Unsplash Photo Connector

Content Type: Module
Categories: Connectors

Overview

Unsplash is internet’s source of freely usable images. With this connector you can search the Unsplash catalogue simply by providing a query term - 'medical' for example. Or 'horse'. Or 'app'. Whatever photos you like! The connector will search Unsplash and provide the total number, URL to various form factors, the author, the photos dimensions and much more information of photos matching your query. Logo from unsplash.com by Ben Kolde

Documentation

Module for fetching (royalty free) images from the popular Unsplash catalogue for usage in your app without manually downloading them

Description

This connector helps you in pulling royalty-free images from the popular Unsplash catalogue during run time. Just specify a key word / search parameter and the connector returns a suitable, high-quality image matching your key word, orientation or predominant color. No need to manually download suitable images and adding them to your app project during design time: with this connector you can easily change and update your apps images during run time.

Typical usage scenario

If you are tasked to implement an app that sports a modern UI with strong and emphasising images, this connector might be useful. You no longer need to manually download images from unsplash.com and then import them into your app project during design-time. This takes time and uses up app storage. This connector lets you query the Unsplash catalogue and outputs an adequate image (URL) which can be displayed using the image viewer (URL as source). See screenshots to get a better impression.

Features and limitations

  • Fetches images from Unsplash catalogue based on search parameters
  • These images can be directly displayed in your app by using the image viewer module (with URL source)
  • Especially useful for changing the appearance o your app without creating a new version as new images can be cofnigured during runtime

Dependencies

  • Image Viewer widget by Mendix (https://marketplace.mendix.com/link/component/65122)
  • Mendix Studio Pro from 8.18 is tested and supported; other version may work but were not tested yet.

Configuration

  1. After you imported this module (.mpk) to your project, simply call the microflow Unsplash_SearchPhotosByQuery and provide the search parameters like queryTerm, pages, items per page, color and/or orientation. The only mandatory parameter is queryTerm, containing the keyword to search photos for, e.g. ‘medical’ for images associated with the term ‘medical’.
  2. Check the sample microflow Unsplash_Sample_SearchMedicalImages to see how to the main microflow is used. Just place a button on your home page and call the sample microflow Unsplash_Sample_SearchMedicalImages. No input parameters are needed as this fetches images matching the term ‘medical’ and then shows the resulting images on a sample page called Unsplash_SearchPhotoResponse_Web (included in the connector).
  3. Have fun!

For questions, please refer to tim.herden@mendix.com

Releases

Version: 1.0.0
Framework Version: 8.18.1
Release Notes: Initial version 1.0.1. Lets you specify all search parameters (query term, pages, items per page, photo color, photo orientation) that the official Unsplash API supports. Also some sample microflows are included to get swiftly started.