Thread Thumbnails
 

Thread Thumbnails
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Created By: Null Parameter

This mod is officially tested with 3.8.1, but has been reported to work with many other versions.

Please leave any comments, suggestions or bugs.

Description

This mod allows a user, when creating or editing a thread, to specify a Thumbnail image to be used for display next to the thread in the Thread Listing.

With this mod you can define a set of forums that have thumbnails enabled, then in those forums whenever a user creates or edits their thread they can change their thumbnail, based on the method that you choose to allow.

This image is then shown in the Forum Display, in place of the Thread Icon.
The image also appears in Search & Tag Search, and I can add it to the regular Search if somebody requests it. And possibly have options for displaying in each area.

Forum Display:
Attachment 105596

Search:
Attachment 105597

ACP Options:
Attachment 105595

Installation

Install the Product XML File. That's it!

All Template Edits Are Now Automatic.

If you are Upgrading from the older version, see directions in the README file on how to undo the template edits.

Demo

Possible Future Features (With Request)

• Additional column instead of replacing Thread Icon
• Displaying Thumbnail within thread
• Edit thumbnail through Thread Edit
• Thumbnail Preview in Edit Window

Fixes

• Version 2.2
  • Fix Attachment + Default Thumbnail Option Combo
• Version 2.1
  • Fix DB Error when using First Attachment option
  • Fix issue with New threads not saving thumbnail
• Version 2
  • Added Features:
    • Automatic Template Edits
    • Thumbnails in Search
    • Thumbnails from First Image/First Attachment
    • Thumbnails on Sticky Threads
  • Fixes:
    • Miscellaneous Fixes

That looks promising. ;) I will check that out.

I installed it, and I do have it in the AdminCP. I set it to one of my forums but when I create a thread there, I dont see anything to choose an Image instead of Icon for the thread. There is no change to my Theme (not standard!) done.

I thought templates get edited automatically ?

My vB Version is 3.8.2 btw.

There might be a possibility if your style isn't standard that the auto-edits might not work, although they have worked with my styles. I can write up directions on how to manually edit it in, if you would like.

Thanks very nice!!

Actually, it looks like the initial Create Thread isn't working correctly, sorry about that. (I haven't used it in a while because I use a custom form to submit threads.)

I'll get a fix in for that right away.

In the mean time, if you edit the first post of the thread, there should be an option for the thumbnail though.

No, i don´t see anything where I could that, no matter if I create a thread or re-edit it. So i guess the template edits aren´t done.

What do I have to change, and where, to check if the template edits are done ?

Looks good may considering adding on our site later on. Good job

Sorry, I uploaded a bad version of the product. I made some changes on my version but forgot to export them down.

As of now, I'll add a guide to the first post on how to manually update the templates, because I don't think the auto is working.

Okay, everything should be fixed in the product file now. New thread should work, but for now you will have to do all of the template edits yourself, which are also now listed. Sorry for the inconvenience.

I'll be working on the auto-edits in the near future.

Could you maybe then give me all the details for the template changes ? Is it a lot changes ? Because i think if it is, it will keep many people from using the Mod, usually Mods do automatic template edits as far as I have seen.

Update:

LOL, now i see the edits above. Sorry :)

I did all the edits and it works now. :)

The only thing I see which might be a problem for users is that the Image can only be added as URL. Not anyone likes to offer Imagehosting on his Webspace and Image hosting Services out there often don?t like direct links to images but rather use their image code. And in the long run, those images will be gone because Imagehosters don?t store images for life.

Using the attachment function for that might not be the nicest but it would make it easier for people to find a place to direct upload their images instead of first searching for a Public imagehosting site with direct links allowed.

Might be thinking about offering both, direct URLs like it is now, and also using a attached image in the thread. How about that ?

I can definitely attempt to add support for that.

What kind of options do you think should accompany it?

Quick draft of my thoughts:

• Thumbnail Source
  • URL Only
  • Attachment Only
  • If No URL, use Attachment

Any other options you can think of?

Would it be possible that the attached image, when used for that, would only show in the Thread Thumbnail and not also attached below or in the posting ?

And in case someone doesn?t want to add a Image, how about also allowing that. In that case it would just show the NoImage picture. Should be up to the poster I think. He doesn?t have to. ;)

Well, I'm assuming that if there isn't a URL or Attachment then it would show the no thumbnail image. But for the Admin CP options, they can choose to allow thumbnails from one of those 3.

So if an admin only wants to allow thumbnails from Attachments or only from a URL, then they can do that.

I just wondered why you said when no URL then attachment. But it would be good if it would also mean that if no URL and no attachment, then just the NOIMAGE thing.

It would be nice if adding an image attachment is an optional REQUIREMENT. For example, one could create a simple gallery this way and have all the images hosted on their own site instead of annoying hosts like imageshack. Furthermore, image attachments can be automatically thumbnailed by simple adding &thumb=1 behind the url. This means, true resizing of the image using GD instead of scaling an external image using width or height (which should never be done).

Attachments can be filtered for images with the following query
WHERE (attachment.extension = 'jpg' OR attachment.extension = 'gif' OR attachment.extension = 'png')

In short,
-allow attachments.
-option that sets an image attachment as a requirement.
-allow external images.

I think both (URL and Attachment) options are good and should be available. :)

Looks like a great feature! I'm going to wait for the Automatic Template Edits version though. :p

Thanks

I just meant that both are supported, but if a URL isn't specified then the Attachment will be used.

Thanks for the bit about being able to automatically thumbnail the attachments, that will come in handy.

That will be out in the next version hopefully, so stay tuned. :)


Thanks everybody for the positive and helpful comments, I'll try to get these changes out as soon as possible.

I'm not speaking to your MOD specifically, just mods that do this in general. This is a neat feature to have but unfortunately it ads some high overhead as all the thumbs on the page are usually served up by php, requiring more php processes and on large forums that's an issue.

If you could figure out how to serve the image thumbs through direct links, that would be much better.

Take a look at this, he has the right idea here, though this will only work with nginx

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=207566

If you use the URL option (which is actually the only option as we speak), then it is served through direct links. The only things that will go through PHP would be if you decided to use the Attachment Thumbnails (future feature).

Because right now, it is just an img html tag with the url for the src.
Like this:
No PHP at all.

great idea. option to upload the thumbnail to be used would be perfect

Wow I can't believe it @_@

I was searching today for something like this

installed+nominated :D

thanx ,

good job

Great mod! It would be cool if it were also possible to have the thumbnail display in the RSS2 feed somehow, in addition to the forumdisplay page.

Interesting idea! I'll look into it.

This mod looks sick, I will tag and wait for the auto template edits.

It would be nice to show the preview image when you hover over the thread. And also auto assign image. gets the first image available, that would be really nice. subscribing to this thread.

Very good work. Thank you ;)

thank you

Installed. How do I make the thumbs be 150x150? I had a user try it out and it's 150x225.

I don't have a max height defined right now, only width. So that just means that the width is scaled down to 150, and the height is just scaled accordingly.

I'll add a height restriction to this list of additional features.

Ok cool, I just installed this and it's great. Keep up the good work.

Thank you
awsome add-on

And i get it translated into arabic language for arabic froums
تم تعريب الهاك وهذا هو الرابط
http://www.support-ar.com/vb/showthread.php?t=23758

That would be fantastic! Thanks, Null Parameter. :)

Looks good. I'll probably make it work with phrases in the next version as well, so the strings aren't coded in, so that should make translation substitution easier in the future.


Thanks again everybody for all of the great comments. I'll be working on the new version this weekend most likely!

I would love for this to search the thread for a thumbnail or url to a picture if user has not already uploaded one.

So if the URL doesn't specify a Thumbnail URL then automatically use the first one in their post? Interesting idea as well.

It's amazing what people can come up with that I never would have thought of.

And back on the thought of adding this to the RSS2 Feed, I actually have another mod I wrote (not posted, yet) that creates a Media RSS Feed using the thumbnail, which also allows your website to be enabled for cooliris. Think that is sufficient, or do you think I should still try to inject it into the RSS2 feed?