Chat Modifications - Envolve Chat Integration Module

About the Envolve Chat Plugin
This module will connect your vBulletin forum to Envolve chat. Envolve is a chat toolbar similar to Facebook's chat bar that allows your users to have group and one-on-one chats with each other while browsing your forums.

This mod requires an API key from Envolve in order to function. Visit http://www.envolve.com to get one. A free version is available that provides a full feature set for up to 25 concurrent users. Higher numbers of chatters require a paid account.

This mod integrates your forum's account system with Envolve so that when users are logged into your vBulletin site it also logs them into the chat. In addition, it integrates your profile pictures / avatars and profile information. With the 2.0 release of the mod, other users can now view your profile information and get a link to your profile simply by placing their mouse over your name.

The Envolve chat system is a rich solution for community chat. Some of its features include group chat (both public and private), one-on-one chat, the ability to pop chats out into their own windows, moderation controls (boot / block / ban / timed ban), chat message translation, resizable chat windows, chat sharing, and drag-and-drop chat invitations. As a hosted solution, all chat traffic is handled by Envolve's servers and will not place any additional load on your server.

Installation:
Detailed installation instructions can be found here:
https://www.envolve.com/docs/vbulletin-chat-plugin.html. They are also provided in the Readme.txt file.
You can see and try out the chat at http://www.envolve.com.

This version of the mod will work for both vBulletin 4.x and vBulletin 3.8.x.

Screenshots:
Here the "People List" can be seen open in the lower right hand corner of the page. This shows all users who are currently viewing the forum. This site owner has chosen to only allow logged-in users to chat.


Here a public group chat has been opened, and the user has moused-over another user to see his profile information.


Here a user is creating a new group chat that will be shown to the other users on the site. He has also "popped-out" the "General" chat into its own window.

[S3Ponline]

Originally Posted by andrew.lee

Hello - we have not yet translated the chat into Italian unfortunately. However, if you would like to help us translate the interface, please send us an email at support [at] envolve dot com.

Hey Andrew. I like the product but I have my own server that can handle hosting it.

Any way for a one time fee ?

[andrew.lee]

Sorry no, we're a hosted only solution. We do have a free version though for up to 25 concurrent users.

[S3Ponline]

Originally Posted by andrew.lee

Sorry no, we're a hosted only solution. We do have a free version though for up to 25 concurrent users.

It looks good so far; however,

A.) I dont? like that it shows the Location of the users. A lot of our users wish to remain anonymous as much as possible and don?t want people knowing their general location.

B.) I like the guest feature functionality; however, I can?t use it because the registration doesn?t get them registered to our forum.

Is any of this possible in the paid version?

[andrew.lee]

Both of these are possible in both the free and paid versions! Check out the Options tab on our backend. Go to: http://www.envolve.com/admin (login, then click on your site)

[S3Ponline]

Originally Posted by andrew.lee

Both of these are possible in both the free and paid versions! Check out the Options tab on our backend. Go to: http://www.envolve.com/admin (login, then click on your site)

Ah. I?m really liking it!

One last thing I don?t see. Members are asking for an ?invisible? feature that allows them to see who is online, but not let others see.

Is this possible?

[andrew.lee]

Unfortunately no, not at this time. User's can "turn off" the chat if they like though by using the options menu in the lower right.

[andrew.lee]

And we'd appreciate a rating / review once you've had a chance to play with it for a bit! Thanks

[S3Ponline]

Originally Posted by andrew.lee

And we'd appreciate a rating / review once you've had a chance to play with it for a bit! Thanks

I love it so far. I wish there was a cheaper option though for a small forum. I?d like to keep 25 members, but remove the advertisement and be able to upgrade later as needed.

[marksimon]

I used the Envolve Chat for 3 month and liked it so far.
But there is ONE BIG PROBLEM with the chat...

If a new user registers and is not verified, he is able to connect to the chat.
The user does not have to verify per eMail and even if I moderate new users they can chat altough they are not activated by moderators or admin.
So the option in Envolve admin panel "guests have to register after 0 chatposts" is irrelevant, because after a registration they are no guests anymore.

So we can block or ban the user but if he opens the forum in a new tab or new browser he is able to chat again.

I have the vBulletion version 3.8.1. perhaps this could be the problem.

Does anybody of you has the same issue or a hint how I can fix it?
The Envolve support cannot help in this issue.

thanks,
Mark

[S3Ponline]

Originally Posted by marksimon

I used the Envolve Chat for 3 month and liked it so far.
But there is ONE BIG PROBLEM with the chat...

If a new user registers and is not verified, he is able to connect to the chat.
The user does not have to verify per eMail and even if I moderate new users they can chat altough they are not activated by moderators or admin.
So the option in Envolve admin panel "guests have to register after 0 chatposts" is irrelevant, because after a registration they are no guests anymore.

So we can block or ban the user but if he opens the forum in a new tab or new browser he is able to chat again.

I have the vBulletion version 3.8.1. perhaps this could be the problem.

Does anybody of you has the same issue or a hint how I can fix it?
The Envolve support cannot help in this issue.

thanks,
Mark

That?s interesting. That would certainly detract me from purchasing the product.