Social Group and Album Enhancements - Watermark Generator

Quick Info

This mod adds a watermark to album and attachment images.
The watermark is customizable via image files or specified text.
Processed images are cached and the original files remain untouched, so you can modify or remove the watermark anytime you want.


Features

- Intelligent Caching
- Uses standard vBulletin methods, therefore no file modifications necessary
- Settings-Preview with a sample image in Adminpanel
- Generative plugin behaviour, works with most other mods which use the same hooks or use attachment images elsewhere

Installation

Step 1)

Upload files inside upload directory according to their structure:

> forum root
	> admincp
		+ pl_watermark_admin.php
	> images
		> misc
			+ plwm_sample.jpg
	> includes
		> cron
			+ pl_watermark_cron.php
		> xml
			+ cpnav_plwatermark.xml
		+ pl_watermark_functions.php
		+ pl_watermark_imagemanipulation.php


Step 2)

Import "product-plwatermark.xml" as addon into your vBulletin AdminCP


Step 3)

Navigate in your vBulletin AdminCP to PL Watermark Generator -> Plugin Settings.
Define the settings how you see fit. The options should be self-explanatory, if you need help with certain things, ask in the modification thread.

Changelog

v1.1
- Fixed potential security flaw on certain webserver configurations
- Improved install/updatescript
- (hopefully) fixed the grey-bar bug which occured on certain webserver configurations

v1.0
- Initial Beta Release

Additional Info

The Mod is currently in BETA. This means, that we tested it on a test environment (vb 4.0.x to 4.1.3) but has not yet undergo excessive stress test.
Keep an eye out for updated versions until the final release!
If you encounter any bugs, missing or misplaced features, let us know!

F.A.Q

- I don't see changes in my live images!
> To see changes on the image files you have to clear your browser's cache!
In firefox it's enough to force a fresh reload via STRG+F5 and on other browsers STRG+F5 or SHIFT+F5 should work.
If you don't perform this step, your browser will show the old cached version and maybe the watermark won't show or changes won't apply.

- My png/gif watermark isn't transparent, instead I get a black background!
> PNG-8 is known for having transparency problems, GIF in some cases as well.
Fall back to PNG-24 with Alpha channel (all modern image tools should be able to save as PNG-24)
If you have trouble creating a working png-24 with alpha channel, you can send me a PM with a link to your watermark and I'll convert it to png-24 for you.

- I have trouble with special characters or non-latin charactersets!
> The addon is using standard php functionalities for the text. If for any reason you have trouble with special chars, I suggest using a transparent png-24 with the text from an external image tool instead.

Support / Branding

We provide quality vbulletin software modifications for zero costs. To help our mod to be well-known, a backlink is added to your forum footer by the plugin, where the plugin is used in any way.
You must not remove the copyright/backlink code!
However, if you like to support us, you are allowed to remove the footer note with a small donation (10$ minimum).
If you choose to do so, we'll contact you via the email provided by paypal with instructions on how to remove the footer note.
A link to paypal donation service can be found on the top right area of this post.

Feel free to contact an author of the mod if you have any questions or suggestions.

[Disasterpiece]

Originally Posted by BryanLong

1) MySQL-Errors

Invalid SQL:

			REPLACE INTO datastore
				(title, data, unserialize)
			VALUES
				('plwm_cache', 'a:1:{i:0;s:3:\"970\";}', 0);

MySQL-Fehler  : MySQL server has gone away
Fehler-Nr.    : 2006
Fehler-Zeit   : Monday, 02.04.2012 @ 01:48:56
Datum         : Monday, 02.04.2012 @ 01:51:40
Skript        : http://URL/attachment.php?attachmentid=970&stc=1
Referrer      : http://URL/newthread.php?do=newthread&f=15
IP-Adresse    : 2.213.131.65
Benutzername  : jf1
Klassenname   : vB_Database

"MySQL server has gone away" usually refers to: MySQL Server crashed/exeeded its limits. This is a hoster-specific problem and not related to vb/the mod.

2) My Users are moaning about the Add-On as it will "destroy small pictures".
Means if you have big HQ-Pictures of about 2000 px (or up) you will need a much bigger watermark to make it "visibe" even on big pictures, but then smaller pictures (reaching their threshold) don`look goog anymore.

So will there be any possibility to somehow add scaling to the Add-On; so that the watermark-sizes is set depending on this size of the uploaded picture.

Watermark scaling doesn't make much sense imho, because on huge pictures, you have a huge annoying watermark which looks pixelated and low-quality. On small pictures you might run in trouble that it's too small to read it properly.

Because of the small images issue, I added the option to exclude images below a size of x pixels which should be enough to prevent the case that pictures get broken.

[Sommersprosse]

Originally Posted by Disasterpiece

Watermark scaling doesn't make much sense imho, because on huge pictures, you have a huge annoying watermark which looks pixelated and low-quality. On small pictures you might run in trouble that it's too small to read it properly.

Because of the small images issue, I added the option to exclude images below a size of x pixels which should be enough to prevent the case that pictures get broken.

I have two ideas for this problem:

• watermark 1 for graphics that are smaller than X pixels (or deactivated)
• watermark 2 for graphics that are between x and x pixels pixels (maybe 1000px to 2000px)
• watermark 3 for graphics from size x pixels (over 2000px)

Moreover it would be awesome to be able disable the watermark for select individuals forums.

Please let me know, what you think about it.

Greetings

Sommersprosse

[BryanLong]

Originally Posted by Sommersprosse

I have two ideas for this problem:

• watermark 1 for graphics that are smaller than X pixels (or deactivated)
• watermark 2 for graphics that are between x and x pixels pixels (maybe 1000px to 2000px)
• watermark 3 for graphics from size x pixels (over 2000px)

Moreover it would be awesome to be able disable the watermark for select individuals forums.

Please let me know, what you think about it.

Greetings
Sommersprosse

To add up to my colleague:

We will be willing to donate/pay something for getting any of the two possibilities mentioned:

• Set specific Forums where the Watermark-Add-On will be disabled
• Different Watermark-images depending on Picture-Sizes

Greetings,
Bryan

[thanasis1]

on 4.1.13 does not load the attachments at all

[oddmud]

Any updates on this for working with the latest version?

[dog-tag]

I'm going to try this out... If the developer wants to use my forum to beta test more, I'm up for it!

I love supporting new projects

[TerryMason]

For some reason this is only watermarking new attachments - old ones don't have it.

Other than that it seems to be working well.

[Alibass]

Works well for me, I just updated to 4.2.0 a few days ago.

[lovevn]

Hello
I have tried this mod on vbulletin 4.2.0. It works but I have problem with some images: just a half(top) of the image appear(other part is just a white screen). This happens with cms/ blog and album.

I have check the caches folder and the images were display fully in it.

[Disasterpiece]

Originally Posted by lovevn

Hello
I have tried this mod on vbulletin 4.2.0. It works but I have problem with some images: just a half(top) of the image appear(other part is just a white screen). This happens with cms/ blog and album.

I have check the caches folder and the images were display fully in it.

I've heard of this issue before. This happens if the image size changes before sending the picture to the user.

Do you have any kind of compression running? maybe mod_gz or some other kind of webserver output compressing?