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The Dynamic Content Gallery plugin uses post custom fields to pull in images and titles from the latest posts in your chosen categories, and displays them on your web page using the SmoothGallery rotating gallery script. Once you have set up a few basic options you can sit back and let the plugin automatically display your dynamic gallery with up to date content.

Very simply. For each of the gallery's 5 image "slots" the plugin checks to see if, for the latest posts in your specified categories, post custom fields exist for an image filename and its description. If so, these are displayed in the gallery. If an image or its description has not been specified in the post custom fields, the plugin displays a default image or default description for the these posts.

To get the best out of this plugin, it is necessary to create a default image for each of the categories that will be displayed in the gallery. These are used as "fall-backs" in the event that a post does not have the necessary custom field set up, and thereby ensures that the gallery will always display images. (Note that this functionality is not available when used in Wordpress Mu).

There are a number of configuration options for the plugin, readily available via a Settings Page in the Dashboard. Normally you will set these options once, then forget about them. The underlying javascript file also gives a number of further configuration options relating to how the gallery displays images, arrows, an in-built menu carousel and other options - for those who are not afraid to make minor edits to a javascript file.

Latest stable version is version 2.2 available from http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/dynamic-content-gallery-plugin/

There are no known issues as such, but there are some behaviours which you should be aware of. The tips and tricks mentioned below are a good place to start in the event that you experience a problem with the plugin.

1. Javascript conflicts. The plugin uses SmoothGallery which is built on the Mootools javascript framework. This may conflict with other plugins which use either the same javascript framework or a conflicting one. In the event of problems with the gallery, try deactivating, one by one, any plugins which use javascript in order to identify the conflicting plugin.

2. Known conflicts: Lightbox-2 and its derivatives. A list of plugins which are known to conflict with the Dynamic Content gallery can be found at http://www.studiograsshopper.ch/forum/

3. The gallery script will not run properly if it cannot find the first of the 5 images. The plugin has been designed to prevent this from happening by using default images in the event that a post custom field image has not been specified for a post. If you experience problems with the gallery displaying a black screen with a loading bar, but no images load, check that you have uploaded correctly named default images to the folder specified in the Settings page.

4. In order to reduce loading time it is recommended to match your image dimensions to the visible dimensions of the gallery and optimise the filesize in your image editor.

5. Javascript Configuration options. The SmoothGallery javascript file jd.gallery.js contains a number of configuration variables which may be changed according to your needs. I do not provide a full list here, but users comfortable with editing javascript files will find a list of variables near the top of the file jd.gallery.js.

This plugin is provided free of charge without warranty. In the event you experience problems you should visit the dedicated FAQ at http://www.studiograsshopper.ch/dynamic-content-gallery-faq/.

If you cannot find a solution to a problem in the FAQ visit the support page at http://www.studiograsshopper.ch/forum/. Support is provided in my free time but every effort will be made to respond to support queries as quickly as possible.

Thanks for downloading the plugin. Enjoy!