How to add featured images to posts from a category

Question

i'm using an rss to post plugin. The posts fetches from the RSS do not have any pictures associated with them. Is there a way to automatically assign a 'featured image' to posts from a category?

Another option is that in my WP theme, with the custom field as 'thumb' I can add images/reuse same images.. is there a way to make use of this and assign a default pic to all posts from a category?

Edit: Based on Martin's suggestion I installed the get image plugin. The code mentioned in the read me is this:

get_the_image( array( 'default_image' => 'http://www.mydomain.com/wp-content/uploads/defaultimage.png' ) );

However, my theme isn't that direct. It makes use of a function in the functions.php file.

// Get image attachment (sizes: thumbnail, medium, full)
function get_thumbnail($postid=0, $size='full') {
    if ($postid<1) 
    $postid = get_the_ID();
    $thumb_key = get_theme_mod('thumb_key');
    if($thumb_key)
        $thumb_key = $thumb_key;
    else
        $thumb_key = 'thumb';
    $thumb = get_post_meta($postid, $thumb_key, TRUE); // Declare the custom field for the image
    if ($thumb != null or $thumb != '') {
        return $thumb; 
    } elseif ($images = get_children(array(
        'post_parent' => $postid,
        'post_type' => 'attachment',
        'numberposts' => '1',
        'post_mime_type' => 'image', ))) {
        foreach($images as $image) {
            $thumbnail=wp_get_attachment_image_src($image->ID, $size);
            return $thumbnail[0]; 
        }
    } else {
        return get_bloginfo ( 'stylesheet_directory' ).'/images/default_thumb.gif';
    }

}

// Automatically display/resize thumbnail
function tj_thumbnail($width, $height) {
    echo '<a href="'.get_permalink($post->ID).'" rel="bookmark"><img src="'.get_bloginfo('template_url').'/timthumb.php?src='.get_thumbnail($post->ID, 'full').'&amp;h='.$height.'&amp;w='.$width.'&amp;zc=1" alt="'.get_the_title().'" /></a>';
}

I need help in adding the get_the_image function into the one above so it checks.. If category id=120, then display mydefaultimage.png else, do the regular thing.

Thanks.

Answer 1

if i understand your question correctly then have a go with Justin Tadlocks get the image plugin, olden but golden and does the default image per category etc.