I added a category background image to my site this week (courtesy of Michell69). Everything looks great, but it broke the blinking PM bar. This hack of FireFly's hack will let you get the blinking PM bar back. It will not alternate between the flashing color and the image. But, it will allow you to have the flashing color and any other color you choose. I added the cat background image using the replacement variable trick where you enter:

#color" "background="{imagesfolder}/catbgimage.gif

as the replacement variable. I used the first color to alternate with the flashing color. My users are very happy now. :)

Sweet, I always wanted something like that

Nice hack, thanks. :up:

I followed the direction in the txt file, but it doesn't work for my forum

If you added the code to index.php and made the modifications to the new template, I'm not sury why it wouldn't work. It's just a modification of FireFly's hack.

Nice job FWC! :)

hey fwc. i am using a nt machine and i cannot download the txt file because of the security setings that the sys admin has imposed.

Can you email this to sgtsling@hotmail.com ?

yes I am a member and the staff around here can verify that
[if he weren't licensed he wouldn't be able to post here anyway... -ff]

FWC- I added your modified version after adding a graphic to my category bg and I'm still not having luck with it working for me. I'm using 2.2.8 this shouldn't effect it though, right?

It should work on 2.2.8. It's very simple and does for me. Make sure you don't have the bg image in the added template. You have to use colors.

FWC...it was the browser I was checking it in...Netscape finds a javascript error...it works in IE

Ahhh, good Ol' 'Scrape. That explains it.

can i do this hack with no background?
liek just a plain grey background.. and black text?

If you don't have a cat background image just use Firefly's original blinking PM bar hack.

Why not simply create a "highlight" version if your background image...

Then use pmBox.background='/images/whatever.gif'; instead of pmBox.bgcolor='#whatever';?

Then you would have alternate flashing images, and the flashy box won't look odd being the only one in the page with flat colours :)

Nice Idea. But I solved it without any hacking, just with template-changing and two shading backgrounds. Coz my "Code" needs no php-hack I won't attach it here, but will post it on vBtemplates.

All you have to do is to check the variable $lightbulb
I hope it's okay for you. :)

Do you have to have Fireflys pm bar installed already for this to work?