Major Additions - vB Ad Management 4

vB Ad Management 4

Check the FAQ before requesting support!

What does it do?

Features include global settings, advertisements allowing template conditionals, ad sharing and ad revenue sharing, timed advertisements, preset popular ad locations and functions such as sponsors, additional custom ad locations, random and static advertisements and its all very easy to use. You can use it for ordinary ads like adsense, banner rotations, or any content at all as well as using it to manage ads outside your forum too.

You can read in more detail about these and other features in the manual, which also contains some helpful notes and instructions, as well as the installation and upgrade instructions



If you are using autoinsertion and were using vB Ad Management before version 4.00, you will need to remove your old template edits or advertisements will appear multiple times. Just reverse the old instructions below.

* Find <!-- post $post[postid] popup menu --> and paste $postbit_advertisement above it in your postbit & postbit_legacy templates.
* Paste $forumbit_advertisement at the bottom of your forumhome_forumbit_level1_post and forumhome_forumbit_level2_post templates.
* Paste $threadbit_advertisement at the bottom of your threadbit template.
* Paste $footer_advertisement at the top of your footer template.
* Find $spacer_close in your footer template and below it paste $rightcolumn_advertisement.
* Find &nbsp; in your header template and replace it with $header_advertisement.
* Find $spacer_open in your header template and below it paste $leftcolumn_advertisement.

[Smiry Kin's]

Nope, i thought it was <script> but it wasnt, it was infact the column being put below the footer.

i moved the code into the header.. and now i get this
http://www.resellerclubtalk.com/ot/advert-placement.gif

:s

[kyokushin4life]

Ah I fixed it. I happned to have only 6 php files uploaded to /includes/.

There are 7 files. cheers.

[MDK-Indy]

Salü,

her is the german language for the vB Ad Management 3.1 (Ad Sharing Edition).

If you find any error, tell me and i fix it...
For Donation the Translation look at GWars.de.

Have fun.

greetings Indy

[RedTyger]

Thanks for that. Phrases are completely separate in the next version, so you can distribute translation files on your own website or wherever you want.

[AFemaleProdigy]

Hey RedTyger! I have seen other people asking for this throughout this site, but no one has been answered or no one knows an answer.

I have created my custom field that will allow the user to insert just their Google Id. I have set up the usergroups that I want to have access to it in vB Ad control panel. However, what I really need to do is set that custom field to only be accessable by certain usergroups. I know that you can disable the ad sharing through the admin cp, but the custom field will still be displayed while nonfunctional... thus confusing members who see it and don't why it isn't working for them.

I am thinking there would be some way to set up some sort of conditional statement to make that custom field viewable by certain usergroups, but I don't know how to write that stuff or where to put it. Any ideas?

Also, I used your instructions to create a new custom block (displayed with the header/footer admin section) and it worked, but one small issue. Everything is functional with this new block, but there is no text showing up telling you what you are looking at in the admin area. The text areas and checkboxes are there, but no labels or descriptions. Did I miss something? Thanks!

[AFemaleProdigy]

Hmm... I hate to say this, and maybe I am just missing something, but I think part of the description of this mod is a little misleading. You explain how ad sharing can be enabled/disabled per usergroup, but I think the wording is confusing. The way I read it, I assumed this meant that by disabling certain usergroups, you were preventing that group from inserting their own ad code. However, what actually happens when you enter a usergroup to be disabled, it completely turns off the option for that group to view the shared ads. This is a big problem for me and for others, I am sure.

I want ALL usergroups to be able to view the shared ads at all times. But, I want to only allow my "Ad Sharing" usergroup to enter and display their ad code. So if I try to enter only my "Ad Sharing" group in the "enable ad sharing" section of the cp, then only that group is able to view the shared ads. It blocks every other group from viewing the shared ads. So, then I ad the other groups to the "enable ad sharing" section of the cp and now they can all see the ads, but also anyone will be able to insert their own ad code which is a whole new problem.

This is what's happening....

Scenario 1:

IF ONLY "Ad Sharing" usergroup enabled = all access (viewing and inserting code)
THEN All other usergroups disabled = cannot insert code OR VIEW (need to be able to view)

Scenario 2:

IF ALL usergroups enabled = all access (viewing AND inserting code)

So this is the desired result which I can't seem to get...

"Ad Sharing" usergroup enabled = all access (viewing and inserting code)
All other usergroups = only access to viewing (no option to insert code)

I hope I explained that ok. Forgive me if I just completely missed something that would eliminate this problem. This is why I believe it would be a really good solution to figure out how to make the custom user fields viewable only by set usergroups.

[RedTyger]

Originally Posted by AFemaleProdigy

Hey RedTyger! I have seen other people asking for this throughout this site, but no one has been answered or no one knows an answer.

I have created my custom field that will allow the user to insert just their Google Id. I have set up the usergroups that I want to have access to it in vB Ad control panel. However, what I really need to do is set that custom field to only be accessable by certain usergroups. I know that you can disable the ad sharing through the admin cp, but the custom field will still be displayed while nonfunctional... thus confusing members who see it and don't why it isn't working for them.

I am thinking there would be some way to set up some sort of conditional statement to make that custom field viewable by certain usergroups, but I don't know how to write that stuff or where to put it. Any ideas?

That ability is missing from vBulletin. Originally I wrote an FAQ entry about ad sharing for ad sharing forums using the modification, but I can't use conditionals and it would be unfair to advertise adsharing on forums that have disabled it, so I never included it. A suggestion for Jelsoft I guess, although I think it's already been asked for.

I'd suggest just explaining in the custom field description. Even if conditionals were used, inevitably someone will ask on the forum about it and much the same explanation will have to be put forward anyway for everyone else. It's a comparatively sizable job for a very small change, not something I want to do I'm afraid.

Originally Posted by AFemaleProdigy

Also, I used your instructions to create a new custom block (displayed with the header/footer admin section) and it worked, but one small issue. Everything is functional with this new block, but there is no text showing up telling you what you are looking at in the admin area. The text areas and checkboxes are there, but no labels or descriptions. Did I miss something? Thanks!

Oops, it's been missing from the instructions all this time and nobody ever said! Sorry.

In vb_ad_management_314.xml
FIND:

<phrase name="setting_adintegrate_footer_adcode_rand_desc"><![CDATA[If you want to use random rotations, enter your Adcodes here separated by your delimiter. You can put each set of code on a new line to organise them better as long as each line (except the last!) has a | at the end.]]></phrase>

ADD BELOW:

		<phrase name="setting_adintegrate_custom_onoff_title"><![CDATA[Enable custom advertisements in main forum?]]></phrase>
		<phrase name="setting_adintegrate_custom_onoff_desc"><![CDATA[Choose Yes to enable custom advertisements in your main forum]]></phrase>
		<phrase name="setting_adintegrate_custom_archives_onoff_title"><![CDATA[Enable custom advertisements in the archives?]]></phrase>
		<phrase name="setting_adintegrate_custom_archives_onoff_desc"><![CDATA[Choose Yes to enable custom advertisements in your archives.]]></phrase>
		<phrase name="setting_adintegrate_custom_adcode_title"><![CDATA[custom static advertisement code]]></phrase>
		<phrase name="setting_adintegrate_custom_adcode_desc"><![CDATA[Paste the code for your advertisement here. If you wish to use random code you must leave this blank, you cannot mix the two.]]></phrase>
		<phrase name="setting_adintegrate_custom_adcode_rand_title"><![CDATA[custom random advertisement code]]></phrase>
		<phrase name="setting_adintegrate_custom_adcode_rand_desc"><![CDATA[If you want to use random rotations, enter your Adcodes here separated by your delimiter. You can put each set of code on a new line to organise them better as long as each line (except the last!) has a | at the end.]]></phrase>

Originally Posted by AFemaleProdigy

Hmm... I hate to say this, and maybe I am just missing something, but I think part of the description of this mod is a little misleading. You explain how ad sharing can be enabled/disabled per usergroup, but I think the wording is confusing. The way I read it, I assumed this meant that by disabling certain usergroups, you were preventing that group from inserting their own ad code. However, what actually happens when you enter a usergroup to be disabled, it completely turns off the option for that group to view the shared ads. This is a big problem for me and for others, I am sure.

I want ALL usergroups to be able to view the shared ads at all times. But, I want to only allow my "Ad Sharing" usergroup to enter and display their ad code. So if I try to enter only my "Ad Sharing" group in the "enable ad sharing" section of the cp, then only that group is able to view the shared ads. It blocks every other group from viewing the shared ads. So, then I ad the other groups to the "enable ad sharing" section of the cp and now they can all see the ads, but also anyone will be able to insert their own ad code which is a whole new problem.

This is what's happening....

Scenario 1:

IF ONLY "Ad Sharing" usergroup enabled = all access (viewing and inserting code)
THEN All other usergroups disabled = cannot insert code OR VIEW (need to be able to view)

Scenario 2:

IF ALL usergroups enabled = all access (viewing AND inserting code)

So this is the desired result which I can't seem to get...

"Ad Sharing" usergroup enabled = all access (viewing and inserting code)
All other usergroups = only access to viewing (no option to insert code)

I hope I explained that ok. Forgive me if I just completely missed something that would eliminate this problem. This is why I believe it would be a really good solution to figure out how to make the custom user fields viewable only by set usergroups.

Can anyone else confirm this? Originally that is how I mistakenly wrote it to work, but I thought that this fix in the changelog changed it to function properly: v3.1 Fixed usergroup and userid banning for shared adcode, again now they actually work. What should be happening is that users banned from sharing will see the admin's default code at all times. If that's what's not happening, that's what will happen when I've fixed it.

[AFemaleProdigy]

It's a comparatively sizable job for a very small change, not something I want to do I'm afraid.

That is depressing, but I understand. Thanks. I will have to figure out something.

Oops, it's been missing from the instructions all this time and nobody ever said!

Haha! No problem. You have done a lot of work here so I won't hold it against you.

What should be happening is that users banned from sharing will see the admin's default code at all times.

My bad... I worded that wrong. Yes, it is showing the default admin code when the group is disabled. The problem is that I was trying to make the disabled group only unable to add their own code (make use of the ad sharing), but still be able to view ALL other's shared code (not just the admin's). SO, I thought disabled would mean that group had no abillity to insert shared code, but still the abillity to view SHARED ads... not just admin's ads only. Does that make more sense? Sorry.

By the way, I love this mod! Don't want you to think I was complaining too much! Haha!

[AFemaleProdigy]

Also, I just made the changes to vb_ad_management_314.xml
and ran the import with the "Allow Overwrite" set to yes, but I am not seeing any changes to the custom block. Do I need to completely reinstall everything for this to work or should just importing do the trick?

[RedTyger]

Originally Posted by AFemaleProdigy

That is depressing, but I understand. Thanks. I will have to figure out something.

I take it back, I thought of a way to do it and it seems to work OK. It'll be in the next release.

Originally Posted by AFemaleProdigy

My bad... I worded that wrong. Yes, it is showing the default admin code when the group is disabled. The problem is that I was trying to make the disabled group only unable to add their own code (make use of the ad sharing), but still be able to view ALL other's shared code (not just the admin's). SO, I thought disabled would mean that group had no abillity to insert shared code, but still the abillity to view SHARED ads... not just admin's ads only. Does that make more sense? Sorry.

I was getting confused between versions, the perils of using a version that's completely different to the one I'm supporting! How you described is how it should work, if it doesn't then it's a bug. I'll take a look.

Originally Posted by AFemaleProdigy

Also, I just made the changes to vb_ad_management_314.xml
and ran the import with the "Allow Overwrite" set to yes, but I am not seeing any changes to the custom block. Do I need to completely reinstall everything for this to work or should just importing do the trick?

I can't test it as I'm working on the next version and can't easily roll back, but it should work. All it does is add a label, as long as you can remember what it's for...

The next version does not require editing the code to add new adcode blocks, so I'd be obliged if you could wait for the easier solution please!