Usergroups and ranks question

[tedology]

Hi all,

I'm trying to get a better understanding of usergroups and ranks.

I've checked the documentation/manual and I THINK I'm starting to understand it a bit better.

Am I to understand that ranks and usergroups are different features?

What I WANT to do (and hope I can somehow):

I want to be able to give any of my volunteer helpers (regular members who are doing special things on the forums...such as help other members) unlimited gallery space (via Photopost).

Now... my Photopost adopts the usergroups from my vBulletin.

As my members make more and more posts, they are promoted to higher usergroups, and thereby their ranks change (the rank images change). They also gain more and more gallery space because of this.

What I'd like is for my volunteer helpers to have UNLIMITED gallery space (perhaps create another usergroup called "Helper"?) but STILL go through the promotion process...

Example:

Joe is in the "Member 1" usergroup with a rank, of course, of "Member 1" (member with one star). He gets 5 MB of gallery space.

Joe becomes a volunteer and starts to help out around the forum.

I want Joe to remain "Member 1", but I also want to increase his gallery space.

Since Photopost goes by vbulletin's usergroup system, Photopost sees Joe as "Member 1" and gives him his 5 MB of gallery space.

I know how to give Joe unlimited space (if I create a usergroup with such), but I don't want him to NOT go by the regular "promotion/usergroup/rank" system?

Am I making sense?

Would this be where secondary usergroups come in? (I really don't understand those! LOL)

Or can anybody PLEASE offer another way for me to do this? Perhaps you have a similar system on your vbulletin?

Thanks very much!