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Level 2

438 points

iWeb sites with photo slideshows after migration from MobileMe

I raised this question in another discussion earlier today in response to another post in the MobileMe forum (no answer yet), but the recent confirmation about the death of MobileMe webhosting brings new urgency to this question for me, so I figured I'd post it in the iWeb forum.

I knew that if I migrated my iWeb sites to another host, I'd lose the counter, etc. I wasn't concerned about that, and don't have a blog or comments area that would be impacted. But, on my two sites (iWeb -->MobileMe), there are many pictures--and slideshows are an important part of those sites. Will the slideshow feature of iWeb be able to be used after I migrate to another host such as hostexcellence or godaddy??? If that's true, then I really do have a problem. (I'm not talking about galleries from iPhoto to mobileme, but photo pages in iWeb sites.)

I've spent a ton of time over the last couple of years on those sites, and would hate to redo them. While there may be alternatives to the iWeb slideshow, it will take me quite a while to figure it out. (I never had a desire to learn how to do that--if I did, I wouldn't have needed iWeb.)

If anybody who uses the iWeb slideshow on a photo page and has their sites hosted somewhere other than MobileMe could let me know--I'd appreciate it. (Let me know which host you use please!) Thanks.

I guess related to this, if it's absolutely not going to work anymore, suggestions would be appreciated. Do I have to redo my sites for this? Is there an "iWeb like" program that has an easy to use slideshow for a photopage that would work? If so, I guess I have a year to redo my sites. 😟)

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.7)

Posted on Jun 24, 2011 1:37 PM

Best reply

Me1978

Level 1

34 points

Posted on Jun 24, 2011 2:02 PM

There shouldn't be any problems with the slideshow feature of iWeb on other hosting services and you will be able to continue using iWeb after MobileMe is discontinued (unless some kind of incompatibility shows up with Mac OS Lion).

Otherwise there are several iWeb-like programs. I would strongly advise Freeway (www.softpress.com). But there are others like Rapidweaver, sandvox, Shutterbug, Webacappella. They have trial versions, so just try them.

As far as hosting is concerned, I like machighway.

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37 replies

Rob Westle Author

Level 2

438 points

Jun 25, 2011 3:37 PM in response to Old Toad

Ok--I moved all three of my sites to HE. Thanks for the recommendations. After a couple of glitches related to some iWeb site naming issues, all is great. And, by the way--as described, their customer service ("ear to ear") was outstanding! BTW, one of the support guys commented to me that he's had a few new Mac customers today. I explained what was going on, and the recommendations here. I think they're about to get quite busy.

So Apple--what about the slideshow features in iWeb????

Old Toad

Level 10

207,613 points

Jun 25, 2011 4:40 PM in response to Rob Westle

Unfortunately when the MobileMe servers go offline for good in June, 2012, the popup slideshows' controls which look like this:

Will look like this:

So we'll have to replace those slideshows with an alternate slideshow, possibly some javascript type of presentation. There are a lot out here.

Old Toad

Level 10

207,613 points

Jun 25, 2011 5:14 PM in response to Cyclosaurus

Can the iWPopUpSlideshow.js which seems to control the popup slideshows (as far a the control buttons are concerned) be modified so that locally available button image files can be used with the sideshows?

If that is possible would you be willing to provide a modified .js file so we could salvage a lot of old slideshows?

Old Toad

Level 10

207,613 points

Jun 25, 2011 5:15 PM in response to Old Toad

Could only upload 4 images per post so here's the last one.

Rob Westle Author

Level 2

438 points

Jun 25, 2011 5:31 PM in response to Old Toad

I'm guessing that this is not going to be all that simple. Looks like Old Toad and Roddy will be both be invited for coffee when it's time to fix this! And feel free to bring Cyclosaurus with you.

Cyclosaurus

Level 6

12,915 points

Jun 25, 2011 6:26 PM in response to Cyclosaurus

@ot: If that is possible would you be willing to provide a modified .js file so we could salvage a lot of old slideshows?

do you mean provide it to apple?

not what they did with my code in the past.

@coocooforcocoapuffs: but I mean a third party like u...

nooo...

@Rob Westle: feel free to bring Cyclosaurus with you

not at the same table...

as i said: why should any third party get involve?

i had bad history with apple (regarding iweb code).

they are big boys, they can do it themself or pay me to do it (nothing is free).

Old Toad

Level 10

207,613 points

Jun 25, 2011 8:10 PM in response to Cyclosaurus

do you mean provide it to apple?

not what they did with my code in the past

No, to us users. Maybe as a download from your site or whatever. I know Apple probably won't help us (I'd like to be proven wrong). I'm guessing it wouldn't be too difficult for Apple to add those button images to iWeb in an update so that the servers wouldn't be needed in the future. That would be the least they could do if they don't intend to keep supporting iWeb, i.e. one last update to free it from MobileMe servers and make it a stand alone application.

Old Toad

Level 10

207,613 points

Jun 25, 2011 8:12 PM in response to Rob Westle

I wish I had enough coding experience to be of some help in this area. Unfortunately I'l like most of you, relying on Apple and Cyclosaurus for some tidbits of code to push the envelope in iWeb.

Roddy

Level 6

17,265 points

Jun 27, 2011 12:04 AM in response to Old Toad

I wish I had enough coding experience to be of some help in this area.

Of course you have enough experience! The solution requires a power far greater than javascript - the wisdom of an Old Toad.

Old Toad

Level 10

207,613 points

Jun 27, 2011 10:57 AM in response to Rob Westle

If Apple does nothing with iWeb after June 30, 2012, there will be two functions that I'm aware of that will not work as they do now: blog pages (we can use them to add items but no comments will be allowed) and the popup slideshows (they will work just fine but as was discussed earlier in this thread the slideshow's buttons will not appear).

HOWEVER, Roddy and I have figured out how to modify iWeb so that those buttons will display even after the MMe servers are gone. We downloaded 18 files from the MMe servers that are used in the popup slideshow. We then determined how to edit file that controls the slideshow and it's appearance, iWPopUpSlideshow.js, to use the files that we placed on our servers.

I've written a tutorial with Roddy's help, #26 - How to Modify iWeb So Popup Slideshows Will Work After MobileMe is Discontinued, that describes how to edit that file that's inside the iWeb application, provides the 18 files needed and tells where to place them on your server.

I've run a couple of test and it appears to work as we had hoped. I made a backup copy of the iWeb application just in case.

At least this will let us use iWeb and all of it's features except a blog that comments can be added to by others after MMe is history.

It would be easy for Apple to modify iWeb so include those 18 files and made the slideshow independent of the MMe servers. Hopefully they will do that, and more, before the next judgement day, 6/30/2012.

Rob Westle Author

Level 2

438 points

Jun 27, 2011 11:18 AM in response to Old Toad

Wow. Pretty impressive--at least to people like me. 🙂 Doesn't sound like something for the faint of heart--but if "the next judgement day, 6/30/12" is soon upon us, it may be the only option short of redoing my sites in another app. I'll hang tight for Apple to do the right thing here. It sure doesn't seem like too much to ask.

Thanks again, guys!

Roddy

Level 6

17,265 points

Jun 27, 2011 2:45 PM in response to Rob Westle

There is another way to do this without having to dig inside the iWeb package contents although its not so convenient...

http://www.iwebformusicians.com/Banner-Slideshow/iWeb-Slideshow-Assets.html

Also, now that we are into messing with the iWeb slideshow, here's how to adjust the slideshow timing...

http://www.iwebformusicians.com/Banner-Slideshow/iWeb-Slideshow-Timing.html

Cyclosaurus

Level 6

12,915 points

Jun 27, 2011 4:52 PM in response to Roddy

Also, now that we are into messing with the iWeb slideshow, here's how to adjust the slideshow timing...

old news: http://lnw.me/WzYm8d

Cyclosaurus

Level 6

12,915 points

Jun 27, 2011 5:19 PM in response to Old Toad

We downloaded 18 files from the MMe servers

technically, that should be 20 files.

as for the code, only 2 lines of javascript code, and they are not needed to be in iWPopUpSlideshow.js .

Jul 4, 2011 2:27 PM in response to Roddy

In preparation for APPLE's transition away from MobileMe, I published all of our personal iWeb created websites on another web domain that I own which is hosted by a firm named WestHost.com

I used the iWeb "publish to FTP" feature and the process of publishing worked more quickly than my prior experience publishing to MobileMe. The response times in reading my iWeb photo gallery sites are much, much quicker than on MobileMe. And amazingly, EVERYTHING works perfectly, including the iWeb built in slideshow feature!

My iWeb publishing was done on a 27" iMac Core 2 Duo which is only about 1 year old. All software is up to date with Apple's latest (i.e., Mac OS X Version 10.6.8; and iWeb Version 3.0.3).

LRN

iWeb sites with photo slideshows after migration from MobileMe