Forum SWF 1.0.1 - Show SWF Files in place of forum titles

[SkyCatcher]

FORUM SWF 1.0.1


This hack will allow you to specify a SWF file throught the adminCP and will then display that flash file instead of the forum title.

You may still enter a forum description that will be shown below the SWF file if you wish to do so.

Known Problems:
When creating a new forum the information you may enter into the box will not be saved. Instead you must create the new forum and then go back to edit and enter a value for it to save.

It works fine with already created forums.



Forum SWF Installation:
Import the product xml file throught the AdminCP
Do the two template edits in the txt file.


Install difficulty: 1 ( two template edits )
Install Time: about 1-2 minutes


This hack is in it's beta stage because I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing - if I did, I'd have coder status :confused:

This has been tested with 3.5.4 but should work for 3.6 also.

Any questions or comments - post em here and I'll laugh at you while eating a cookie.... hmmm shouldn't have said that ;)

The idea here is to create your own swf file which links to a forum of your choice with a nice backgroud, description and what not - leaving you total customizability to the way your forums look. Or you just grab the nearest swf file and throw that in there, but where's the fun in that? :)

Short Demo can be seen HERE (http://probehosting.eu/testforum/index.php)


Changelog
1.0.0 Initial Release
1.0.1 Updated Install text file negating double titles

[SkyCatcher]

1.0.1 Updated Installation text to negate the double title mishap. If you have already installed this hack, simple find the

<if condition="!$forum['forumswf']">
<a href="forumdisplay.php?$session[sessionurl]f=$forum[forumid]"><strong>$forum[title]</strong></a>
</if>

and look below it: remove the line

<a href="forumdisplay.php?$session[sessionurl]f=$forum[forumid]"><strong>$forum[title]</strong></a>


in both
forumhome_forumbit_level1_post
and
forumhome_forumbit_level2_post

[PsiNyde]

cool. i'll give it a butcher's today. thanks.

[Snake]

Very nice. I'll give it a try!

[Gizmo5h1t3]

where in the admin cp do you enter the swf filename plz??

all i see now on my forumhome is the title repeated twice???

[SkyCatcher]

where in the admin cp do you enter the swf filename plz??


all i see now on my forumhome is the title repeated twice???


It's under Forums & Moderators > Then edit forums > Pick a forum to edit

You'll find it at the very very bottom


Not sure why it would repeat twice unless you have another hack installed that would cause a conflict perhaps.

See if $forum[title] is in there twice where the instructions tell you to add the code... it should only be in there once

[PsiNyde]

the double title problem exists in IE, but not in Firefox.

[PsiNyde]

I think I found out why. in your instructions, your addition for level1 and level2_post should be replacing this instead of just adding your code above it:

<a href="forumdisplay.php?$session[sessionurl]f=$forum[forumid]"><strong>$forum[title]</strong></a>

remove this under the last if statement [it should look almost like a double code], and you should be good. BUT it's in both level1 and level2, so do it twice for each style!

yer.

[SkyCatcher]

I think I found out why. in your instructions, your addition for level1 and level2_post should be replacing this instead of just adding your code above it:

<a href="forumdisplay.php?$session[sessionurl]f=$forum[forumid]"><strong>$forum[title]</strong></a>

remove this under the last if statement [it should look almost like a double code], and you should be good. BUT it's in both level1 and level2, so do it twice for each style!

yer.

Yeah I just saw that too as you were posting >< Install file has been updated and also appended with an uninstallation for the template mods since you'll be replacing a line of the template.

Please forgive me for overlooking this :/

[PsiNyde]

This hack is in it's beta stage because I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing - if I did, I'd have coder status

wasn't worried about it. that was an easy fix anyways dude...

[Barakat]

where in the admin cp do you enter the swf filename plz??


all i see now on my forumhome is the title repeated twice???


same as there... i cant find it in the forum manager -> edit forum ...

[SkyCatcher]

You may also have to add a phrase:

Phrase Typ: GLOBAL
Product: Forum SWF
Variable Name: showswf
Text: URL of the SWF file to display instead of the forum description - must end with .swf( example: myfile.swf )

It should have created it for you but maybe I messed something up.

You should definately see a text box with the number 0 in it though.

[Barakat]

it works but with some problems .....

the forum name disapeared and the text in the edit forum was not appearing also

[SkyCatcher]

it works but with some problems .....

the forum name disapeared and the text in the edit forum was not appearing also

The forum name disappearing is normal. The SWF file replaced the forum title while it's active, allowing you to create your own SWF files for each forum with a link to that forumid.

The text in the adminCP is still not appearing even after adding the phrase above?

[PsiNyde]

*edited - was NOT an error, but rather a preference*

IF you are putting your forum description in the flash file itself [like SkyCatcher did on his, like I am doing on mine], then you can make this slight code change below [in both level1 and level2 templates] to remove the forum description from under the flash file. it will do exactly the same as the hack itself, but not just for the title. :)

find:
<if condition="$show['forumdescription']"><div class="smallfont">$forum[description]</div></if>

replace with:
<if condition="!$forum['forumswf']"><div class="smallfont">$forum[description]</div></if>

[SkyCatcher]

one more thing [works very well btw], the forum description remains in mine unless i specifically delete it [it's not being replaced]. here's how to fix it [do this in both the level1 and level2 templates]:

find:
<if condition="$show['forumdescription']"><div class="smallfont">$forum[description]</div></if>

replace with:
<if condition="!$forum['forumswf']"><div class="smallfont">$forum[description]</div></if>

I just left that up to the user. I felt I'd give them the option to have a description as well and if they didn't want one they could just remove the description text by editing the forum. Personal prefference I guess lol. Anyone using it in action? I'd like to see the results on other boards :D

[PsiNyde]

yeah. i would be putting the forum description in the flash file, so i found that having the text was redundant [and i didnt want to delete it in case i take the flash file off], but i can see why some would want to keep it [if forum titles weren't in the flash itself]. personal pref...yep.

anywho, here is a snapshot of the one i did today. we'll see if it's well received. if not, i'll have to remove :( but it sure was neat trying it out! very cool hack...

[PsiNyde]

is it normal to have only a sliver of the image available to click?

[Xtrato]

This hack wont work because ActiveX problems. FF is next to have ActiveX run...

[SkyCatcher]

is it normal to have only a sliver of the image available to click?

Default sizes of the swf files are 587x57, which you can change by editing the templates if you'd like to have a different sized SWF file.

It looked fine in your screenshot so what happened? :bunny:

[SkyCatcher]

This hack wont work because ActiveX problems. FF is next to have ActiveX run...

huh :surprised:

What exactly are you saying? As long as you have shockwave flash player installed, any browser should work without complications.

[PsiNyde]

i made it 300x50, but only the bottom 2 pixel rows of the image are clickable. is it perhaps because my flash is animated? let's try!

*edit* nope, no help.

tried reverting that last template change i made too [about the forum description], still no joy.

[SkyCatcher]

i made it 300x50, but only the bottom 2 pixel rows of the image are clickable. is it perhaps because my flash is animated? let's try!

*edit* nope, no help.

tried reverting that last template change i made too [about the forum description], still no joy.

sounds like the actionscripts in your swf file might not be right. usually a on (rollover) {} should be in there a couple times for clicking.

The SWF script has nothing to do with linking to somewhere. You need to add a link in the SWF file itself and tell it to go to forumdisplay.php?f=1 for example. So if the SWF is showing up completely then go back and check the fla file... if it's not showing anything except the bottom two rows then there's a problem.

[PsiNyde]

ah, then that's it. i don't know jack about actionscripting, so this is going to be interesting...

[SkyCatcher]

ah, then that's it. i don't know jack about actionscripting, so this is going to be interesting...

just go to download.com or google - you should be able to find something like an swf banner maker for example.

The program should ask you which images/backgrounds you'd like to link.

My original design had a variable called in the template to parse the object code but it would run through it more than once, screwing everything up big time, otherwise the link may still have worked for the swf from the forum side

[acco]

Installed, thanks.

[Gizmo5h1t3]

once all the teething probs are sorte, il have another go witrh this, a cracking little addition.