Years ago, I relied heavily on an extension called JoomlaWorks Simple Image Gallery.
It was one of those rare tools that just worked:
simple
fast
reusable
no unnecessary complexity
The best part?
👉 You just pointed it to a folder with images — and the gallery was ready.
No manual selection. No configuration hell.
The problem
Over time, that extension was abandoned.
And surprisingly, I couldn’t find a modern alternative that offered the same workflow:
most galleries were tied to page builders
many were too heavy
others required manual image selection every time
For real-world projects, especially when you work with multiple websites, this becomes inefficient very quickly.
The idea: bring back simplicity (but modernized)
So I decided to build my own solution.
Not a complex gallery system.
👉 Just something practical that works in real projects.
The core idea stayed the same:
provide a folder → generate a gallery automatically
Folder-based approach (why it matters)
Instead of selecting images manually:
- you define a directory
- the module loads all images
- and builds the gallery dynamically
This approach is extremely useful when:
- you manage large sets of images
- you reuse structures across projects
- you want fast deployment
👉 it removes friction completely
Display modes (real use cases)
Instead of separate modules, I built one flexible system with multiple modes.
Grid mode
A classic layout for structured content.
Best for:
- portfolios
- product previews
- simple galleries
👉 clean and predictable
Masonry mode
Handles images with different proportions.
Best for:
- blogs
- creative content
- mixed image sets
👉 no empty gaps, more dynamic layout
Slider mode
Focused, one-by-one presentation.
Best for:
- hero sections
- featured content
- storytelling
👉 full control over user flow
Carousel mode
Compact horizontal layout.
Best for:
- product sections
- showcasing multiple items
- saving vertical space
...and more :)
Multiple instances (important detail)
The module supports multiple galleries on the same page.
Each instance:
- works independently
- doesn’t conflict with others
- keeps scripts isolated
👉 this is critical in real projects
Tech behind it
Instead of reinventing everything:
- Swiper → sliders / carousel
- GLightbox → lightbox
- Masonry → layout
The goal wasn’t to build new libraries.
👉 The goal was to integrate them cleanly and efficiently.
Why I didn’t use page builders
In many real-world projects:
- page builders add weight
- reduce reusability
- complicate maintenance
This module avoids that entirely.
Real-world usage
This isn’t a demo project.
It’s based on actual needs from multiple implementations where I needed:
- speed
- simplicity
- repeatability
Demo & download
If you want to try it:
Feedback
If you’ve worked with Joomla galleries before:
👉 what’s the biggest pain point for you?
I’m actively improving this, so feedback is welcome.``
Top comments (0)