A solution to NextGen Gallery’s SQL errors that doesn’t require hours of troubleshooting. If you’ve ever seen this error message on your WordPress site, you know the frustration:
Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Class 'Photocrati\Module_Framework\Factory' not found...Your galleries are broken. Your clients are calling. And you’re about to spend the next three hours Googling solutions that don’t work. That’s why I built NextGen Vertical Filmstrip.
NextGen Gallery is one of the most popular WordPress gallery plugins, with millions of downloads. It’s feature-rich, flexible, and has been around forever.
NGVF accesses your NextGen gallery data directly from the database using WordPress’s own $wpdb object. No reliance on NextGen’s buggy Factory class. No custom display type registration. No SQL errors.
Your galleries. Your images. A reliable way to display them.
What You Get
Beautiful Vertical Filmstrip Layout
Thumbnails on the left, main image on the right. It’s elegant, professional, and perfect for portfolios.
Professional Lightbox
Click any image to view it fullscreen with smooth transitions, keyboard navigation (arrow keys and escape), and next/previous controls.
Simple as a Shortcode
[ngvf_gallery id="1" columns="4"]That’s it. Replace 1 with your NextGen gallery ID, and you’re done.
Settings Page for Easy Management
Configure defaults once in Settings → NGVF Gallery, then use them everywhere. No need to repeat the same parameters in every shortcode.
Fully Responsive
Works beautifully on desktop, tablet, and mobile. Your galleries automatically adapt to any screen size.
Free Forever
No premium version. No upsells. No feature gates. Just a solid, free plugin that solves a real problem.
Who This Is For
Photographers
Your portfolio is your livelihood. NextGen errors make you look unprofessional and lose potential clients. NGVF ensures your galleries always work, so you can focus on taking photos instead of troubleshooting code.
Web Developers
You’re tired of emergency calls about broken galleries. You’ve spent too many billable hours troubleshooting NextGen issues for clients. NGVF eliminates those support tickets and lets you focus on building, not fixing.
Agencies
You manage dozens of client sites, and NextGen errors are a recurring nightmare. NGVF gives you a reliable solution you can deploy with confidence across your entire client base.
Freelancers
You need tools that work so you can deliver projects on time. NGVF is one less thing to worry about, one less potential point of failure.
How It Works
Step 1: Install the plugin like any other WordPress plugin.
Step 2: Find your gallery ID in NextGen Gallery → Manage Galleries.
Step 3: Add the shortcode to any page or post:
[ngvf_gallery id="1"]Step 4: Your gallery displays perfectly. Every time.
Why I Built This
I’m a WordPress developer who got tired of fighting the same NextGen errors over and over again. I spent hours researching, troubleshooting, and trying every “solution” I could find online.
Nothing worked consistently.
So I built something that did. I created a plugin that accesses NextGen gallery data directly, bypassing the broken display system entirely. I tested it on my own sites, then on client sites. It worked reliably every single time.
Now I’m sharing it with you.
What Makes NGVF Different
It’s not another NextGen display type. Those rely on NextGen’s broken registration system. NGVF doesn’t touch that system at all.
It’s not a complete NextGen replacement. Your galleries, settings, and images stay in NextGen. NGVF just displays them reliably.
It’s not complicated. One shortcode. One settings page. That’s it.
It’s actually free. No “lite” version with limited features. No premium upsell. The entire plugin is free, open source, and GPL licensed.
Features That Matter
✅ Zero SQL Errors – Bypasses NextGen’s buggy display system
✅ Vertical Filmstrip Layout – Professional thumbnail gallery
✅ Fullscreen Lightbox – Smooth, professional image viewing
✅ Keyboard Navigation – Arrow keys and escape key support
✅ Responsive Design – Perfect on all devices
✅ Simple Shortcode – One line of code
✅ Settings Page – Configure defaults easily
✅ Lightweight – Doesn’t slow down your site
✅ Well Documented – Complete guides and tutorials
✅ Open Source – GPL licensed, GitHub available
Technical Details (For the Developers)
How It Bypasses NextGen’s Issues
NextGen’s display types use a complex Factory pattern that registers display modules. This system has SQL query bugs that cause fatal errors.
NGVF doesn’t use any of that. Instead, it:
- Queries the
wp_ngg_gallerytable directly for gallery data - Retrieves images from
wp_ngg_picturestable - Uses WordPress core functions for image sizing
- Renders HTML with vanilla CSS and JavaScript
No dependencies on NextGen’s display registration. No reliance on buggy code paths.
What About NextGen Updates?
Because NGVF queries the database directly instead of using NextGen’s display API, it’s immune to changes in NextGen’s display type system. As long as NextGen uses the same database structure (which has been stable for years), NGVF continues working.
Can I Customize It?
Absolutely. The plugin includes:
- Action hooks before and after gallery display
- Filter hooks for gallery data and settings
- Template files you can override in your theme
- Well-commented code for easy modifications
Check the documentation for a complete developer reference.
Get Started Today
Download the plugin from the sidebar.
Requirements
- WordPress 5.0 or higher
- NextGen Gallery (any version)
- PHP 7.0 or higher
Installation
- Install via WordPress dashboard or upload ZIP file
- Activate the plugin
- Go to Settings → NGVF Gallery to configure defaults (optional)
- Add shortcode to any page:
[ngvf_gallery id="X"] - Replace X with your gallery ID
That’s it. Your gallery works.
Documentation & Support
The plugin itself complete documentation
- Installation guide
- Shortcode reference
- Settings page tutorial
- Troubleshooting guide
- Developer documentation
- FAQ
Feature Requests
Have an idea? Open an issue on GitHub or contact me directly. I’m actively developing and always interested in user feedback.
Join Our Community
Share Your Galleries
Using NGVF successfully? I’d love to feature your implementation! Send me:
- Your website URL
- A brief description of how you’re using it
- Any feedback or testimonials
Contribute
NGVF is open source. Contributions welcome:
- Code improvements
- Documentation updates
- Translations
- Bug reports
- Feature suggestions
Download NextGen Vertical Filmstrip Today
Stop fighting SQL errors. Start displaying beautiful galleries.
NextGen Vertical Filmstrip is free, open-source software licensed under GPL-2.0+. Use it on unlimited sites. No strings attached.
About the Author
Hi, I’m Shawn DeWolfe. I’m a WordPress developer who specializes in solving real problems for photographers and creative professionals. When I’m not coding, you can find me sculpting or cooking.
Got questions about NGVF or WordPress development in general? Feel free to reach out:
- Email: [email protected]
- GitHub: https://github.com/dewolfe001/
What’s Next?
Now that you’ve learned about NextGen Vertical Filmstrip:
- Download and install the plugin
- Read the documentation at shawndewolfe.com/ngvf/docs
- Join the community and share your success story
- Help others by recommending NGVF to anyone fighting NextGen errors
Thanks for reading, and here’s to galleries that actually work!


