Magento - Adding multiple types of images with a product

Question

I need to add multiple types of image with a product like.. Product designer image (designed by), Product quality assurance logo... and also the product image.

Other types of images can also be 0 or more than 1 image like.. Product quality assurance logo can be more than 1 image.

I have tried adding a new attribute with the "Catalog Input Type for Store Owner" as "Media Image", which added the column in the product image tab with a radio button while creating the product. (Catalog > Attributes > Manage Attributes)

How can the different types of images be handled for a product?

Answer 1

Depending on how you are otherwise using them, the image labels are actually quite handy this way. Every time the image gallery is loaded, you'll have them available, and they can be changed. This is of course the hack solution, but is much faster than attempting to modify the gallery code.

How will you be outputting these images eventually? A second level of development here would be to add attributes to the product (similar to the small_image and related attributes) and use an event hook to update those columns when the product is saved. That would allow fast lookup of the images you are using for those purposes, while retaining the normal image upload panel.

Hope that helps!

Thanks, Joe

Answer 2

I Think there is no way, you can archieve your goal without writing a bit of PHP in your View. Either in the product/view.phtml if you are using those images in addition to the gallery, or in product/view/media.phtml, if you want to handle them specially in the gallery view.

I ususlly "hack" the media view for NOT to show certain images and add the explicitely in the view (or build a new block or it).