9 comments One of the primary new features of ProofBuddy 2.0 was a plugin system. With the new version it is relatively easy for someone with a little PHP experience to build a plugin that can add functionality to ProofBuddy, add tabs to the admin side, create custom reports, add variables to the client side, or change how ProofBuddy performs certain tasks.
Problem is, we only have about half a dozen ideas for plugins. But we're also not the ones using ProofBuddy on a daily basis for our business. You are.
So what features does ProofBuddy not currently have that you would like to see. What sort of "it would be awesome if ProofBuddy did ..." thoughts have you had using ProofBuddy. We want to know. Leave a comment below with your ideas and we'll see what we can do about getting your "what if" into a plugin.
Edit...
Here's what we've got planned, or already have done...
Done
- Comments List - View all the comments for all your images in one place.
- Twitter Feed - Adds a menu to the dashboard viewing our Twitter feed. Similar to the menu that's already there to view our blog feed. We're using Twitter as a mix between announcements for ProofBuddy and photo related news we come across and think might be of interest.
- Google Analytics - Adds Analytics tracking codes to the client side so you can use Analytics to track your client views.
Planned
- Copy default price lists. This is the one we're currently working on and should be the next released.
- Link to this image. Display a link that your clients can use to post their image into a web page or forum post, with a link back to your site of course.
- Report that will print cards with the album passcode so you have them to pass out at events.
- Report similar to the order PDF with more options for customization
- Plugin to allow you to change the PayPal graphic that's used on the checkout page
1) customers able to write specific notes/comments/directions about images that they're ordering- ex: "crop this photo to just a headshot" and it would show up on the order form printout alongside the picture
2) ability to copy a pricelist quickly, without having to retype the entire thing- ex: I want a special "family discount" pricelist, but only a few prices would be changed from my regular pricelist. It would be nice to be able to copy the pricelist with one click and make the changes I want and save the new list with a new name.
3) some kind of crop tool built-in so the customer can play around and see exactly how each image could be cropped for each size.
I'm sure I'll think of more. :)
#1 is possible with meta fields on the order. There's a quick explanation at http://www.proofbuddy.com/forum/index.php?topic=962.0 .
#2 I think you've suggested this one before. Or someone else has. Either way it's a great idea. It's the second one on our todo list.
#3 And this is #1 on the todo list. We've been planning on doing a theme that does this, but it looks like it should be possible to do it with a plugin that will affect all themes.
I would second all three things above!
I would also love it if there was an easy way to show what is included in a category. I know it's possible to do, but one thing that I really wish about proofbuddy is that some of these things were much easier for those of us without knowledge or confidence to really mess around. If there was a plugin to make that automated and easy - I'd be a happy girl!
That's pretty much why we went back and spent so much time on the plugin system. To get things that can work easier to implement.
You're asking about showing what's included in a package, correct? Or do you mean something different by category?
I absolutely love that you are asking for ideas. I am currently setting up for my first client run through with your program and will send ideas your way once I've used it long enough to have some!
Thank You =)
I'm not sure if this is the type of thing you're looking for. But I would love to be able to customize the reports you get when a new order is received. The ability to sort by file, or by print size, etc.
We're always looking for suggestions. Most of the really good ideas have come from users. Y'all are the ones using ProofBuddy in your business and know what is good and bad about it.
I'll have to look. I'm not sure that that particular report can be customized by a plugin. It's a bit of an oddball report. The reports that show up on the Reports menu are all there through the plugin system and adding reports to that page is relatively easy. The one that's emailed is done a little differently. Maybe the best solution would be for us to put together another report that's more customizable off of the Reports tab that you can use when you're printing. Something like a pick-list that a mail order company might use. You'd still get the order PDF, but could also go in and print the other.
1. I would like to be able to show package contents on the page with the photo being ordered, or via link as it exists in the daily news theme, but I would like this to auto-populate based upon the album being viewed. Seems like this should be possible since every album has a price list associated with it...
2. Also is it possible to be able to order a package that includes more than one photo...for instance, I would like customers to be able to order a group shot along with individuals, all in the same package.
Thanks,
Lou
We've actually been working on a plugin of some sort that would show package contents since your email last week. Just haven't quite gotten our heads around a good way to do it that will work for everyone and still have is customizable.
2 - They already can. There's nothing that keeps a package to one image. If you make a package that holds 5 5x7s then the first 5 5x7s added to the cart after the package are put into that package, regardless of what image it is.