Simple JQuery Image Slide Show with Semi-Transparent Caption

Written by Kevin Liew on 30 Mar 2009
371,332 Views • Tutorials

Introduction

Update 17 Dec 2009: I have created a new version of this image slide show. It's more efficient, clean and simple. Please visit: jQuery Photo Slide Show with Slick Caption Tutorial Revisited

I will no longer provide support for this old tutorial

Image Slide Show is one of the famous components in web design and development. A lot of the websites display news headlines in an image slide show to attract viewers attention, of course, with caption/excerpt. No doubt about it, this is a clever method not only to gain attentions, but it also makes the website more alive (not too static, dull).

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So, here we go again, I separated my codes into 3 sections: html, css and javascript and I will explain how it works in each section.

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1. HTML

My ultimate objective is - to keep the html as simple as possible. So, the final product is as following. The first image has a class called "show". Class show has higher z-index, so image with this class will display on top, thus image with this class will always display on top of the rest. The second thing you need to know is the DIV with "caption" class. It has the highest z-index. That DIV will be used to display the caption. The caption is retrieve from the REL attribute in the img element. You can put html element in the REL attribute. Be aware of extra padding and margin of the html elements you used. (eg h1, p).

Have a look at the html code:

<div id="gallery">

	<a href="#" class="show">
	<img data-src="images/flowing-rock.jpg" alt="Flowing Rock" alt="" title="" width="580" height="360" rel="<h3>Flowing Rock</h3>You can put html element 
	inside the REL attribute."/></a>
	</a>
	
	<a href="#">
		<img data-src="images/grass-blades.jpg" alt="Grass Blades" alt="" title="" width="580" height="360" rel="<h3>Grass Blades</h3>description"/>
	</a>
	
	......
	......
	......

	<div class="caption"><div class="content"></div></div>
</div>
<div class="clear"></div>

2. CSS

In this section, I declared a container #gallery for this image slide show. The CSS for this tutorial is pretty straight foward, the most importance thing is the z-index. You have to make sure the "show" class z-index is lower than the "caption" z-index.

body{
	font-family:arial
}

.clear {
	clear:both
}

#gallery {
	position:relative;
	height:360px
}
	#gallery a {
		float:left;
		position:absolute;
	}
	
	#gallery a img {
		border:none;
	}
	
	#gallery a.show {
		z-index:500
	}

	#gallery .caption {
		z-index:600; 
		background-color:#000; 
		color:#ffffff; 
		height:100px; 
		width:100%; 
		position:absolute;
		bottom:0;
	}

	#gallery .caption .content {
		margin:5px
	}
	
	#gallery .caption .content h3 {
		margin:0;
		padding:0;
		color:#1DCCEF;
	}
	

3. Javascript

Finally, the Javascript code. I have added comments in each line to explain what it does. My concept for this image slide show:

  • Hide all the images
  • Display the first image and caption
  • Find the image with "show" class, and grab the next image using next() method
  • Add "show" class to next image
  • Animate the image (fadeout the current image, fadein next image)
  • And, it repeats above steps over and over again
$(document).ready(function() {		
	
	//Execute the slideShow
	slideShow();

});

function slideShow() {

	//Set the opacity of all images to 0
	$('#gallery a').css({opacity: 0.0});
	
	//Get the first image and display it (set it to full opacity)
	$('#gallery a:first').css({opacity: 1.0});
	
	//Set the caption background to semi-transparent
	$('#gallery .caption').css({opacity: 0.7});

	//Resize the width of the caption according to the image width
	$('#gallery .caption').css({width: $('#gallery a').find('img').css('width')});
	
	//Get the caption of the first image from REL attribute and display it
	$('#gallery .content').html($('#gallery a:first').find('img').attr('rel'))
	.animate({opacity: 0.7}, 400);
	
	//Call the gallery function to run the slideshow, 6000 = change to next image after 6 seconds
	setInterval('gallery()',6000);
	
}

function gallery() {
	
	//if no IMGs have the show class, grab the first image
	var current = ($('#gallery a.show')?  $('#gallery a.show') : $('#gallery a:first'));

	//Get next image, if it reached the end of the slideshow, rotate it back to the first image
	var next = ((current.next().length) ? ((current.next().hasClass('caption'))? $('#gallery a:first') :current.next()) : $('#gallery a:first'));	
	
	//Get next image caption
	var caption = next.find('img').attr('rel');	
	
	//Set the fade in effect for the next image, show class has higher z-index
	next.css({opacity: 0.0})
	.addClass('show')
	.animate({opacity: 1.0}, 1000);

	//Hide the current image
	current.animate({opacity: 0.0}, 1000)
	.removeClass('show');
	
	//Set the opacity to 0 and height to 1px
	$('#gallery .caption').animate({opacity: 0.0}, { queue:false, duration:0 }).animate({height: '1px'}, { queue:true, duration:300 });	
	
	//Animate the caption, opacity to 0.7 and heigth to 100px, a slide up effect
	$('#gallery .caption').animate({opacity: 0.7},100 ).animate({height: '100px'},500 );
	
	//Display the content
	$('#gallery .content').html(caption);
		
}

Conclusion

Finally, you will have a nice and simple jQuery image slide show with a semi-transparent caption. Make sure you check out the demo and download the source code to play with it. Last but not least, I need your support :) If you like this article, please help me to promote it by adding this post into your bookmark. Or you can subscribe to my RSS for more posts. Thanks!

Update

14-4-2009: Fixed caption problem. Thanks to one of the readers kpastore.

Update 17 Dec 2009: I have created a new version of this image slide show. It's more efficient, clean and simple. Please visit: jQuery Photo Slide Show with Slick Caption Tutorial Revisited

I will no longer provide support for this old tutorial

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291 comments
(*^__^*)...嘻嘻 16 years ago
想找一个合适的js就是找不到
Reply
Eyveneena 16 years ago
Thank you for this demonstration and tutorial, it helped me tremedously to understand the slideshow effects jQuery can perform.
Reply
Darfuria 16 years ago
It'd be great if you could throw in some support for integrating lightbox/thickbox with this, to make the most awesome slideshow gallery ;)
Reply
kevin Admin 16 years ago
@Eyveneena: good to hear that it helps :)

@Darfuria: that sounds like a great idea, I'm thinking of creating a more advance modal window tutorial tho.. :)

@Capnhud: unfortunately, due to the way I scripted it, it will be hard to create a UL for it...
Reply
Capnhud 16 years ago
Is it possible to add a ul so that it resembles
something like this page http://enhance.qd-creative.co.uk/examples/imgGall/?ss=dark
Reply
Adam 16 years ago
For all still having the issue where the caption header is appearing before it fades in. Use the solution by @kpastore, then open your css file and add overflow: hidden; to the #gallery id in the css file. should look something like below
#gallery {
position:relative;
height:310px;
overflow: hidden;
}
Reply
David 16 years ago
Is it just me or does the Text in caption display funny in Chrome?
Reply
themeheven 16 years ago
Hey Very nice way i like it. But i have not checked it will do soon and ...........
Anyway thank you.
Reply
BrY4n 16 years ago
I like this script very much but I had to manipulate the code to do what I needed. I am displaying the pictures dynamically so instead of the img rel="" i added a span class under the image but still within the <a> tag. After the first loop the captaions STOPPED displaying, but the images are fine. Thoughts?
Reply
kevin Admin 16 years ago
@BrY4n: hi there, I assumed you put the description in SPAN instead of REL. You have to change the following code:

var caption = next.find('img').attr('rel');

to

var caption = next.find('span').html();

it should work, I haven't tested it. Cheers.
Reply
Elaine 16 years ago
Is there a way you can stop the slideshow? Like creating a pause button and stopping the code?
Reply
Rahul 16 years ago
This is nice jquery image slideshow effect.
Reply
Anthony Bouch 15 years ago
Excellent tutorial - and just what I was looking for - nice one.
Reply