# Another Question for the BigCartel Wizards



## moohandcow (Jan 30, 2008)

Hello, just a hopefully quick question for the Big Cartel wizards in here...

I just finally put up product shots on my Big Cartel site.

I'm using the Sexy Theme, and I was wondering... On an individual product page, how to have all of the product images displayed vertically along the left side instead of as those little tiny numbered thumbnail links that seem so easy to overlook...

I've read of someone doing it, but I can't for the life of me figure out how exactly. I've searched the BigCartel forums and can't find anything too helpful...

Any ideas or answers?

My website is in my signature and the link "Clothes" is what will take you to my BigCartel store...

Thanks!


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## lindsayanng (Oct 3, 2008)

First off, your images are loading REALLY slow.. just a single image is 24K and they say the overall size for a website should be around 100K.. 

But back on track..

if you post your code, i can probably help you. Do you want to show just a small image there? Or the same sized thumbnail as you have on the main page?


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## moohandcow (Jan 30, 2008)

Yes, I am well aware the images are loading ridiculously slow and are huge right now  Everything will all be fixed/optimized/tweaked in the next several days... Just wanted to put up the pics on the site for now to see how they look (you know, once they load...). Some of the loading issues could also be BigCartel's problem though, I think, since the product pictures have to be uploaded to_ their_ server and not my own webhost that I use for the rest of my website.

I'm getting together tomorrow with some web designer/programmer friends to discuss overhauling my BigCartel site... They should be able to help with the obvious loading issues, and I think we'll also go through my code. But if I need additional help in the coding department, I'll let you know, Lindsay.

Just wanted to know if there was a quick way to do what I'm asking through tweaking their HTML API or some quick coding changes... I'd like the pictures to all be displayed at the same size as the "main" picture is (the picture that comes up when you click a thumbnail number).


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## lindsayanng (Oct 3, 2008)

No problem, i just wanted to let you know because some people dont realize and they cram super HUGE images into those place holders.. 

I dont know the BigCartel admin side, but i do know they let you get into the code right?? So i'm assuming that you would just go in and find the coding for the numbers and make it an <img src /> with the same link.. 

Does that make sense?


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## moohandcow (Jan 30, 2008)

Yep, it makes sense... And yep, you get decent access to the actual coding of most things... However, the behind-the-scenes side of BigCartel coding is a bit more than just modifying HTML and CSS...

They have integrated into the HTML their own proprietary HTML API... Without much guidance for it beyond the basics. They seem to rely pretty heavily on the API for the individual product pages. And because of their API and how it's all set up, there is NO actual code for the numbers I am trying to change into pictures... Not a single <li> tag in the entire code! AHH!

It's quite frustrating. As nice as BigCartel is, I could also rant on and on about how needlessly complicated they've programmed everything...

Anyways, thanks for being willing to help


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## lindsayanng (Oct 3, 2008)

well even so I you post your code I might still be able to help. I would have assumed the use php for that and there is probably some HTML output for it somewhere right?


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## moohandcow (Jan 30, 2008)

Hello again everyone 

In case anyone is interested in doing this same thing (creating large vertical thumbnails on your Product page instead of the numbered horizontal list in the Sexy theme), I got around to figuring out how to do it last night...

I'm using the Sexy Theme, and basically you need to download the Blocks theme on to your computer (but DON'T switch your theme in BigCartel to Blocks... just download the theme), then look at the HTML on the Blocks Product Page... Then you copy and paste some of the code from that and put it in place of the image thumbnail code on your Sexy Product page... Then you need to add some bits and pieces from the Blocks original CSS into your Sexy themed CSS and tweak things a bit... I hope that makes sense. I'll PM snippets of examples of my code to anyone who wants to see it.

I don't have _all_ of the kinks worked out quite yet, but I like where it's headed. Feel free to check it out (link is in my signature)... Or heck, even buy a shirt! (Pretty please?) I'm going to be working on making the site more visually pleasing today since right now it's definitely cramped... so the store will be offline for a while today while I figure some things out... But if it is, try back soon 

Thanks everyone for making T-shirt Forums such a great place!


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