[Re-Release] Tungsten's Welcome Panel

[imported_Tungsten]

Author:

Tungsten


Credits:

Credits go to Ogden2K for inspiring the layout of the welcome panel and to Brad.loo for his help on coding issues.


Description:

I have changed a few minor problems in the original coding that were prohibiting avatars from being shown on some boards. I also redid the instructions file so that Microsoft Notepad opens it with proper line formatting.

Basically this is just a simple welcome panel that conditionally displays the user's avatar if they are (a.) logged in and (b.) have an avatar selected. If they are not logged in or do not have an avatar selected, they see variations of the welcome panel text that intuitively guide them toward registering or logging in and selecting an avatar.

No PHP files are hacked with this modification. It is completely template driven.

I have successfully tested the modifications on my own vBulletin 3.0.0 Beta 4 installation with both avatars stored within the MySQL database and with avatars stored in a file-system folder outside of the database. It works both ways now.

Anyone who downloaded the previous releases of this modification needs to upgrade to this one. I apologize for the confusion that arose from having so many different ideas being publicly thrown about in the other thread. :)


Reporting Bugs:

Feel free to report bugs in this thread but please do not post any code modifications here. Send them to me via a private PM so that I can evaluate their effectiveness. All support will be handled via this thread. Please do not PM me for support.


New Screenshots:

Finally... new screenshots are attached to this post as well as included inside the ZIP file. Enjoy!

[imported_VirtualMind]

Well done! It Worked! :)

[imported_Tungsten]

Thanks. I'm glad to get this monkey off my back finally! :D

[Dan]

Thanks I may use it again

[imported_HexOnxOnx]

Thanks. I'm glad to get this monkey off my back finally! :D

Sorry to report back to you, it don't work on my board. Avatars don't show up.

http://forum.xelation.org/index.php?

[imported_HexOnxOnx]

It works for the guest avatat but not logged in users avatars.

[imported_Tungsten]

Tell me a little more about your forum setup. What server OS are you running? Are your avatars stored inside the database or in a /customavatars type directory beneath your forum installation?

Finally, are you getting a red 'X' type thing where the avatars should be or just nothing at all?

[squawell]

if user do not select avatar..i want it show the noavatar.gif not text..

how should i change the code?

thankz....

[imported_HexOnxOnx]

Tell me a little more about your forum setup. What server OS are you running? Are your avatars stored inside the database or in a /customavatars type directory beneath your forum installation?

Finally, are you getting a red 'X' type thing where the avatars should be or just nothing at all?

HI

It's a Linux server. The avatars are stored in the default ./customavatars directory. I have no idea how to store them another way. I do get a red x where my avatar should be.

[imported_Tungsten]

Can you right-click on the red-X and view the properties of what the graphic should have been? It should give you a complete FQDN path to the image file.

Copy and paste that into a reply for me. I want to see if it is parsing the graphic at all. ;)

[imported_Tungsten]

if user do not select avatar..i want it show the noavatar.gif not text..

how should i change the code?


Change this line in the phpinclude_start file:

$welcomeavatar = "<span class=\"smallfont\">No Avatar<br/ >Specified</span>";


To read as this:

$welcomeavatar = "<img src=\"$stylevar[imagesfolder]/noavatar.gif\" title=\"\" border=\"0\" />";


And place the attached noavatar.gif file into your forum images folder.

[imported_HexOnxOnx]

Can you right-click on the red-X and view the properties of what the graphic should have been? It should give you a complete FQDN path to the image file.

Copy and paste that into a reply for me. I want to see if it is parsing the graphic at all. ;)

Here are the properties where the avatar should be:

http://forum.xelation.org/"image.php?u=$bbuserinfo[userid]&dateline=$avatar[dateline]/"

[imported_Tungsten]

For some reason, quotes are being inserted into the code when it is rendered which breaks the functionality of the code. Let me re-evaluate my modification again and see if I goofed on something when I typed up the instructions.

[imported_Tungsten]

Those of you who were still having problems with avatars not showing up, please download the ZIP file again. It includes new code for the phpinclude_start template that parses properly on servers running versions of PHP older than 4.3.2


Apparently 4.3.1 and older versions of PHP didn't like the syntax I used when calling the image.php file to grab a user's custom avatar. I have replaced that code with some that works a little better across all versions.


Confirmed to work on my own test server. :)

[imported_Tungsten]

HexOnxOnx has confirmed that the code change fixed the avatar problem on his server. It looks like this modification is finally good for the whole family. :)

[squawell]

Change this line in the phpinclude_start file:

$welcomeavatar = "<span class=\"smallfont\">No Avatar<br/ >Specified</span>";


To read as this:

$welcomeavatar = "<img src=\"$stylevar[imagesfolder]/noavatar.gif\" title=\"\" border=\"0\" />";


And place the attached noavatar.gif file into your forum images folder.
Tungsten thankz that!!

another problem...when i logout...i still see the noavatar.gif not the

guestavatar.gif~~but i already place the pic to images&avatarts

folders...any idea?thankz... :)

[imported_Tungsten]

Tungsten thankz that!!

another problem...when i logout...i still see the noavatar.gif not the

guestavatar.gif


I can't seem to duplicate that problem. I am seeing the proper guestavatar.gif and noavatar.gif files whenever those conditions are true.

[Schorsch]

working great here!! all avatars showing up! thanks Tungsten!

[squawell]

I can't seem to duplicate that problem. I am seeing the proper guestavatar.gif and noavatar.gif files whenever those conditions are true.
ok...i find the problem!!!i add wrong variable to template.....now it work..

thankz... :D

[SmartGnome]

working also great here!! thanks Tungsten! all avatars showing up.

The only thing with me is, that the width of the welcom panel is larger then my forums. Any idea how I can fix this :rolleyes:

[Dan]

make the table the same width as your forum tables

[SmartGnome]

make the table the same width as your forum tables

Yes thanks but which $stylevar must I take for that ? (width="$stylevar[tablewidth]")

I searched a lot but didn't find a clou. And I know .... I'm the CheeseHead :)

[imported_Tungsten]

These three appear at the start of the forumhome template's welcome panel code. The third line defines the width of the welcome panel:


<!-- welcome panel -->
<br />
<table cellpadding="$stylevar[outerborderwidth]" cellspacing="0" border="0" class="tborder" width="$stylevar[tablewidth]" align="center"><tr><td>

[SmartGnome]

These three appear at the start of the forumhome template's welcome panel code. The third line defines the width of the welcome panel:


<!-- welcome panel -->
<br />
<table cellpadding="$stylevar[outerborderwidth]" cellspacing="0" border="0" class="tborder" width="$stylevar[tablewidth]" align="center"><tr><td>


Thanks I found the problem :)
While I want to have the welcome panel always shows up, I have put in the header template. There those stylevars give other values.

[imported_HexOnxOnx]

Anyone know how to get a noavatar.gif to show up on the welcome panel if one isn't selected?

I had this working for a few days and them I messed something up.

Thanks!

[Zachery]

when changing the forumhome after i add your welcome panel, it wont seem to upload

[imported_Tungsten]

when changing the forumhome after i add your welcome panel, it wont seem to upload
You must have done something wrong.

[trilOByte]

Tungsten, this is excellent well done. Works perfectly.

I stripped out your avatar code and dropped it into a side menu for my site - a sort of side-welcome-panel ;)

http://www.britishblades.com/forums/

From what I can see this is the first functional vB3 welcome panel that totally replicates the different states as in the original vB2 welcomepanel. Nice one. ;)

Martyn
(aka tril0Byte)

[Zachery]

ive been doing template mods for a while now, i changed exctly what you told me and hit save, and i wanted for about 10 min and nothing happened :\

[SmartGnome]

ive been doing template mods for a while now, i changed exctly what you told me and hit save, and i wanted for about 10 min and nothing happened :\

Have a look at your code if there is not a missing < , > or ". If so then the template will not be loaded into the database.

I had this problem with my flags mod also, just forgot a " in the script.

[zenmasteril]

The new welcome panel added BUT THE OLD ONE STILL UP THERE !!!
like i have 2 now.. the original (Above the members,threads,post blabla)
and the new one under it..
what did i go wrong ? just followed the instructions...

[imported_Tungsten]

The new welcome panel added BUT THE OLD ONE STILL UP THERE !!!
like i have 2 now.. the original (Above the members,threads,post blabla)
and the new one under it..
what did i go wrong ? just followed the instructions...
You didn't edit the navbar template, evidently. It would have helped if you had posted the URL for your forums so that the rest of us could see it for ourselves.

[zenmasteril]

You didn't edit the navbar template, evidently. It would have helped if you had posted the URL for your forums so that the rest of us could see it for ourselves.

ok.. now it's ok.. but the text file is not so clear about what to do with the navbar.. i had to delete everything there and add the new parts..

[Zachery]

i tried again and it worked, nice work :D

ill be installing at all the sites i admin that are going to be running vb3

[phill2003]

thanks very much this is great

/me presses the virtual install button

[dcevoclub]

ok i have a problem, i have a black empy box at the top...can somone help?

forums.dcevoclub.com

[dstruct2k]

ok i have a problem, i have a black empy box at the top...can somone help?

forums.dcevoclub.com
Looks like you fixed it yourself... And may I comment, that is quite the ugly style! Way too much empty space all around...

[dcevoclub]

Looks like you fixed it yourself... And may I comment, that is quite the ugly style! Way too much empty space all around...
thanks, i try, you know it would be nice if i could get help in all the places i post but i don't get any...so but thanks

[phill2003]

Looks like you fixed it yourself... And may I comment, that is quite the ugly style! Way too much empty space all around...

you could be a bit more constructive, that was just plain nasty.

and to say you use a free style from podesign i dont think you can critisise for him trying to do his own unique one do you!!!!!!!!!

and 29 querys on forum home thats a server killer.......


wow man 60 on the phpportal front page lol :D i got mine down to 29 when i had one and even that was too many for me:)

still if your too cheap to stump up 10 bucks for the membership you get what you pay for.......

[dcevoclub]

10 bucks for what?

[phill2003]

well your by the looks of things running the old vbportal, and for 10 bucks you get the latest version which has a few less querys but not many...

and you get access to all the hacks that are on there.....

sorry man i was talking to dstruct2k as he as kind enough to rubbish your style :)

[dcevoclub]

no i thank you, i'm just learning this stuff, i've even updated/hacked it a little more now :)

[albibak]

Thanks Tungsten.
Good work, I will test it soon

[JJE]

I guess I'm still confused about the NAVBAR part, I added everything and everything is *working*, but, to get rid of the other navbar I just deleted everything in the template "navbar".

Thanks for the great hack BTW, it's very seski :D

http://www.brainphreeze.com/dev

[M1th]

really nice, Well done! :)

[Majere]

Slight Issue:

I'm using the category spacer template mod and it appears as though

Posts, Threads, Moderator, etc. is duplicating itself just beneath the welcome panel as seen here:

http://www.black-crown.net/forums

Fixed it.

Had to remove some of that code right before $forumbits.

[SirSteve]

How can I remove the Login box that is above the Welcome Panel (it's redundant to be there)?

see attachement.

[Werty]

I had this hack on my vB2 boards, now that i changed to vB3 the members would like it back, but, in the vB2 version i had it also stated how many post there had been since last visit, "There have been XXXX post since your last visit".

Anyone know how to add that ?

[minder]

installed on beta 6 with no probs thanks a lot

rob

[Werty]

Installed it, but, umm, it shows up at the bottom of the page :/

How do i get it up top ? Did i do something wrong ?

[imported_Tungsten]

I have updated the welcome panel code to be compatible with the javascript changes made in Beta #6 of vB 3.0.0

If you are running Beta 6 and using this add-on, please download the main zip file again and re-apply the changes dealing with the welcome panel login section. :)

[imported_Tungsten]

Argh... Jelsoft also changed the way that new PMs are indicated. So I updated the welcome panel with that as well.

Download version 3.4 from the first post in this thread. :)

[imported_rynthar]

Tungsten, what part of the code would I need to put an if condition statement near so that when a New PM comes, it changes the color of the table behind "Welcome Panel" from my styles variable set color to a defined color (like red)? Which variable/part of code represents the category header in your code?

[Werty]

Installed it, but, umm, it shows up at the bottom of the page :/

How do i get it up top ? Did i do something wrong ?

Plz...? Anyone....?
My members are LTAO because its on the bottom, and now you will LYAO when i tell you i didnt backup the templates for this mod :/

Its been and the bottom for 3 days now :/

/edit: fixed it

[imported_Tungsten]

Tungsten, what part of the code would I need to put an if condition statement near so that when a New PM comes, it changes the color of the table behind "Welcome Panel" from my styles variable set color to a defined color (like red)? Which variable/part of code represents the category header in your code?
I tell you what... let me release version 3.5 of this template modification right now so that you can see how I did this instead. I just included a PMON.GIF and PMOFF.GIF in the welcome panel and change which one is shown if the user has new PMs or not. :)

Check back in a second; I'll update the first post in this thread with the 3.5 release.

[zenmasteril]

I installed the new version for the new PM envelop pic..
But the "view new posts" link disapeared..
U can see it in my forum: http://www.gamestalks.com
What should i do ?

[imported_Tungsten]

I installed the new version for the new PM envelop pic..
But the "view new posts" link disapeared..
U can see it in my forum: http://www.gamestalks.com (http://www.gamestalks.com/)
What should i do ?Look for this line in the welcome panel v3.5 mod...


<span class="smallfont">You last visited $pmbox[lastvisitdate] at <span class="time">$pmbox[lastvisittime].</span><br />


And add this line immediately after it...


<span class="smallfont"><a href="search.php?$session[sessionurl]do=getnew">View New Posts Since Last Visit</a></span>

[zenmasteril]

Look for this line in the welcome panel v3.5 mod...


<span class="smallfont">You last visited $pmbox[lastvisitdate] at <span class="time">$pmbox[lastvisittime].</span><br />


And add this line immediately after it...


<span class="smallfont"><a href="search.php?$session[sessionurl]do=getnew">View New Posts Since Last Visit</a></span>


GREAT :D working now... Thank you very much..

[Werty]

I had this hack on my vB2 boards, now that i changed to vB3 the members would like it back, but, in the vB2 version i had it also stated how many post there had been since last visit, "There have been XXXX post since your last visit".

Anyone know how to add that ?

Ok, got that part too, thanks to Faranth and Belinea in this thread at vb.com (http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?t=83144) <--- click there (why are links the same color as the actual text ? ) [/edit]

[kendo]

I'm running Beta 7, and have installed the latest version of the hack. I'm getting a red X instead of my avatar when I log in, although everything else works OK.

Properties show up as:

http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/image.php?u=1&dateline=1027127040

If I clear cookies, noavatar.gif shows up fine.

Any ideas, please?

Hamish

http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/

[GamerzWorld]

Fixed the problem :)

[thuffner]

I have a little problem. I store my board's custom avatars in a directory instead of in the database now. They are stored in the folder ./customavatars

How should I change the code so the custom avatars to show up? Currently, I am getting the red 'x'.

Thanks! :)

EDIT: I'm having the same problem as Hamish. I am running beta 7, and have all my avatars in a driectory, not in the database.

When I right click and view the broken avatar's location, I get this:

http://www.bondmovies.com/board/image.php?u=1&dateline=1065505820

How do I make it show the URL to the avatar in the avatar directory and not to the database?

[imported_Tungsten]

Thuffner, it should have worked for either style of avatar storage. Unfortunately I have reverted a lot of my templates in order to upgrade to Beta 7 and am going to wait until RC1 and the new style comes out before I mess with updating my template mods.


If something has changed with the avatar code, I'll update my mod accordingly as soon as RC1 comes out. ;)

[thuffner]

No problem. Looks like the avatars are working on the front page now. Thanks for responding. :)

[SirSteve]

Excellent addition with the PM icons. However, it makes more sense to me if the blinking PM icon only is displayed when there is a new image. Can I tweak mine to do this?

[calvinnguyen]

Thanks Tungste it is so great. see my website change after add your code http://vietmodel.net

[budlite74]

Can you also please post how to add the

New Posts: 9 | Updated Threads: 2

part please?!
Thanks

[Luciolle]

Thanks alot for this modification, I try too put on my new vbulletin 3 beta 7 ;) !

Great job !

[SirSteve]

Still waiting for RC1 or will this be updated for Gamma?

[Smitty]

Still waiting for RC1 or will this be updated for Gamma?
I hope so. Looks nice.

[imported_Tungsten]

I will be updating this for Gamma very soon. I am slowly making the changes to my own forum and then will release it to you all once I have confirmed that it works. :)

[idwf]

thanks mate :) pld

[zenmasteril]

tnx man.. waiting for it........... :)

[gmarik]

Gamma ok? Interesting ...

[trackpads]

Gamma ok? Interesting ...
Definately let us know, nice one!

[PGU]

man, i was hoping this would work for gamma

[imported_Tungsten]

man, i was hoping this would work for gamma
At present, I am debating on several ways to integrate this into the forumhome template with Gamma. The new style that Kier has graced us with presents a slight challenge in that the navigation bar has greatly improved in asthetics and is not something that I prefer to "mutilate" for the sake of displaying the avatar.

I will likely replace the navigation bar on the forumhome template entirely and incorporate the welcome panel as it's replacement. Then the navbar will take over on all other pages as the default.

Anyway, I have begun testing a few different layouts on my development server and will try to finalize something in the next week or two. Apologies for the delay but the holidays and a last-minute rush on some projects at the office have been sucking away my free time for things like this.

[idwf]

fair do's man. Take care.

Have a good x-mas :)

[trackpads]

I added it on my side bar. I agree about not mutilating the top of the page if possible. I would love to put in some other items like Rank etc but havent figured that out yet :(

[M1th]

I will likely replace the navigation bar on the forumhome template entirely and incorporate the welcome panel as it's replacement. Then the navbar will take over on all other pages as the default.

Anyway, I have begun testing a few different layouts on my development server and will try to finalize something in the next week or two. Apologies for the delay but the holidays and a last-minute rush on some projects at the office have been sucking away my free time for things like this.


Yep, I've done that to my new style (test board). Removed navbar altogether and added the welcome panel.

Also, here is a useful tip.. to have the avatar support query executed on forumhome ONLY, do this: :)

in the phpinclude template:

if (THIS_SCRIPT == 'index')
{

//avatar support codes here

}

[imported_FastAttack]

I got the welcome panel working with RC2 with slight mods to it

here is the preview of it under rc2 can't show my site since its under development

[Lady Ginasue]

Any word on when this will be ready for Vb3 RC3.

[imported_FastAttack]

it works fine on RC3.. just had to remove the 2 extra <td><td> values since it causes errors under ie 5.5 :)