Major Additions - DownloadsII

DownloadsII

DownloadsII is a download database that integrates into vBulletin. It allows you to upload files, add images to them, create categories, link to external files - and more. It is very flexible and has many options.

It's also coded 100% XHTML 1.0 Transitional valid, just like vBulletin itself.



Instructions & Support

Requires vBulletin 4.0.4 or higher. Not fully compatible with lower vB 4 versions.
It works fine with both the new editor in vB 4.1.4 or higher and the old one in previous vB versions.

Read the instructions in the next two posts before installing/upgrading this mod!

You can find an installation/upgrade manual in the zip package (Readme.txt).

I try to answer most questions asked in this thread. Please don't send any pm's if I don't ask for them. Don't forget to click the install link, so you will receive important update notifications.

Screenshots & Live demo

At the bottom of this post, you can find some screenshots of the front-end and back-end (AdminCP part) of the DownloadsII software.

You can find a live demo on my own site: Minatica.be Downloads (Dutch).
Though keep in mind that we are running a restyled and modified version of it.

Changelog (version 6.0.9)

Jelle

• Added support for vB 4.1.8 bit processing with 'each' construct (backwards compatible)
• Fixed comma listing for vB 4.1.8 (using "old" method)

Older changelogs are included in the zip package.

Help!!! I can't upload large files??

This is probably the most asked question. It's mostly caused by some default PHP settings: check "PHP Max Post Size" and "PHP Maximum Upload Size" at your AdminCP home.

Then have a look at this post for the solution to up these values.
Also have a look at this post at vB.com (but ignore the MySQL part as DownloadsII is only using the file system).

Add-ons

There are currently no official add-ons. Unofficial add-ons are listed below.

[s.molinari]

This is a great add-on. I am wanting to suggest it to a client. However, one thing is missing. In the WYSIWYG editor, there is no video BBCode. Is there a reason for this? It would be cool to add tutorial videos to the download descriptions and at this point, adding a video only creates a link. I'd rather have the video embed like in forum posts.

Scott

[Hippy]

weird I see insert video.
and a custom one I made in mine..
I must not understand you fully

[RS_Jelle]

Originally Posted by s.molinari

This is a great add-on. I am wanting to suggest it to a client. However, one thing is missing. In the WYSIWYG editor, there is no video BBCode. Is there a reason for this? It would be cool to add tutorial videos to the download descriptions and at this point, adding a video only creates a link. I'd rather have the video embed like in forum posts.

Scott

vB Settings -> BBCode Settings -> Allow [IMG] Code in Non Forum Specific Areas -> Yes

([IMG] currently also controls [VIDEO], they will be separated in vB 4.1.10)

[Cipher5]

Originally Posted by cheykawebdesign

Hi, I installed this mod and its great, but does anyone know how to make the thumbnail image bigger? I uploaded a file and then uploaded a picture but it is to small... Am I missing where to change the thumbnail size? If it has to be manually changed/coded where would I start? I don't want to start editing templates and files if I totally missed where to do it.

Thanks

Actually I figured out how to get the main thumbnail bigger, I edited the size in the downloads.php but I need the smaller thumbnail bigger. When you click on the download you want you can read the description and view images at the bottom, under the "Images" titlebar, Right now the current thumbnail is 80px by 80px, This is the thumbnail I want to make bigger. The size I want my thumbnail is 300px by 300px any help from RS_Jelle or anyone else would be appreciated. If you don't know exactly just let me know what template it is in and I can figure it out.

UPDATE: I figured it out myself, there is 2 places to make edits to adjust both image sizes,

1) inside the download.php (This controls the main big thumbnail size)
search for:

PHP Code:

if ($width > 100)
                {
                    $ratio = 100 / $width;
                    $newheight = $ratio * $height;
                }
                else
                {
                    $newheight = $height;
                }
                $destimg = @imagecreatetruecolor(100, $newheight);
                imagecopyresampled($destimg, $orig_image, 0, 0, 0, 0, 100, $newheight, imagesx($orig_image), imagesy($orig_image)); 


and replace with:

PHP Code:

                                                                   $newwidth = 300;
                    $newheight = 300;

                      
                $destimg = @imagecreatetruecolor($newwidth, $newheight);
                imagecopyresampled($destimg, $orig_image, 0, 0, 0, 0, $newwidth, $newheight, imagesx($orig_image), imagesy($orig_image)); 


2) inside the downloads2.css template (This controls the downloads small thumbnail size)
search for:

PHP Code:

width: {vb:stylevar profile_sidebar_avatar_maxWidth}; 


And adjust the height and width to what you want
(I have it set to auto because I hard coded the values in the downloads.php)

PHP Code:

width: auto;
        height: auto; 


It would be nice to add this feature in the admincp for options. I also tried have the thumbnail auto size down by percentage with still keeping the 300px height max. It worked great for the little thumbnail image description, but the main thumbnail image it made the layout/ decription all messed up. So I think its best to just set these 2 values so they don't change.

I hope this helped someone out.

[s.molinari]

Originally Posted by RS_Jelle

vB Settings -> BBCode Settings -> Allow [IMG] Code in Non Forum Specific Areas -> Yes

([IMG] currently also controls [VIDEO], they will be separated in vB 4.1.10)

Hey, thanks for the support Jelle. (Do you take donations?)

The setting was off, but after turning it on, I do get the video button now in the editor, however the video bbCode is still not embedding the video (not being parsed). All I'm getting are links. Any other tips before I start digging into the code?

Also, just some suggestions to this very fine add-on, which I'll have to be adding myself for my customer.

1. Add a versioning system in order to easily make updates and post them. Also show the older out-dated versions for possible download/ reference.
2. Add subsciptions to the categories, so users are automatically notified of new downloads in the categories they are interested in.
3. Add subscriptions to the downloads, (if versioning is added) so users are made aware of new versions of those downloads.
4. Add SEO friendlier URLs. Like adding the name of the download in the URL too.

And something of my own, which I'm not going to add, but would be nice.

5. Comments added via AJAX.
6. Make the comments look like the comments everywhere else in vB. Like in the CMS and Blog.

Great work though. Amazing it is free and you also are supporting it. That is very generous.

Scott

[sadiq6210]

I will add my suggestions like Scott

First, this is my DOWNLOADSII statistics
- We have 1,672 files in 134 categories.
- They have been downloaded 304,599 times.

1- About the replies, it is very difficult to follow the replies for a member uploaded more than 200 files. I suggest to make a notification to the file uploader when someone reply (optional in admincp DOWNLOADSII options). Becuase some users may write a question and the file uploder doesn't know that there is a new reply which is including a question for him, he cannot check all his files every day to know if there is a new reply or not. I just need a feature to follow the replies in DOWNLOADSII.

2- Also, we can make a block in the side bar for the last XX replies.

[Cipher5]

Is it me or we can't upload JPEG images? I try to upload and it gives a message that an error occurred but it don't say what the error even is... PNG works fine...

[Hippy]

did you add the file extensions to the downloads

[Beatrix Kiddo]

I guess I'm just too new to vBulletin customization but could someone smarter then me please expand on this part of the installation instructions:

"3. Change the permissions of the downloads directory (inside your forums directory) to make it writable (chmod 777)."

It's not obvious to a new vB programmer what this means exactly. Is this in the admin CP somewhere or is it something I need to do on my server control panel?

Thanks for a very cool mod!

[Hippy]

on your server
log into your forum root via ftp and right click on the dir / folder you wish to make chmod to 777
you should have properties there and then click it.
In there you'll see attributes this is where you change the permissions
see screen shot

hope this helps