Miscellaneous Hacks - Rotating Banner System

With the Rotating Banner System software, you may publish literally anywhere standard banners and advertising, with no restriction but your imagination. Unlike many other products, it allows to show an unlimited amount of banners and advertising, which are randomly shown at the places you choose, and you may refer generically to an Ad by using specific placeholders.

Also the management is straight-forward and simple to use. Forum administrators with maintenance rights may add, edit and delete records from the Administration Control Panel (ACP), one of each representing a banner. After saving the new banner settings, they are immediately visible at your board.

Compatibility: from vBulletin 3.6.5 onwards

By the way, I do also install the hack on your boards, but since I am very, very busy, it may take some time (weeks) until it gets done.


Tutorials:

• How-to create my first banner (Flash).

Updates:

• 2.0.1: Simple click tracker added, HTML help included.
• 2.0.3: Small bug fixes; additional banner list, navigation bar, E-Mail field for banner event notifications and automatic save on scroll setting; absolute URL to rbs_banner.php in order to allow click tracking on non-standard pages; supported languages: English, Italian; Help file clean-up.
• 2.0.5: Small bug fixes; additional details in banner list; email notification for epired banners.
• 2.0.6: vbCMS compatibility bug fix; additional banner lists.
• 2.0.7: Usergroups filter: now it is possible to define a list of usergroups which may show a banner; additional vbCMS compatibility bug fix.
• 2.0.8: Various fixes and most of all, inclusion of the right files: admin_rbs.php, cpnav_rbs.xml
• 2.0.9: Extra comma fix in new record creation.
• 2.1.0: Fix for an occasional banner type selection bug, when the sample banners have been deleted or disabled.
• 2.2.0 (Major upgrade): Up to 10 different banner locations. Requires changes to your existing placeholders in your templates, since a more generic format has been chosen. If you don't need more than 2 different locations, you don't need to upgrade. Changed files: rbs_banner.php, admin_rbs.php
• 2.2.1: Minor bug fix in files: admin_rbs_h_banner_list.php, admin_rbs_v_banner_list.php
• 2.2.1: Hotfix for Max Clicks saving bug.
• 2.2.2: More listings and less files. PDF Help. Separate Italian add-ons and help. Duplicate button.
• 2.2.3: Minor bug fixes. Changed files: product-rbs.xml
• 2.2.4: Flash Banner support (beta). Changed files: product-rbs.xml, rbs_wrapper.swf, admin_rbs.php, English Help.
• 2.2.5: Hotfix for vBulletin 4.0.2 compatibility bug.
• 2.2.6: Checking for installed Flash Wrapper rbs_wrapper.swf; A few English FAQ; Help files. Changed files: product-rbs.xml
• 2.3.0 (Major upgrade): New modules: Delete Expired Banners, Disable Expired Banners; Detail Banner Statistics with unique access key for your customers; Updated help; Changed files: all.
• 2.3.1: Hotfix for missing field in rbs_hist table. Changed files: none, just update product.
• 2.3.2: Added: Unsupported option for setting any number of available positions between 1 and big bang. Fixed: Small bug and speed issues. Removed: Italian translation. Italians may now request support at www.vbulletin.it. Changed files: admin_rbs.php.
• 2.3.3: Fix: Copy selected forum ID's during banner duplication. Changed: start and end hours for new banners are set to 0:00 and 23:59 respectively. Changed files: admin_rbs.php.
• 2.3.4: Option: Send Mail Before. This option allows to schedule expiring banners differently. New variables for emails: $rbs_enddate: This variable holds the formatted banner ending date and time based on the standard formats for date and time in vBulletin settings; $rbs_name: This variable holds the banner name. EMail Notifications option description: Added direct links to the email phrases for quick changes. Changed files: rbs_mail_cron.php.
• 2.4.0 (Major upgrade): Removed: Option to enable or disable mailing. Banners with email addresses to notify are handled. Setting to reset mailing in single banners. Now, if mailing should be repeated, you will have to edit the banner from phpMyAdmin. Added: Order links in lists. The initial state is ordered by ID, as before. By clicking the titles, the other voices can be ordered. Clicking twice inverts the order. This works in all lists. Options to prevent counting and reducing thus a tiny bit of load. A new bunch of demo banners for new installations. Demo banners are locked into database in order to avoid 30% of the questions because of the 'experts' deleting them before trying the product. They can be disabled and modified though. The true experts can delete them after all testing from the database by using phpMyAdmin without side effects. Changes: Phrase for emailing about expiring banners, now also with direct links to the phrases. Demo banners. Our old publisher ID is replaced with the new ones, and old demo banners are updated with the new ones, if found. The functions have been exported to includes/functions_rbs.php. This makes the product code smaller and easier to maintain, and runs faster on sites where caching/acceleration is enabled. Changed Files: all *.php
• 2.4.1: Option Likelihood. This new option adds a weight to banners and allows thus to show one banner more often than another. The default weight is 100%. We also make sure that the final date of the default banners falls into a valid range. Changed files: includes/functions_rbs.php and rbs_stats.php.
• 2.4.2: Workaround for update sequence problems.

Hacks and unsupported add-ons:

• Banner Rotator Widget To CMS
• Rotate banners in-place
• Italian Translation

[goodhunting1]

Originally Posted by rhody401

Goodhunting1,
It needs a refresh/page load to bring up another banner, it doesnt just rotate them on a static page. This is by design, and I think the reason has to do with the adsense rules.

In places where I wanted a rotation, I used an animated GIF.

Rhody

Oh, it dont serves my purpose then. I already have a simple php script that does the picture change on each reload. That php is in a folder and whatever picture I put in that folder is added to the rotation. Very easy to add or remove a picture from the rotation.

I dont think a gif will be a good option for me, there could be as much as 20 good quality pictures and if I want to add anything (these are outdoorsy pictures from members so it will change monthly) I will have to redo the gif.

Thanks for the info!

[y2ksw]

Originally Posted by gobears20

Is there a reason why the clicks are not being tracked? I have this as part of an Adsense set up but clicks are not working but impressions are? I have the check box checked to track clicks. Do I need to click anything else on the settings? Thanks!

Currently there is no way to track clicks from scripts, unless they are specifically crafted and contain thus a notification link to the banner itself. With AdSense, there is no way to inject such code, because it comes dynamically from a wide number of publishers and have all a very different syntax.

I eventually will address this problem (along with others) with the new stand-alone application, which is currently under development, because then everything will be in one place and can be thoroughly tested. For some systems however there may be no solution, because Google does not allow to tamper with the banner code.

[y2ksw]

Originally Posted by gobears20

I am testing this out and I created a Test1 and Test2 banner just for my user group so I am the only one that sees it. My goal is to have these rotate when the page is refreshed. I am looking for it to show Test1, Test2, Test1,Test2...etc when refreshing the page. Its not always doing that. Sometimes it will do things like this, Test1, Test1, Test1, Test2. It could be on my part with how I have it set.

I have both banners set to the same settings...

Max. Impressions With this value you may limit how often banners are shown on your pages: 0

Likelihood Insert here a value between 1 and 100 in order to define the percentage of how likely are banners to view. You may also insert a number higher than 100, in order to give a specific banner a higher weight than normally. You would do this during short lasting promotions, for example.: 100

Am I missing something or should I set those settings different for the two banners I created?

The likeliness does influence how often a coin flip falls on one side. Normally you will leave it at 100, because you want to give all banners an even chance.

How the chance is taken depends also on server side caches and browser settings. In normal case applications, a banner changes every time a page reloads, but if you just have 2 banners for one space, it may seem there is nothing or little happening. Over time you'll see that the impression counter evens out between the available banners.

[nolimitreef]

I want to put 2 rotating banner positions, one above the other in the global header. They will not be adsence ads. How would I do this? Can I simply place the code in that location?

[y2ksw]

Originally Posted by nolimitreef

I want to put 2 rotating banner positions, one above the other in the global header. They will not be adsence ads. How would I do this? Can I simply place the code in that location?

Yes

[nolimitreef]

Originally Posted by y2ksw

Yes

Thank you

Tried. But having an issue.

This is the code I placed in the global header file.

<div style='position:absolute;left:800px;top:65px;'><!--@vbbanners:0@--></div>
</br>
<div style='position:absolute;left:800px;top:145px;'><!--@vbbanners:0@--></div>

They show up in the correct location however all banners don't always rotate upon page load or reload and sometimes one shows up in front (over top) of the bottom one. They are all 468x60 banners. If you would like to look at the page it is located here http://www.nolimitreef.com

I sent a PM to you with admin info if you need it.

Thank you very much

[nolimitreef]

I managed to stop the image overlap, However a third image (I only have 3 banners at the moment total) shows up just under the forum home link. I don't want one there and not sure why it shows up there.

[y2ksw]

Originally Posted by nolimitreef

Thank you

Tried. But having an issue.

This is the code I placed in the global header file.

<div style='position:absolute;left:800px;top:65px;'><!--@vbbanners:0@--></div>
</br>
<div style='position:absolute;left:800px;top:145px;'><!--@vbbanners:0@--></div>

They show up in the correct location however all banners don't always rotate upon page load or reload and sometimes one shows up in front (over top) of the bottom one. They are all 468x60 banners. If you would like to look at the page it is located here http://www.nolimitreef.com

I sent a PM to you with admin info if you need it.

Thank you very much

If you have 3 banners for 2 locations they are likely not rotating a lot (there is a 2/3 chance they would rotate, or, 2 times of 3 they won't). But in the ACP listing you will sse that over time, the impression rate equals between banners.

For HTML issues, overlapping etc, I'm not your man. I'm coder, not designer

[nolimitreef]

Originally Posted by y2ksw

If you have 3 banners for 2 locations they are likely not rotating a lot (there is a 2/3 chance they would rotate, or, 2 times of 3 they won't). But in the ACP listing you will sse that over time, the impression rate equals between banners.

For HTML issues, overlapping etc, I'm not your man. I'm coder, not designer

I'm sorry, I may not have stated my question correctly.

I fixed the overlap. I have 2 banner positions stacked in the global header right side. But the banners are rotating in a 3rd location as well that I did not set up to do. (I now have 10 banners to rotate for the stacked positions).. This location is on the upper left side of all pages below the navigation bar. Is that the normal 0 position? If so, where might I comment that out in styles?

Thank you

[y2ksw]

Originally Posted by nolimitreef

I'm sorry, I may not have stated my question correctly.

I fixed the overlap. I have 2 banner positions stacked in the global header right side. But the banners are rotating in a 3rd location as well that I did not set up to do. (I now have 10 banners to rotate for the stacked positions).. This location is on the upper left side of all pages below the navigation bar. Is that the normal 0 position? If so, where might I comment that out in styles?

Thank you

The banners rotate only where you have setup them previously ... there is no magic location of its own. The mechanism is to use a placeholder where to show a banner, stop

Also, there is no normal position, for exacly the same reason. You and only you are deciding where to show banners ...