This VirtueMart plugin is dedicated to all e-commerce that sell
products definable by variants size and
color.
The main feature of this extension is that, compared to all other
competitors, it does nothing but create a convenient interface for
creating and managing product variants (the child products) using
all the features that are natively already present in VirtueMart
but by automating all those processes that otherwise would have to
be done by hand.
Ironically, it is possible to install this plugin, use it and
uninstall it without affecting its operation of the store
itself.
Minimum requirements:
- Joomla 3.9.x
- VirtueMart 3.8.x
- It is also compatible with the new VirtueMart BE theme.
Setup
The plugin installs like any other Joomla plugin. Just follow
the instructions below:
- Log in to the control panel.
- From the upper menu select the item Extensions → Manage →
Install.
- Drag the vmsizecolor.zip file into the dedicated frame or select
it using the button Upload the file.
Once installed, just enable and configure it from the appropriate
section Extensions → Plugin.
Configuration
Once the plugin is installed, from the main backend menu, access
the Extensions section → Plugin. Click on
Size and Color Smart System for VirtueMart in
order to open the configuration form.
The plugin consists of four main tabs:
- Plugin - Includes main setting items.
- Colors - This is the color management form.
- Sizes - This is the size management form.
- Documentation - The guide to the functions and
configurations of the plugin.
Plugin
In this tab there is the fundamental part of the configuration
of this plugin. It consists of four settings:
- The selection of the custom field Multi
variant.
- The selection of the custom field Color.
- The selection of the custom field Size.
Once these fields have been configured and the plugin enabled, we are ready to use it.
Colors
In this tab you can start populating the list of colors which
will then be available in the product sheet by VirtueMart. It is
not essential to do this now as you can also add colors directly
from the form product management. In any case, each color is made
up of 7 fields.
- Cod. Color
- Color label
- Color 1
- Color 2
- Color 3
- Color 4
- Texture
First field (Cod. Color) has been inserted if the site has a bridge that imports the products from an external source. Color Label is the field for the name of that color or combination of colors (supports language variables) which can be set in subsequent fields (up to 4 colors + 1 texture). Of course, you can also set just the texture as a variant.
Sizes
As for the color list, the size list will also be available in the product sheet by VirtueMart. It is not essential to fill it in now as you can also add sizes directly from the product management form. In any case, each color is composed only of the Size field (which supports language variables).
How to use?
Once a parent product has been created (E.g .: Summer t-shirt)
we can see that at the end of the main tabs Size/Color
Variants has also been added. From here it will be
possible:
- Add colors.
- Add the sizes.
- Select colors and sizes for the product in question.
- Automatically generate child variants already configured.
- Access the generated variants.
- Manage images for each variant (with multiple image uploads).
- Manage inventory.
- Manage variant SKUs.
- Manage variant GTINs.
- Publish / Unpublish variants.
All these actions do not require saving the parent product as they are done runtime via ajax. The only thing to remember is that all variants are generated without being published. It is an operation that it must be done manually (always from sight) for obvious reasons.