From a product code to its photos.

SkuGallery reads a product code from Excel and finds matching photos. The images stay in your folders. You can index a local or shared folder, or read existing file paths from MySQL, SQL Server or PostgreSQL.

You need 64-bit Windows 10 or Windows 11 and desktop Excel. Excel for Mac, the web and mobile devices are not supported. Windows architecture and Office architecture are separate: check your Excel version under File → Account → About Excel and consult the current compatibility details, particularly for an older Office edition or a shared server environment.

Have a known SKU and a few matching photos ready. Preserve leading zeros by storing product codes as text when needed. For a network folder or database, your Windows user must be able to reach the source and read the photo files.

1. Save your work and close all Excel windows.
2. Download SkuGallery. The download page shows the current version and signature status.
3. Run Setup and review the trial terms. The add-in installs for your Windows user.
4. If .NET Framework 4.8 is missing, choose Download and install. This step needs internet access and administrator approval. If a restart is required, save your work, restart Windows and reopen Setup.
5. Complete installation and reopen Excel. Install the Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for Office Runtime separately if Setup reports it missing.

Installing an update keeps your settings, photo index and licence. Reinstalling does not start a new trial.

1. Open a worksheet containing product codes.
2. Open the SkuGallery ribbon tab and choose Settings.
3. Configure your source using the next sections, then apply the changes.
4. Use Show Photo to open the photo view for the selected code.

You can reopen this guide from SkuGallery → About → Open user guide. The installed guide works offline and has an EN / IT language selector.

1. In Settings → Catalog, choose the folder source and select your local folder or network share.
2. Include subfolders if your photos are organised below that folder.
3. Check the allowed photo extensions. Use the exclusion field only for folders or files you want to leave out.
4. Apply the settings and run Reindex. Wait for the index to finish before checking your first code.

The index helps SkuGallery find files without searching the whole folder on every click. Reindex after adding, moving or renaming photos, or after changing the folder, file extensions, exclusions or naming rules. Reindexing does not move or modify your original photos.

A file such as SS27_GILET31W_104_back.jpg can contain a season, SKU, colour and view. SkuGallery needs to identify the same SKU that appears in your Excel cell.

1. Open Settings → Photos and try automatic file-name detection first.
2. Enter a representative file name in Test file name. Check the detected season, SKU, colour and view.
3. If detection does not fit your catalogue, choose I set the positions. Select the separator and assign the parts to Season, SKU, Colour or Ignore. Assign exactly one part to SKU.
4. Set the front and back words to the terms used in your files, for example front and back.
5. Test more than one file name, save and reindex a folder source.

Use Season to narrow the photos shown and Limit to control how many appear. A display limit does not mean the other photos are missing. The newest/oldest options use file dates; they do not interpret the business meaning of your season codes.

Use this source when your database already stores the location of each image. SkuGallery reads those paths and opens the files; it does not upload photos or store image data in the database.

1. In Settings → Catalog, choose Read from database and open Database connection….
2. Select MySQL, SQL Server or PostgreSQL. Enter the server, database and authentication details supplied by your administrator.
3. Choose the table or view and the column containing the photo path. For SQL Server or PostgreSQL, also select the appropriate schema.
4. Select the SKU column if the database stores the product code separately. If no SKU column is selected, the code is extracted from the file name using your naming rules.
5. Use Test connection, save and try a product with a known photo.

Use a database account with read-only access to the required table or view. A successful connection does not guarantee that a photo path is accessible: a path must point to a file the current Windows user can read. For shared photos, use a location accessible from each client computer, such as a UNC path.

SQL Server can use Windows authentication when configured by your administrator. Keep certificate validation enabled for encrypted connections; trusting a server certificate bypasses that identity check.

1. Select a cell containing a known product code, without the column heading or extra descriptive text.
2. Choose Show Photo. If automatic panel updates are enabled, changing the selected cell updates the photos directly.
3. Click a thumbnail to see another colour or view. Use the navigation arrows to browse matching photos.
4. Use the mouse wheel to zoom and drag the enlarged photo to inspect a detail.

If the panel reports that only some photos are shown, check your season filter and display limit. Show all expands the results for the current code without changing the saved global limit.

No result? Compare the Excel code with the SKU detected from a file name. For a folder source, rebuild the index; for a database source, check both the lookup and access to the returned file path.

In Settings → Panel, enable the photo panel and choose its docking position and dimensions. Keep enough room for the worksheet and the thumbnail strip.

Any cell

The panel follows each cell selection. Useful when you move down a column of product codes.

Same row

The photo stays in place while you move across cells on the same product row.

Manual

Refresh the photo with the command or configured shortcut when you need it.

Use the panel’s Open command or double-click its photo to open the separate viewer. The viewer gives you more room for inspection. Its window behaviour is configured under Settings → Window.

1. Find the product and select the photo you want to insert.
2. Check Settings → Panel → Insert photo and choose the destination: the active cell, to its right, to its left or above it.
3. Use the panel’s insert command and select the desired size from its menu.
4. Check the result in Excel and save the workbook.

If moving to a destination cell changes the photo, use a relative destination or switch to manual updates first. A protected sheet, merged cells or a destination beyond the sheet boundary can prevent insertion. Inserting a photo does not change the original image file.

1. Select the cells containing the SKUs to check. Leave the column heading out of the selection.
2. Choose Check photos from the SkuGallery ribbon. Keep the workbook open while the check runs.
3. Read the summary, then filter Status to focus on products with missing photos or lookup errors.
4. Expand the + above the grouped columns when you need the file details.

OK

The configured source returned matching photos.

Missing photos

No matches were found in this source. Check the SKU, naming rules and folder index before arranging a new photo shoot.

Error

The lookup failed. Check source availability or permissions and retry.

The report includes photo counts and, when available, seasons, colours and file names. It checks availability in the configured source; it does not certify image quality or verify that every returned file can be opened. It does not delete or alter your photos.

Under Settings → Window, you can add the Show Photo command to Excel’s right-click menu and add a Photos button to the Home tab. The optional F4 shortcut replaces Excel’s usual repeat action while enabled.

In the separate photo viewer, use the arrow keys to browse, the mouse wheel or + / − to zoom, and drag to pan. Double-click or press Ctrl+0 to fit the photo, Ctrl+O to open the original file and Esc to close the viewer.

The free trial lasts 30 days from first use, without an account or payment card. Reinstalling does not reset it. Open About to see your current licence status and Manage License to activate a licence.

Activation requires internet access. Follow the status and renewal information shown in the licence window. For purchase options or a company with several computers, see Pricing or contact hello@rigacell.com.

The ribbon tab is missing

Close and reopen Excel. Check File → Options → Add-ins for a disabled SkuGallery add-in and confirm that the prerequisites were installed for desktop Excel.

A known SKU has no photos

Check spaces and leading zeros in the selected value. Test the file name, review season filters and rebuild a folder index after changes.

A photo is listed but does not open

Try opening its path with the same Windows user. Check the network share, file permissions and whether the file was moved.

The panel does not follow my selection

Review Update on in Panel settings. Manual mode waits for your command; Same row keeps the photo while you move across that row.

For help, open About → Save diagnostics…. Review the file before sharing it and email hello@rigacell.com with your SkuGallery and Excel versions, the steps that failed and a non-confidential example. Do not send database passwords or private product files.