[KevinG]

Maybe you can try something like this?

Add this to the vbcode.js file in your forum directory

// ************************************

function countdownup(theform,thetype) {
   // inserts countdown or countup 
   maintext = prompt("Enter Top Message for " + thetype,"");
   coloredtext = prompt("Enter the color to use for the Top Message","BLUE");
   datetext = prompt("Enter Date for " + thetype,"");
   var prompttext;
   if (thetype == "countdown") {
      prompt_text = "Enter text to display when Countdown reaches zero";
   }
   else {
      prompt_text = "Enter text to display before Countup starts (future date)";
   }
   expiredtext = prompt(prompt_text,"");
   if ((datetext != null) && (datetext != "")) {
      cdcode = "";
      if ((maintext == null) || (maintext == "")) {
         if (thetype == "countdown") {
            maintext = "My Countdown";
        }
        else {
            maintext = "My Countup";
        }
      }
      if ((coloredtext == null) || (coloredtext == ""))
         coloredtext = "BLUE";
      if ((expiredtext == null) || (expiredtext == "")) {
         if (thetype == "countdown") {
            expiredtext = "Blast Off!";
         }
         else {
            expiredtext = "Waiting to Start";
         }
      }		
      theform.message.value += "["+thetype+"="+datetext+";"+expiredtext+";"+coloredtext+"]"+maintext+"[/"+thetype+"] ";
   }		
   theform.message.focus();
}

// *************************************

Then add the buttons to your vbcode_buttons template:
My template looks like this after adding them after the "quote" button. This was added after the <BR> tag which puts them on the third line of buttons.

<input type="button" class="bginput" value="countdown" title="Insert Countdown" onclick="countdownup(this.form,'countdown')" >		
<input type="button" class="bginput" value="countup" title="Insert Countdown" onclick="countdownup(this.form,'countup')" ><br>