Different product template for specific categories

[David Carter]

I need to create different product templates for specific categories for PS 1.7.6. I've tried various solutions and this one looked good, but it doesn't work.

Can anyone help or suggest where I'm going wrong?

Anyway, this was what I tried:

1. Create file: ProductController.php

<?php

class ProductController extends ProductControllerCore {

    private static function checkProductTemplate($link_rewrite) {
        return file_exists(_PS_THEME_DIR_ . 'templates/' . $link_rewrite . '.tpl');
    }

    public function init() {
        parent::init();
        
        if ($this->template == 'catalog/product.tpl') {
            $id_product = (int) Tools::getValue('id_product');
            $tpl = 'catalog/product_' . $this->product->category;
            
            if ($this->checkProductTemplate($tpl)) {

                $this->setTemplate($tpl, array(
                    'entity' => 'product',
                    'id' => $id_product,
                ));
            }
        }
    }

}

2. Upload to /override/controllers/front
3. create different product templates
4. add the category's SEO url to the filename, like: 147-ceramics.tpl
5. Upload to theme templates directory, next to the original product.tpl (public_html/themes/classic/templates/catalog/).

This should work for both - categories and subcategories. 

But it doesn't work...