isotope/_posts/docs/2011-12-11-help.md

---
title: Help
category: docs
layout: default
toc:
  - { title: Reporting bugs and issues, anchor: reporting_bugs_and_issues }
  - { title: Additional resources, anchor: additional_resources }
  - { title: Unloaded media, anchor: unloaded_media }
---


## Reporting bugs and issues

Please read my [Issues Agreement](https://github.com/desandro/issues-agreement/#readme) and then [report bugs and issues on GitHub](http://github.com/desandro/isotope/issues). 

## Support

Need help with getting Isotope up and running? Got a time-consuming problem you want to get solved quickly?  Get [Isotope support on CodersClan](http://codersclan.net/?repo_id=1).

<p><a href="http://codersclan.net/?repo_id=1"><img src="http://www.codersclan.net/gs_button/?repo_id=1" width="200" /></a></p>

## Additional resources

+ The [Metafizzy blog](http://metafizzy.co/blog/) has posts that cover specialized use cases
+ [Various Isotope tests on jsFiddle](http://www.delicious.com/desandro/re:isotope+fiddle)
+ [My answers on Stack Overflow](http://stackoverflow.com/users/182183/desandro?tab=answers)
+ [Sites using Isotope on Zootool](http://zootool.com/user/desandro/tag:isotope), has screenshots
+ [Sites using Isotope on Delicious](http://www.delicious.com/desandro/using:isotope)
+ [Miscelleanous Isotope content](http://www.delicious.com/desandro/re:isotope)

## Unloaded media
 
Most layout modes (i.e masonry, fitRows) need to measure the size of each item to appropriately account for its space in the layout. Unloaded media files like images and @font-face fonts can throw off layout and cause item elements to overlap one another. Ideally, Isotope layouts should be initialized after all inner content has loaded.
 
## Images

### Inline dimensions

For images, the best method is to specify the width and height of images inline.

{% highlight html %}

<img src="img-file.jpg" width="280" height="160" />

{% endhighlight %}

If you’re using a PHP-based CMS, you can use the [getimagesize](http://php.net/manual/en/function.getimagesize.php) function.

### imagesLoaded plugin

The next best solution is to use the [imagesLoaded plugin](https://github.com/desandro/imagesloaded) included with Isotope. It's a small plugin that finds all the images in a context, and fires a callback function once all the images have loaded.

{% highlight javascript %}

var $container = $('#container');

$container.imagesLoaded( function(){
  $container.isotope({
    // options...
  });
});

{% endhighlight %}

### `$(window).load()`

Another solution is to initialize Isotope inside `$(window).load()` instead of `$(document).ready()`. This will trigger Isotope after all the media on the page has loaded.

{% highlight javascript %}

$(window).load(function(){
  $('#container').isotope({
    // options...
  });
});

{% endhighlight %}

## @font-face fonts

Both Typekit and Google WebFont Loader provide font events to control scripts based on how fonts are loaded. 

+ [Typekit font events](http://blog.typekit.com/2010/10/18/more-control-with-typekits-font-events/)
+ [Google WebFont Loader: Events](http://code.google.com/apis/webfonts/docs/webfont_loader.html#Events)

## Problems with CSS transforms {: #css-transforms}

As the browser implementations of CSS tranforms are still a work-in-progress, they can cause buggy behavoir with other types of dynamic content.

<div id="flash"></div>

+ [Flash content in Safari and Firefox](http://dropshado.ws/post/4085720152/css-transforms-breaking-flash), like YouTube or Vimeo videos, Flash ads, or Flash audio players.

### Disabling transforms

Set [`transformsEnabled`](options.html#transformsenabled) to `false`. This is an easy step to take when troubleshooting.

{% highlight javascript %}

$('#container').isotope({
  // options...
  transformsEnabled: false
});

{% endhighlight %}

## Getting item position

CSS transforms will break previous patterns for getting the position of an item. See the [`itemPositionDataEnabled`](options.html#itempositiondataenabled) option for a stop-gap.

## Accessing the instance

[Similar to jQuery UI](http://docs.jquery.com/UI_Developer_Guide#Internal_functions_.26_scopes_explained), Isotope stores a instance containing properties, settings and methods with jQuery.data. You can access the instance with the `'isotope'` namespace.

{% highlight javascript %}

var $container = $('#container');

// initialize Isotope instance
$container.isotope({
  // options...
});

// get Isotope instance
var isotopeInstance = $container.data('isotope');
isotopeInstance.options; // options
isotopeInstance.$filteredAtoms; // jQuery object of filtered & sorted item elements
isotopeInstance.masonry.columnWidth; // Layout mode specific properties

{% endhighlight %}

## CSS transforms in Opera

[Using CSS transforms in older versions Opera (< 12) distorts text rendering](http://dropshado.ws/post/1260101028/opera-transform-issues). See how to enable [CSS transitions with top, left positioning](options.html#transformsEnabled-css).

## Infinite Scroll with filtering or sorting

I recommend against using Infinite Scroll with filtering or sorting. This combination produces a unnecessarily complex user interaction that will frustrate your users. New content gets added, but part of it might be hidden. There is no way for the user to tell what gets hidden or re-arranged when Infinite Scroll adds more content. Exercise [moderation](introduction.html#moderation) with your Isotope implementation.

If you do plan on implementing Infinite Scroll with filtering or sorting (which is a _bad idea_), use the `insert` method instead of `appended`.  

## Poor type rendering in WebKit

Type rendering may appear poor in WebKit browsers like Chrome and Safari. This is because of Isotope's activation of hardware acceleration. A solution is to add add a matching background to the item elements. See more: [dropshado.ws - Resolving anti-aliasing on WebKit hardware-accelerated elements](http://dropshado.ws/post/6142339613/resolving-anti-aliasing-on-webkit-hardware-accelerated).  Another solution is to [disable transforms](#disabling_transforms).

## First item breaks Masonry layout

With [Masonry layout mode](layout-modes.html#masonry) If you run into an issue where you re-size the first item, and all the rest of the items no longer fit together in the grid, you most likely need to set [`columnWidth` option](layout-modes.html#masonry-options). Without `columnWidth` set, the Masonry layout mode will use the width of the first item for the size of its columns.

{% highlight javascript %}

$('#container').isotope(
  masonry: {
    columnWidth: 220
  }
});

{% endhighlight %}

## Right-to-left layouts

Isotope can be modified to support right-to-left layouts for languages like Hebrew and Arabic.

[**See test: Right to left**](../tests/right-to-left.html)

You'll need to make the following changes:

+ Modify Isotope's `_positionAbs` method
+ Set `transformsEnabled: false` in the Isotope options
+ Add CSS transition property styles for right/top.

### JavaScript for right-to-left support

{% highlight javascript %}

// modify Isotope's absolute position method
$.Isotope.prototype._positionAbs = function( x, y ) {
  return { right: x, top: y };
};

// initialize Isotope
$('#container').isotope({
  transformsEnabled: false
  // other options...
});

{% endhighlight %}

### CSS for right-to-left support

{% highlight css %}

.isotope .isotope-item {
  -webkit-transition-property: right, top, -webkit-transform, opacity;
     -moz-transition-property: right, top, -moz-transform, opacity;
      -ms-transition-property: right, top, -ms-transform, opacity;
       -o-transition-property: right, top, -o-transform, opacity;
          transition-property: right, top, transform, opacity;
}

{% endhighlight %}

## Preventing clicks on filtered items {: #unclickable-filtered}

The [recommended CSS for filtering](filtering.html#recommended_css) includes `pointer-events: none` for `.isotope-hidden`. Unfortunately, Opera and Internet Explorer still let click events propagate with this style in place. But you can still dismiss click events in your click handler by checking to see if the element or element's parent is a filtered item.

[See test: Unclickable filtered](../tests/unclickable-filtered.html)

{% highlight javascript %}

$('.item a').click(function(){
  var $this = $(this);
  // back out if hidden item
  if ( $this.parents('.isotope-item').hasClass('isotope-hidden') ) {
    return;
  }
  // otherwise, continue to do stuff...
  console.log('item was clicked');
});

{% endhighlight %}