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.

[MagiKelly]

It does not seem to consistently slow the site but I have noticed times where there is quite a delay in the pages loading and you get a message flashing up about waiting for an evolve page or the like.

[onehost]

Originally Posted by MagiKelly

It does not seem to consistently slow the site but I have noticed times where there is quite a delay in the pages loading and you get a message flashing up about waiting for an evolve page or the like.

It has been constantly slow for my page loading as I thought maybe
I had an ISP connection problem until I removed the mod, then zoom,
the home page loaded very fast...I have never gotten any flashing messages.
I am considered to be a new forum, and I am on a VPS...If I had a load
of members online then I guess I could understand slow loading, but when
I have 1-5 members online and it takes a few seconds to reload, then
that starts to become a real problem, and makes the site slow...and I
should not have a slow loading site with just a few members online.

[ICThawk]

The cost is a HUGE detriment to using this service. I am currently running the 15 day trial of the Pro version. I like the software, but the cost worries me.

HOWEVER my users have a few issues. No emoticons, no ability to post pictures, etc. Most other chat programs allow some level of user/image usage, however this one is text only.

Also, what is the point to having an Admin/Mod (which I can't seem to add more) if you cant actually delete individual messages?

[andrew.lee]

@onehost - We did have some performance issues over the weekend causing it to load slowly sometimes. That should now be resolved. Let me know if you're still having trouble.

@ICTHawk - emoticon support is coming. I don't know about picture / file support at this point. Admins / mods can clear the chat to remove offensive messages (go to the menu in the upper right). You can also remove chat boxes by clicking the "x" and choosing "for everyone".

[MagiKelly]

Uninstalled for the moment but I will keep watching to see if there is a change in pricing or the number of chatters allowed.

[ICThawk]

Andrew, I am happy to hear emoticon support is on the way. Any time table as to when it will be ready?

Also, is it the "Moderator" group that gets Mod status in chat? I currently only have 2 admins but a handful of Super Mods, however the supermods are simply regular users in your chat. Any ideas?

[onehost]

Originally Posted by andrew.lee

@onehost - We did have some performance issues over the weekend causing it to load slowly sometimes. That should now be resolved. Let me know if you're still having trouble.

@ICTHawk - emoticon support is coming. I don't know about picture / file support at this point. Admins / mods can clear the chat to remove offensive messages (go to the menu in the upper right). You can also remove chat boxes by clicking the "x" and choosing "for everyone".

No more worries.

and this was just not a weekend slow down.

I have uninstalled, and bought a one-time fee chat mod
which seems to be working really, really good.

Thanks anyway,

[andrew.lee]

We should have emoticons ready to go in a month or so. The VB plugin should be pulling in admins and moderators as chat admins. We are planning to add some easy ways for vB users to customize who is a chat admin and who is not. That will hopefully be available around the time we have smilies ready.

[samiro]

this is a nice one - but i really dont know where this is hosted. its make my site slower.

i want to know - how can i translate some text in the chat !!
thank you.

[samiro]

i loged into my site as "admin" but i can't see myself of my friend that is online and i am talking to with the phone...

i choose that only loged in users will see that chat...
and there is more that 10 loged in users and i see only strange nickname that is even dont logged in..

whats wrong ?