Juicebox and SimpleViewer are both image galleries.
For more information on the differences between Juicebox and SimpleViewer, please see this SimpleViewer Blog Article: http://www.simpleviewer.net/news/?p=488
If you have Juicebox-Pro or SimpleViewer-Pro, then you could create a Juicebox or SimpleViewer gallery on your computer using JuiceboxBuilder-Pro or svBuilder-Pro (the desktop applications which come with Juicebox-Pro or SimpleViewer-Pro respectively).
You would add images to your gallery by dragging and dropping images into the application.
You would then upload the gallery to your web space using an FTP program such as Filezilla. (Web space is required if you want your galleries to able to be viewed by others on the internet.)
There are other methods of creating Juicebox and SimpleViewer galleries which can be found here:
Juicebox: http://www.juicebox.net/support/creation/
SimpleViewer: http://www.simpleviewer.net/simpleviewe … #templates
With Juicebox-Pro or SimpleViewer-Pro, you can create as many individual galleries as you like but if you want to link them all together, then you would need to do so manually following the instructions and examples in the 'Embedding Multiple Galleries' support sections.
Juicebox: https://www.juicebox.net/support/embedd … -galleries
SimpleViewer: https://simpleviewer.net/simpleviewer/s … l#multiple
Showkase is a PHP web design application (installed on a web server rather than on your computer) designed to create a complete portfolio website (incorporating Juicebox and/or SimpleViewer galleries) online in a web browser interface. Showkase is also able to create non-gallery pages such as 'About', 'Basic', or 'Contact' pages where you can add information about yourself (or any other content you like).
If you are using Showkase to design a web site, then you could either:
(1) Create Juicebox or SimpleViewer galleries within the Showkase interface itself (and add images to the galleries using the upload module within Showkase)
... or:
(2) Create Juicebox or SimpleViewer galleries with JuiceboxBuilder-Pro or SimpleViewer-Pro (on your computer), upload the complete gallery folders to your web server and import them into your Showkase site using the 'Site -> Import' functionality.
Log into the Showkase Live Demo Admin here: http://www.showkase.net/livedemo/admin/
... and you can see the upload module in the 'Library -> Upload' section. The import functionality can be found in the 'Site -> Import' section.
Showkase also allows you to list multiple galleries on a Gallery Index Page. You can have as many galleries listed on each Gallery Index page as you wish.
Each gallery is represented by a thumbnail image with the gallery title displayed below and the gallery is opened when the user clicks on the image.
Demo Sites created with Showkase can be found here: http://www.showkase.net/demos/
A sample Gallery Index Page can be found here: http://www.showkase.net/demos/sarahlee/galleries/
Do they all require a hosting company (with the annual rent that requires)?
Showkase is installed and used on a web server (rather than on your own computer) through a web browser interface.
Without web space and an internet connection, you will not be able to use Showkase at all.
You can create Juicebox and SimpleViewer galleries on your computer using JuiceboxBuilder-Pro and SimpleViewer-Pro but you will likely want to upload them to a web server at some stage (as they are essentially designed as web galleries).
Although web space is required, there are many hosts which offer free web space which may be enough to get you started (although you tend to get what you pay for with free web space and a paid account would likely offer better features, stability and support).
As Showkase is installed and run on a web server, there is a Server Compatibility Test which you can use to check that your web server has all the features that Showkase needs: http://www.showkase.net/support/sktest/
Besides space on the web,do they require an infrastructure (wordpress blog, server software,etc)?
There is no need to use blogging software (or anything similar) but if you are already a WordPress user, there are WordPress plugins which would allow you to create Juicebox and SimpleViewer galleries from within the WordPress Dashboard (without having to create the galleries on your computer and upload/embed them separately).
WP-Juicebox: http://www.juicebox.net/support/wp-juicebox/
WP-SimpleViewer: http://www.simpleviewer.net/simpleviewe … pleviewer/
These WordPress plugins are free and come with Juicebox-Lite and SimpleViewer-Standard (the free versions) so you could try them out if you like.
And what is this 'flickr integration'? Can it pull images from any flickr account? or just your personal flickr account? And why would you do this? To save space on your web server??
You could use your Flickr account details (User Name or ID) and have your Juicebox or SimpleViewer gallery populated by images from your Flickr account. You could enter any Flickr User Name or ID and as long as the images are public (and not private), they will be displayed in the gallery.
It is also possible to select specific images within a Flickr account by using Flickr Tags or Flickr Sets.
A complete list of Flickr Options for Juicebox and SimpleViewer can be found here:
Juicebox-Pro: http://www.juicebox.net/support/config_ … kr-options
SimpleViewer-Pro: http://simpleviewer.net/simpleviewer/pr … tml#flickr
Existing Flickr users would likely find this useful in that they could create Juicebox or SimpleViewer galleries without the need to find or re-upload images.