Custom Avatars as Files (updated for vBulletin 2.2.2)

Updated for vBulletin 2.2.2, 5th February 2002

Since there has been so much demand for this, I wrote a hack that will allow you to store all your custom avatars as files, rather than in the mySQL database.



Doing this will have the following benefits:

• Avatars folder can be protected by .htaccess (Apache only) to prevent bandwidth stealing
• No SQL queries or PHP code required to display custom avatars - server load decreases
• No cacheing issues with Internet Explorer 5.5, so server bandwidth use should decrease

The install script will make the necessary modifications to your database, install a control panel option to switch the file-based avatars on, and convert your existing custom avatars from the database into files.

All avatar options that are present when using the standard mySQL avatar system are still present, and users will not notice a difference in the interface.

Full instructions for altering your PHP files are included in the zip file.

Once you have made the necessary modifications to the PHP scripts, you should run the enclosed install_favatar.php script from your admin/ folder.

They are just RENAMED to GIFs or are they converted to GIFs?

They are just RENAMED to GIFs or are they converted to GIFs?

There is no "conversion" from one type to another. The data is stored as binary, and when "displayed" using avatar.php, it adds

header("Content-type: image/gif");

so your browser will believe it's a gif file. The contents of your jpg are unchanged, just sent to the browser as image/gif so it can be displayed.

Originally posted by -saturn-
They are just RENAMED to GIFs or are they converted to GIFs?

They are just renamed to GIF. This also happens (in a roundabout sort of way) with custom avatars stored in the database (they send a content header which describes their content to the browser as 'image/gif')

problem with showthread.php, private.php, announcement.php, admin/functions.php logic.

If there exists a customavatar record for the poster, it works great. But if you deleted all the customavatar table records, there's a problem.

if ($post[hascustomavatar] and $avatarenabled) {
        if ($usefileavatar) $avatarurl="custom_avatars/avatar$post[userid]_$post[avatarrevision].gif";
        else $avatarurl="avatar.php?userid=$post[userid]";

hascustomavatar is false because customavatar.avatardata is null, therefore, it can never check to see if $usefileavatar is true or not. There needs to be a way of determining if a customavatar that's saved as a file exists for that user. Maybe checking avatarrevision > 0.

 if ($post[avatarrevision]>0 and $usefileavatar and $avatarenabled) {
             $avatarurl="custom_avatars/avatar$post[userid]_$post[avatarrevision].gif";
            } else {
              if ($post[hascustomavatar] and $avatarenabled) $avatarurl="avatar.php?userid=$post[userid]";
          }

member.php - Also, when a customavatar is deleted or changed to a predefined avatar, the user record needs to be updated to change avatarrevision=0.

Let me know if I am way off base here.

You're right. I'll look into it.

I know you can already do this, but this isn't the way it should be done. Its a pain if users want to change all the time or test new ones out.

Originally posted by tubedogg


You can already do this, in a round-about-sort-of-way. Just set Custom Avatars to No (in Options) then go into User > Find > username > Edit > change avatar and you can set a custom avatar even if it's disabled for the board at large.

As Pfunk pointed out, there was a logic error which occurred if you deleted the contents of your customavatar table...

I did sat in the instructions and in the install script that I did not recommend that you empty the custom avatar table unless you really (really) had a good reason to do so.

In any case, the code is now fixed. Visit the instructions page and make the necessary modifications to member.php - the other files do not need to be altered if you have already hacked them.

If any of your members' avatars are not showing up, simply get them to re-upload their avatar and it will fix itself.

Thank you Kier!

Originally posted by pestilence
yet another fine hack well done kier btw when does your new website open to the general public ?

not yet

Another great hack Kier!
Thanks a lot