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.
Thumbnails on the left, main image on the right. It’s elegant, professional, and perfect for portfolios.
Click any image to view it fullscreen with smooth transitions, keyboard navigation (arrow keys and escape), and next/previous controls.
[ngvf_gallery id="1" columns="4"]That’s it. Replace 1 with your NextGen gallery ID, and you’re done.
Configure defaults once in Settings → NGVF Gallery, then use them everywhere. No need to repeat the same parameters in every shortcode.
Works beautifully on desktop, tablet, and mobile. Your galleries automatically adapt to any screen size.
No premium version. No upsells. No feature gates. Just a solid, free plugin that solves a real problem.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
✅ 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
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:
wp_ngg_gallery table directly for gallery datawp_ngg_pictures tableNo dependencies on NextGen’s display registration. No reliance on buggy code paths.
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.
Absolutely. The plugin includes:
Check the documentation for a complete developer reference.
[ngvf_gallery id="X"]That’s it. Your gallery works.
Have an idea? Open an issue on GitHub or contact me directly. I’m actively developing and always interested in user feedback.
Using NGVF successfully? I’d love to feature your implementation! Send me:
NGVF is open source. Contributions welcome:
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.
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:
Now that you’ve learned about NextGen Vertical Filmstrip:
Thanks for reading, and here’s to galleries that actually work!
Q: Will this break my existing NextGen galleries?
A: No. NGVF doesn’t modify NextGen in any way. Your original galleries remain untouched. You can use both NextGen display types and NGVF on the same site.
Q: Do I need NextGen Gallery installed?
A: Yes. NGVF displays galleries from your NextGen database. It’s not a standalone gallery plugin.
Q: Can I use multiple galleries on one page?
A: Absolutely. Use multiple shortcodes with different gallery IDs.
Q: Does it work with page builders?
A: Yes. Works with Elementor, Beaver Builder, Divi, and any builder that supports WordPress shortcodes.
Q: What about SEO?
A: Image alt text, titles, and descriptions from NextGen are preserved. Make sure your NextGen galleries have proper metadata for best SEO.
Q: Is there a premium version?
A: No. There is no premium version, no paid upgrades, no feature limitations. It’s completely free.
Q: Can I use this on client sites?
A: Yes. GPL license means you can use it on unlimited sites, including client projects.
Q: How do I support development?
A: The best ways to support NGVF are:
