Banner Rotator with stats

[thunderforceken]

I'd like a banner rotator with stats to track clicks per banner. I need it to be able to place rotating banners as well as static banners on individual forums. Anything like this available?

[FullyTested]

Try Openads.
Excellent software.

[rpainter]

I second Openads. Download the 2.0 version (2.4 is still in Beta, and I could not get it to work). Openads 2.0 can be downloaded here:

http://www.openads.org/downloads/Openads-2.0.html

I also recommend this MOD to go along with Openads. It says that it is a 3.5 MOD, but I have it installed on 3.6.8 with no problems:

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=100229

[thunderforceken]

Is this just for the Adsense etc or can it be used for regular 468X60 company banners? I'm trying to track stats for sponsors banners on my site, if that helps.

[FullyTested]

It will do any size banner, jpeg, gif, animated, flash. Can also run Google ads.
By default it will track views/clicks/country per banner but with a modification you can also track these stats per forum/page as well as display the banners globally and/or per forum.

[induslady]

Hello Fully Tested,

After seeing your recommendation here about openads 2.0, I installed it in my server in which I have my forum site hosted.

I want to host ads on my forum - google ads (I already do), sponsored company ads, affiliate ads. I thought all of the three can be done by using Openads.

While configuring openads, I saw defining of advertisers, campaigns, banners, etc. and linked to zones. I thought zones can be used for defining specific forums, or specific threads in which I want to get a particular banner served. But I don't find an option in zone configuration to do so.

Can you let me know where in openads I can go and define the forums or threads in which I want the ads served?

PS: I am totally new to this ads and openads stuff, that I am asking so much details. Please bear with me. Greatly appreciate your detailed response on the same.

Thank you :)

[FullyTested]

Hi IndusLady,

Openads and VB are totally separate.
You either need to install a mod that will bridge the two, or you can create a zone in Opendas, name it the forum id you wish it to belong to, link banners by keyword and then place the execution code inside your VB templates.

Some mods are free while others are paid for.
Some are limited while others will display ads globally or per forum (with or without global filler for those forums not designated).

All this is probably not much help for you though.
I suggest you start by placing the code for one zone in VB just to get the feel of it all.

Cheers,
David.

[induslady]

Hello David,

Thank you for the taking the time to respond to my post. Appreciate it!

Hi IndusLady,

you can create a zone in Opendas, name it the forum id you wish it to belong to, link banners by keyword and then place the execution code inside your VB templates.



Say, I have forum on Cooking & Recipes (Forum id: 3, may be). If I create a zone in openads named "Forum 3", then link banners there by cooking & recipe keywords and get the code for hosting the banners.

Now, how do I place that banner code in templates specific to that forum? I can places in forums or threads or posts templates that are common to all forums throughout the site, right?

So how does this zone filter the banner ad to appear only in Forum with id 3?

May be I am missing something that I am asking you to repeat what you have already addressed. Please bear with me.

Do I need to go in for a mod to bridge the openads and vb and would it start making sense for me then?

Please advise.
Thanks,
Induslady

[FullyTested]

Hi induslady,

With Openads version 2.0.11 for the basics to works you will need to do the following:

This is a quick and dirty example on how to integrate one zone with vb.
For multiple zones you will have to create a list of forums and their corresponding zones in the database and then loop them below.
The following must go in the 'global_complete' hook location.

global $foruminfo;
$myforumid = 3; // change 3 to your forum id

if ($foruminfo['forumid'] == $myforumid)
{
// first see if this page contains any myads place holders
if (strpos($vartext,'<!-- myads_'))
{
// this code is an example for a specific zone
// replace XXX with you Openads folder name
// replace YYY with you desired zone

if (!isset($phpAds_context))
$phpAds_context = array();

if (@include(getenv('DOCUMENT_ROOT').'/XXX/phpadsnew.inc.php'))
{
$phpAds_raw = view_raw('zone:'.YYY, 0, $target, '', 0, $phpAds_context, true);
$banners[] = $phpAds_raw['html'];
$placeholders[] = "/<!-- myads_".YYY." -->/";
}
}

$output = preg_replace($placeholders, $banners, $output);
}


Then inside your desired template you insert the banner place holder code.
For example, for zone 2 use:
<!-- myads_2 -->

[induslady]

Hello David,

Greatly appreciate your time and patience in trying to assist me with this. Thank you.

Here is the update to what I did...

1. I created a zone in openads
Zone name - 155 (since it is for hosting ad in forum with id 155)
Zone id in openads - 2
I have a 468 x 60 banner linked in this zone

2. I placed the PHP code you provided me above in the hook location 'global_complete'.
I changed the xxx as openads folder path in my server
I changed the yyy as 2 (since my zone id is 2 in openads)

3. I inserted the banner place holder code in the 'forumhome' template
<!-- myads_2 -->
I expected that the banner I had linked in the zone 2 in openads will showup in the forum homepage just above the forum with id 155. I also checked within that forum 155.

But in vain.

Am I still missing something here?

Should I try the below suggestion? WOuld that make better sense to me?

I also recommend this MOD to go along with Openads. It says that it is a 3.5 MOD, but I have it installed on 3.6.8 with no problems:

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=100229


Thank you once again. Appreciate your helpful response.

[FullyTested]

Which version of Openads are you using?

Try...
$phpAds_raw = view_raw('zone:2', 0, $target, '', 0, $phpAds_context, true);
$banners[] = $phpAds_raw['html'];
$placeholders[] = "/<!-- myads_2 -->/";

[induslady]

Hello David,

I am using Openads ver 2.0.

Thank you