'post',
'post_status' => 'publish',
'posts_per_page' => $posts_per_page,
);

if (!empty($cat_ids)) {
$args['cat'] = $cat_ids;
} elseif (!empty($category_ids_csv)) {
$args['cat'] = $category_ids_csv;
}

if (!empty($categories) && empty($args['cat'])) {
$category_slugs = array_values(array_filter(array_map('sanitize_title', preg_split('/\s*,\s*/', $categories))));

if (!empty($category_slugs)) {
$args['category_name'] = implode(',', $category_slugs);
}
}

if (!empty($exclude_current) && $exclude_current == '1') {
$current_id = get_queried_object_id();

if ($current_id) {
$args['post__not_in'] = array($current_id);
}
}

$query = new WP_Query($args);

if ($query->have_posts()) {
while ($query->have_posts()) {
$query->the_post();

$categories_for_post = get_the_category(get_the_ID());
$primary_category = !empty($categories_for_post) ? $categories_for_post[0] : null;

$image_url = get_the_post_thumbnail_url(get_the_ID(), 'large');
$image_alt = get_the_title();
?>