Meteor Slides makes it simple to manage a slideshow with WordPress by adding a custom post type for slides.
There are many slideshow plugins to choose from, and I have a few good ones that I like to use. But each one seems to have some issues.
Constructive Criticism
The biggest issue is that some of them only have one transition. Personally, fade is the only transition I need. But when you have a slideshow all set up, and the client decides they want they want a diagonal wipe transition, you want options!
Many slideshow plugins also have usability problems. Some add a panel to the post or page editor and you have to dig through them to update the slides. Some are consolidated, but hidden somewhere obscure. Worst of all, some slideshows work with just posts, leaving out pages or other content completely.
I am also bothered by the aesthetics of most slideshows. I just want a nice clean slide that I have designed myself; No distracting text overlays, image thumbnails, or arrow navigation.
Solving Problems
So I designed Meteor Slides with plenty of options in the backend, but no distractions in the frontend. You can link a slide to any page, post or external link, or nothing at all. And there are over twenty transitions to choose from.
I also built this plugin with usability in mind. I wanted Meteor Slides to use native WordPress functionality and feel fully integrated to the end user.
Please give my plugin a try and let me know what you think.
Giving Props
I read through so much documentation and plugin source code to make this plugin and I never would have been able to pull it off without these valuable resources.
- Got off to a great start thanks to kovshenin’s post on Extending Custom Post Types and learned a lot from his sample podcast plugin.
- Found some good ideas in Nathan Rice’s WP-Cycle plugin for using jQuery Cycle in a WordPress plugin.
- Vladimir Prelovac’s post on adding JavaScript code to plugins was a huge help, particularly for passing options on to my JavaScript.
- Otto’s tutorial on the WordPress settings API was invaluable for figuring out how to add a settings page the right way.
I’m sure to have missed some well deserved props, so I want to extend my gratitude to the entire WordPress community. Thanks!
Inspiration
One of the things that I love about WordPress is the easter eggs, haiku, and jazz musicians. These tidbits really help add character to the project.
I don’t think a mere plugin warrants a musician or even a full album as inspiration, so Meteor Slides is named for a song.
Stones From the Sky by Neurosis seemed like an appropriate choice.