Major Additions - 8WayRun.Com - Media Library

Don't forget to click INSTALL!
I'm an unemployed computer programmer... if you appreciate the work I have done on this mod, please don't hesitate in offering me a donation by clicking the "Support Developer" link to the right of this text. A donation of $50 or more automatically gives you the right to remove the copyright footer for this modification from a single forum.

This is a new modification, spawning from the old VB 3.x Video Directory modifications.
For all intents and purposes, both my old Video Directory Remixed mod, and Survivor's original Video Directory mod have been discontinued. Neither of us are maintaining these older versions, they will not receive any future updates and we will not be providing any support. This version has a new name because it has been completely rewritten from scratch and is not being built on Survivor's old code. Because of this, if you are upgrading to this new version, from the old version, be sure to read this entire post in order to understand the upgrade process.

What is this mod?
Simply put, this mod is a directory for media. It supports URL inputs, in order to extract meta data and directorize media into a simple and easy to understand library. Users can add their favorite media from a select few online distribution centers (such as Youtube or Vimeo) and categorize and tag them as they see fit. This mod offers rudimentary support for the hosting of local media. An administrator can upload a media to the /customVID/ (default) directory; then add the media to the library using the URL code of "local:filename". Media hosted locally will be displayed using JWPlayer, but will not provide meta data, so that kind of information will need to be entered manually.

Demo:

http://www.8wayrun.com/media.php

Features:

• Integrated directly into the vBulletin user database and product manager.
• Fully phrased and built on tempaltes for easy re-skinning and styling.
• Simple to use administration features and usergroup permission settings.
• Landing page with the most recent, most popular and highest rated media.
• Ability to add media into a single category, while adding multiple tags.
• Ability to browse media through categories, tags, and user contributions.
• Summary tag cloud with a link to the entire list of tags in the system.
• Comment and rating system based on AJAX including graceful degredation.
• Individual RSS Feeds for newest videos, categories, tags and user media.
• Search function for titles and descriptions.

Installation:

If you are upgrading from before version 1.1, please install that version first.

1. Upload all the files in the "upload" directory of the attached zip file to your forum root.
2. CHMOD the /customVID/thumbs/ directory to full read/write/execute 777 permissions.
3. CHMOD the /customVID/sitemap/ directory to full read/write/execute 777 permissions.
4. Import the product file called "product-medialibrary.xml" in the Product Manager of vBulletin.
5. Set your usergroup permissions and media library settings in your administration control panel.
6. OPTIONAL: Enable the "Generate XML Media Sitemap" scheduled task in your administration control panel.
   
   NOTES: Make sure you decide what you wish to use for your thumbnail quality setting. By default, thumbnails are saved at 50% quality. At 50%, thumbnails will only be 2kb in size, but at the expense of quality. At 100%, thumbnails will be about 15kb in size, but will have the highest quality. I recommend setting it to 80%, which would leave thumbnails at 5kb in size with still excellent quality.
   
   Every time you change your thumbnail quality setting, you will need to run the "Rebuild Media Thumbnails" to see any changes.

Upgrading from VDR:

1. The "video*" tables from your previous installation of VDR need to exist in your database.
2. Enable the "media ADMIN import" plugin in the plugin manager of your control panel.
3. Run the "Import Media from VDR" process in your update counters menu in maintenance.
4. Disable the "media ADMIN import" plugin in the plugin manager of your control panel.
5. Run the "Rebuild Media Thumbnails" process in your update counters menu in maintenance.
6. You may now uninstall VDR once you confirm everything has been imported as intended.
   
   NOTES: You will mostly likely get at least one error while rebuilding media thumbnails...
   
   When you get an error, click the details link for that media. If the media displays some sort of error such as "This video has been removed" or "This video no longer exist", then that means that media is gone and you'll be unable to generate a thumbnail for that particular media. Use the available options on that media's detail page to DELETE it from your library. Then go back to your browser window which is rebuilding thumbnails and click the "retry from this position" link.
   
   If you got an error for a media, but after clicking the details link you can find no obvious error with the video; then the error could have just been a simple syn/ack failure. Just click the "retry from this position" link and the system will try to rebuild that thumbnail again.

Known Bugs:

There is a conflict with this modification and some of Valter's VSA modifications that will prevent navbar permissions from being handled correctly. I don't know exactly who's fault it is; but I'm pretty sure there are no errors in my code that would be causing this problem. There is a work around for this however.

Admin Control Panel > Plugins & Products > Plugin Manager > "media NAVTAB"

Find the code:

    $perms = media_permissions();

Replace with:

$perms['rate'] = true;
$perms['comment'] = true;
$perms['submit'] = true;
$perms['playlist'] = true;
 
if (is_member_of($vbulletin->userinfo, explode(',','5,6')))
{
    $perms['modtags'] = true;
    $perms['modcategory'] = true;
    $perms['modservice'] = true;
}

[MrD]

Hi,
@ entertain: thats an Ethnic Question

[cherylferraro]

Jaxel, I'm not a lawyer but I don't think it's illegal to create a similar mod if they don't copy your code. You don't own the exclusive right to create a mod that embeds media...

I was a UBB user back in the day. Rick was good at what he did but ubb didn't keep up with the development of vb. My decision to move to vb wasn't based on this community. I just wanted to use the best software to build my own community.

Do you think that your unethical behavior is the kind of endorsement that will entice admins to move over to xenforo? If you're unreliable here why should anyone trust you to support your work anywhere else?

[danrak]

If this guy does not want to support his mod due to IB actions, then he does not have too. I do not see why all the hate. He created it, he gave it for free, and he is choosing not to, for his own reasons. His reasons are his own, who cares why.

@cherylferraro Seems like IB thinks it is illegal for similar actions.

[cherylferraro]

Ironic, isn't it?

jaxel condemns IB for their legal theatrics but has adopted the same legal stance when defending his own work.

I apologize for being too harsh with jaxel. I really do like his mod and am frustrated that he abandoned it out of spite without concern about the problems that it creates for those of us that have incorporated it into our communities.

[DragonByte Tech]

We at DBTech have had little run ins with Jaxel in the past, and while we won't be following him in ceasing work on our vB Mods (due in no small part to the obligation we feel towards our users/customers), I think that this is a case of someone making a stand for something they feel strongly about, rather than any sort of tantrum or spiteful action.

While i may not necessarily agree with the actions he is taking, I certainly respect the reasons behind it and hope that people find an amicable way around the rock/hard place situation.

Just my $0.02 on the matter.

Iain

[Jaxel]

DBTech, yes, we've had our run ins. But I have since admitted that I was wrong, and I'm hoping that we've put the sour period behind us. You sell professional versions of your products am I right? Then you have a fiduciary responsibility to keep your mods going, as you have customers who have paid for your software. All of my software is available for free; therefore I answer to no one.

[DragonByte Tech]

Originally Posted by Jaxel

DBTech, yes, we've had our run ins. But I have since admitted that I was wrong, and I'm hoping that we've put the sour period behind us. You sell professional versions of your products am I right? Then you have a fiduciary responsibility to keep your mods going, as you have customers who have paid for your software. All of my software is available for free; therefore I answer to no one.

We certainly have Jaxel, I was simply putting the context there so people would understand that my words came not out of a close relationship/friendship with yourself, but out of an honest observation and interpretation of the situation: That the actions you took were to support something you believed in, and not spiteful or "tantrums" as was suggested =)

(Nor did I intend to suggest in any way that you were answerable to the people who choose to use your modifications, I apologise if that is what came across)

[RobbieZ]

I really do suggest you move this conversation or cease and continue with the thread topic as it was intended to be.

I will gladly offer any assistance to newbs or other members who are having problems with this mod as long as it is available for download and Jaxel continues to allow it.

Although hoster xml's are not my fort? everything else I can kind of put my finger on, as it is an awesome mod.

Thanks Jaxel, and wish you well in whatever you do.

[basilrath]

I agree with Robbie on this one - the mod is excellent and certainly worth all the effort to carry on if Jaxel allows this obviously. The thread however should now be kept on track with the IB confrontation and XenForo left to the lawyers for litigational reasons.

The whole issue seems "messy" but i for one certainly thank you for the mod as it stands.

[CharlieDelta]

This is really disappointing as I wanted to download this mod today.