more customization issue regarding themes.  Will post in that forum for that issue.  Thanks again!