Context for panel not activating for custom menu item

Question

I'm loading a group node from a custom menu item I've created in a module. The reason I've created a custom menu item is because I wanted to use a different path than the one associated with the node.

I have a panel with a selection rule set to all group nodes. The custom menu item works and loads the group node, however, the panel is not being activated. I think it is something to do with the way I am loading the node from my hook_menu function which is preventing the context from being activated. The code I'm using is:

function mymodule_menu() {

$items['course/course-1/resources'] = array(
    'title' => 'Resources',
    'access callback' => TRUE,
    'page callback' => '_getpage1',
    'page arguments' => array(1),
    'type' => MENU_NORMAL_ITEM,
    'menu_name' => 'menu-course-menu',
    'weight' => '1',
);

return $items;

 }


function _getpage1($arg1) {
    $path = drupal_get_normal_path("course/" . $arg1);
    $node=menu_get_object('node',1,$path);
    return node_page_view($node);
 }

Is there anything I need to add to activate the context for the group?

Many thanks,

Ben

ADDTIONAL INFORMATION:

I have two variants set up.

For the first:

Selection rule: Node is an OG group AND path matches "course/*/resources".

Context: No context is set

Relationship: OG Group from node

For the second:

Selection rule: Node is an OG group.

Context: No context is set

Relationship: OG Group from node

The first variant is supposed to be activated for the same group node when the path "course/course-1/resources" is used, and the second is supposed to be activated when the path is simply "course/course-1". At the moment only the second variant is being activated. When the path "course/course-1/resources" path is used it just shows the Course 1 group node in it's default layout with no panels being used.

Answer 1

I like to test a panel answer before I post it, but will be gone for a couple days, so I'll give you my speculation on what may be causing this. I suspect your page panel path is /course/%course and so that is the only path that is intercepted. It does not matter that you have a variant for resources because it never gets tested. The basic panel definition has already rejected it. Try changing the basic path to /course/%course/!other. The !other variable is optional so the panel should intercept 2 and 3 level paths matching the pattern. Your variant should then be triggered.

The variable labels in the path (%course & !other) are used to identify associated contexts listed on the context/relationships tab for defining the variant and the specific label name does not matter. Hope this works. If not, I'll check back in a couple days.

Answer 2

I managed to solve the problem. I did some research and a post at Url aliases and arguments/ Panels put me on the right track.

The Drupal path module does not match sub-paths but only full URLs, so I downloaded and enabled the Sub-pathauto module and then the panels were being activated correctly. Now I can have different variants activated by different arguments at the end of the URL (ie alternative displays for the same organic group node). I needed this module as I was using aliases. So there was nothing wrong with the panel set up it was just the sub-path was not being added for Drupal.