OpenCart Category and Manufacturer Showcase

The "Category Showcase" module for OpenCart helps you neatly display a set of categories or manufacturers on a page using a grid or slider. It creates clear catalog navigation and generates a visual category showcase with images, titles, short descriptions, and, if necessary, child elements—all configurable from the admin panel.

Purpose of the module

ShowCase is designed for controlled display of catalog items: you choose what to display— categories, subcategories of the current category, or manufacturers (brands), set the appearance and behavior, and the module automatically collects the necessary data and sends it to output templates.

Main functions

• Showcase items by type: Categories / Current category (subcategories) / Manufacturers.
• Output in the form of a grid or carousel (with navigation, speed and controls).
• Child element support:
  • subcategories of the selected category;
  • or products within an element (category/manufacturer) with the display of price, rating and cart button.
• Display settings: images, image position (left/right/top/bottom), headings, short description, transition button.
• Limit the number of child elements and limit the description text.
• Display a counter of products in a category ( number of products in a category ), including subcategories.
• Flexible management of availability by stores, customer groups and guests.
• Select display location: in all categories or only in selected ones.

Characteristics and parameters with which the module works

Showcase data

• Categories: category_id, parent_id, name, description, image, sort_order, status.
• Additional showcase fields:
  • sc_image - a separate image for the showcase;
  • sc_name - alternative name for the showcase;
  • sc_description - a short description for the element card.
• Manufacturers: manufacturer_id, name, image.
• Products (in the "item products" mode): product_id, name, image, price, special, rating, description.

Operations and display logic

1. Checking restrictions: store, customer group/guest, selected categories to display.
2. Collection of showcase elements (categories/brands) and formation of links.
3. Preparing images by resizing them to specified dimensions.
4. When including child elements, loading subcategories or products by filters.
5. Passing data to the template inside or outside and initializing the carousel if necessary.

Display settings (what can be turned on and off)

• Images for elements and for child elements.
• Element and subelement title.
• Short description (for cards) and description of the parent element (for "outside" mode).
• Button with custom text and CSS class.
• Counter of products in the category.
• Position of child elements: inside (inside the card) or outside (in a separate block).

Carousel and responsiveness

• Enabling carousel separately for elements and for child elements.
• Navigation: arrows, dots, scroll speed.
• Controls: mouse drag and mousewheel scrolling.
• Adaptive card count settings for different widths:
  • XS (<768px)
  • SM (≥768px)
  • MD (≥992px)
  • LG (≥1200px)
• Setting up margins between cards.

Important: When installed, the module adds fields to the category tables for individual storefront data ( sc_image, sc_name, sc_description ), and when uninstalled, it correctly removes them.

The result is a manageable storefront that seamlessly manages categories, subcategories, brands, and, if necessary, products—all with a consistent design and responsive display.