Shipment for Virtual Products

Configure your Safe Path

The files to sell are stored in the folder Safe Path given in the VirtueMart configuration.

1. Select the menu Configuration > Configuration
2. Select the Templates tab
3. The parameter Safe Path is the folder where the files to sell are stored. It should be a path outside your web directory.

Upload your files to sell 

1. In VirtueMart administration, choose the menu Shop > Media Files.
2. Click on the button New, to create a new media. 
3. Set the role to "for Sale". Set the "Image Action" to "Upload" and press save/store.

When your files are too big for the http upload, use your ftp client. Upload the files into the directory to your safe path. And then use Synchronise media button in your media view

Attach your media to your product

1. Select the menu Products > Products
2. Click on the product you would like to add a file to sale
3. Select the tab Custom Fields
4. In the Custom Field Type area, select the custom field you created to attach a downloadable file
5. In the downloadable area, select the file you want to attach to your product
6. Check the box Provide as stream, if you want to provide the download as a stream.
7. If you provide the download as a stream, change the parameter For the field Maximum speed in kb.
8. Click on Save & Close

WARNING

When your customers should be able to get files which you do connect later to your product, then it is very important that you never delete your custom and that your first product customfield stays the same. Change the used files, just do not delete it, else prior shoppers are not able to access the download anylonger.

To replace existing file we recommend replace action in vmbe > shop > mediafiles.

Configuration of limits, restrictions and timeframes

• Maximum Downloads means all downloads alltogether
• Maximum downloads per interval in days means how often people are allowed to download your product when you enter a time intervall
• Interval in days is the time in days for the interval
• Maximum number of days for download after the first download is the time how long someone is allowed to download it
• You can set a start or/and a end date for a timeframe

Important: All conditions are cumulative. In the example above someone is allowed to download it for one year, but maximal 2 times in 10 days. Which is a maximum of 70 downloads limited by the 50. An entered timeframe would finalize the decision if a customer is allowed to download it.

Test your downloadable plugin

On the frontend, select your product, and checkout.

Q: On cart I cannot checkout, instead message appears:
"We are sorry, no shipment method matches the characteristics of your order."

A: Create at least one shipment method named e.g. Download.

Q: I sell virtual and real products. What shall I do?

A: For all your virtual products, set the weigth to 0. For the other products, set the weigth to a value different from 0.

Create at least two shipment methods: 

• one free of charge with the weigth condition =0. This shipment will be selected when the shopper only buys virtual products
• one or more other shipment methods for weigth different from 0. Those shipment methods will be selected when non virtual products are in the cart.

Once the order has been confirmed, your client will receive an order containg a link to downloadable file. He can also download the file via his account using his order number and order password.

The download is created using streaming technics. Be aware that the streaming option does not prevent people using “save target as ...”
Important: the download is activated when the order status is set to confirmed/shipped. Downloading the file changes the status of the order item to shipped.

Q: I wanna give free downloads

Adjust your configured paymentmethods and add, if not already set a minimum value of 0.01. Then create another default payment (method: standard) and set the maximum to 0.001 and the "Order Status for Pending transactions" to "confirmed by shopper". Then your customers will recieve an email with the link.

Q: I want to reenable a download

A: You can do this with the the version 2.0.20, but the core needs a small adjustment (wil be in the core with the next release), just search for administrator\components\com_virtuemart\controllers\plugin.php go to line 49 and replace the word getWord with getString, line 49 should look like this then: $name = JRequest::getString('name','');

Another variant to reenable download: View the order (VM > Orders) and click on the green symbol to reset the download counter.

 

Q: I cannot find my media in the dropdown of the plugin

A: You did not upload your media as “file for sale”

Q: I get file, which size is too small (1-2 kb).

A: Rename the file and add a .html, then open it in a browser, there you can see the error message. Most likely the safe path is not set correctly. Check if your safepath has an ending slash (windows machines a backslash)

Q: How do I set the correct safe path?

A: The safe path should be a path outside of your public_html directory. When there is no path entered, a message appears, displaying the parent directory of your absolute joomla path with an added vmfiles. This is just a suggestion. You can also set the safe path into your joomla directory, but you should use then an unguessable name like knzius (like a password). Search in the forum for more information for example: http://forum.virtuemart.net/index.php?topic=98633.msg325409#msg325409