Let me begin by saying
:rant:
How come I can't select my images from the folder(s) I want to use? Who chose the convoluted method currently being used for image storage?
 
If I want to use the same image in many places, like in a custom block, an article, a product listing, custom page, etc..., then the program requires it to be DUPLICATED in many different folders in order to select it for use.
 
WHY???????????
:rant end:
 
That said, does anyone know of a setting or way to allow me to select an image from 1 folder and use that image in several places?
 
I am not talking about uploading them; I can ftp them in bulk. No problem.
 
But when I go to use them in several places, the program only allows me to select it from where the developer wants it to come from. It does not matter that the image already exist in another folder, it has to be in "the" folder each section is looking at.
 
Any help with this?

Why don't you just put the image link in the block - if you want to use a product image you know the path.
 
Yes, it could be better ... but so could everything we all do.
 
Why not calmly ask for this as a feature* without get a blood pressure problem and, in the meantime, work around the problem?
 
Chris
 
* you could ask Viart to custom code this for you if you want this to be a priority development. Many of us have commissioned improvements that you will now be benefiting from - join the club

Chris ...
 
Excellent response. This is a peice of software designed by ViArt and modified by those users who have desired to make changes and pay for customizations (or done them on their own of course :-])
 
Either way... you cannot complain that the designer designed his/her software a certain way. You have to understand that it's THEIR design. If you want it to change... change it yourself

Much calmer now, and still as frustrated. But I have put in a request for a cost estimate for this functionality in the program.
 
There are many areas of this fine program that are in need of some tweaking. This is clear from the many post that are in the forums. I have taken it upon myself to modify the application to suit my needs where I can. But that is not always possible without knowing where is is programmed or breaking other parts of the application by doing it.
 
As well, I have not found a way, yet, to not have the customizations that I have made, to my own code, not be wiped out with the next upgrade that comes down the pipe from Viart. This is especially true for standard functionality code pages.

Please see http://www.viart.com/php_modification.html
 
However this may be a little time away before the next release as ViArt have some "housekeeping" issues.

so we wait, still.
 
This seems to be the story, repeated many times.
I have been waiting for a complete manual since 2006 so that all areas of the program could be looked up and have information about them. Don't have it yet.

Yeah the manual scenario is a bit of a joke. They would save themselves 100s of support tickets if the manual was better im sure. Its really shooting oneself in the foot.

BestFit, i guess youve resolved your problem now but i will write this here anyways in case its of use to others.
 
I had a very similar problem.
 
Ive setup a site for music and all the album artwork exists under one folder. Therefor the 4 product image locations hard coded into viart are useles and no good to me as the popup select tool automatically looks in these tiny,small,big & super folders.
 
Fixing this though is very simple.
 
Just edit admin_select.php and look for the area
 
 
if ($filetype == "tiny_image") {
$files_dir = "../images/tiny/";
} elseif ($filetype == "small_image") {
$files_dir = "../images/small/";
} elseif ($filetype == "big_image") {
$files_dir = "../images/big/";
} elseif ($filetype == "super_image") {
$files_dir = "../images/super/";
 
 
Now just change the $files_dir variable to the folder/s you want.

Thanks for the information. It is more than I got from support. They stated that the functionality I want is a good idea that everyone could benefit from and would be included in a future release. They did not specify if that would be the next one or not. Time will tell.
 
Funny as it seems, the functionality I want is already in the system. It is part of the image selection in the articles section of the CMS portion. It seems funny that it is there and different in other parts of the application. Guess it comes from different development and creation times of the code development.
 
Until such time that it is released, I will use the modification you suggest. Thanks again.