Major Additions - vbRides ? Garage

vbRides is a vBulletin Garage plugin for vBulletin Suite 4 forum software. Members of your website can showcase their rides with the community. This is not a port or copy of another garage but a unique mod designed by a car guy for the car community. My intentions with vbrides is avoid the bloat of unnecessary extensions an keep a simple 'showcase' style garage.

I have wanted to build a 'garage' add-on since I first started with vbulletin an worked on something with Magnus ten years ago. It was Christeris new add-ons that had the style an layout that inspired me to create this new add-on. He has since abandon his work an given ozzy47 his code who has given me permission to use Christeris code to build a new garage add-on called "vbRides".

Due to starting with code from another project this add-on will remain free an not offered as a pro or lite edition. However there was extensive work writing vbrides an would appreciate your support.


Key Features

• User management of rides through the User Control Panel
  
• Forty fields of specifications to fill out for a detailed ride profile.
  
• Support for an audio clip embedded with the HTML5 audio player.
  
• Ride owners can add a single YouTube video.
  
• RSS feed for new rides with photo, title, an description.
  
• Searchable fields include owner, VIN, and keywords.
  
• Unlimited categories an subcategories.
  
• Lightbox presentation of ride images
  
• Create new ride thread in a specified forum showing the ride year, make, model, an it's main image with a short description.
  
• Up to 5 ride listings can be automatically generated an added to owners forum signature.
  
• Social Media block can either use AddThis account or choose Twitter, Google, Pin It, an Facebook like buttons.
  
• Owners ride listings tab can be shown on their user profile.
  
• Vehicle of the day within it's category added with cron.
  
• Extra fields can be added under the user stats block.

Under Construction

• SEO Friendly URLs has not been tested an should be considered under development.
  
• Custom Facebook Open Graph isn't working as intended.
  
• Signature hook is only showing ride for first post. To Fix Plugin Manager > Edit Plugin vbRides: Postbit, Signatures and PM's, Remove the "_once" from require_once. :erm:
  
• Missing side padding for text in side blocks with last update.

Future Plans / Wishlist

• Drag Strip stats, an extension to add drag racing information with timeslip images.
  
• Modification system, an extension to add searchable database based on the parts. So a Holley carb install would be linked to other rides who have done the same install.
  
• Add activity stream support

Installation

• Download and unzip the file 'product-vbRides_x.x.x.zip'
  
• Upload the content of upload folder to your existing vBulletin directory. If your admincp folder is renamed from default manually move vbrides_admin.php to it.
  
• CMOD 777 the directories:
  
  • vbrides/photos
    
  • vbrides/audio
    
• Goto Admincp, Plugins & Products > Manage Products > Add/Import Product and import product-vbrides.xml
  
• Set the various settings in vbRides
  
• Set Usergroup permissions See Post

YouTube Channel
vbRides Instructional & Demo Videos

Demo:
http://www.action-network.com/vbrides.php

Demo Account:

vbrides:W5K9VK

More Screenshots

Translations
Phrases are included in the install xml, the file in downloads is extra for use in translating or rephrase for different uses.

Change Log

• Version 1.0.1
  
  • Updated functions_vbrides.php to correct missing deleteDir() function
    
  • Fixed template bugs in 'vbrides_view_ride', 'vbrides_my_comments_bit'
    
  • Added post new ride button to front page in 'vbrides_rightside' template
    
  • Product xml should now install on forums without cms although template is still added
    
• Version 1.0.2
  
  • Updated vbrides.php, vbrides_modcp.php, vbrides_usercp.php to fix bugs with comments
    
  • Updated add_rides_forumhome.php to hide block if no rides to show
    
  • Changed the moderate.png from site_icon folder to a filled in comment bubble
    
• Version 1.0.3
  
  • Added hard coded avatar width in comments to avoid breaking the layout
    
  • Redesigned how thumbnail images are made, now set a fixed height an width
    
  • Reworked RSS feed, now 100% validates so should work as intended
    
  • Fixed various bugs, so reupload all files
    
• Version 1.0.4
  
  • Inserted link to "AddThis" in AddThis profile ID description
    
  • Fixed Show Empty Categories to work as intended
    
  • Removed removeslash function as it didn't work on all servers causing fatal error
    
  • Removed bbc table structure in new ride forum post template to work with TapaTalk
    
  • Added min/max character info to small description input description so users are aware
    
  • Added style variables for adjusting the rating text in view ride page
    
  • Reworked pm and new thread code an phrase template
    
  • Edited moderate.png, moderated.png, and stars.gif
    
  • Fixed broken style in member ride tab caused by last update
    
  • Rewrote vbrides_stats.php to correctly count photos and main images as total images
    
  • Fixed various bugs, reupload all files
    
• Version 1.0.5
  
  • Ride report permission should be fixed to hide from Guests
    
  • Removed dependancy on cms an blog css tags
    
  • New setting Show Create Rides Button as graphic button, link, or hide
  • Fixed bug if overwriting main photo would add to the photo count
  • Performed a spellcheck on the phrases to fix misspelling an grammar
  • Added new style variables for list header to make up for removing blog.css
    
  • Fixed various bugs, reupload all files
    
• Version 1.0.6 Thanks to Keyser Soze for his contributions regarding this version.
  
  • Changed breadcrumb nav to better use vbulletins breadcrumb-navbits
    
  • Removed dependency on cms an blog css tags
    
  • Changed how YouTube videos are added, can now enter full urls
    
  • Fixed bug with comment counter
    

[Action-N]

Thanks to Keyser Soze for his contributions, they where pretty easy to implement.

I didn't remember where I left off or what I was working on so this update was to mainly add what Keyser had posted. Yes I have been preoccupied lately with other things, but had hoped the product was left in a usable state. Got a few quarantine emails from vb.org an none where for this mod so figured it's all good. We'll see if I can't catch a second wind on this project now.

As for an importer for VB Pro Garage I posted one back in post 66 for someone to test before adding it to the official downloads. Will post it again here, if it works then let me know. Since I don't intend to add all the extra stuff that was in their product the only thing that is getting imported was the timeslip data. The photo's are copied to vbrides folder so not to risk data loss in case of an error. Once you have successfully transfers garages then you would need to manually delete the photos from their garage.

PaulProe, if your admin then check the usergroup settings to see if you have "Can Moderate New Rides
If enabled, the member of this usergroup can approve new rides waiting for approval." checked yes. I'm thinking admins already got permission to moderate an their posts bypassed moderation. The menu options for moderating are on the rides page in the header, you'll see a moderation link there or your usercp sideblocks if you have permissions.

[SPEEDKILLZ]

Anyone had an issue with the blockheads and text on the rides page? Also i have two description boxes?

[Action-N]

Hey SPEEDKILLZ, I went to your site an use a css tag inspector an was able to track down what tag is causing the jumbled header.

#sidebar_container .blocksubhead span.blocktitle {
    width: auto;
    display: block;
    white-space: nowrap;
    float: left;
    overflow: hidden;
    padding-left: 3px;
}

When I turn off the "float: left;" tag it goes to a normal layout as intended. So we need to figure out how to cancel that tag for vbride pages. Try adding the following to the vbrides.css template. Doesn't matter where, but I do have a sidebar_container tag already in there if you want to keep it together.

#sidebar_container .blocksubhead span.blocktitle {
float: none;
}

The two description boxes you mentioned are on the rides page? If so the small Short Summary box is what is used on the listing description. The other one is for a whatever else about the car.

[SPEEDKILLZ]

Originally Posted by Action-N

Hey SPEEDKILLZ, I went to your site an use a css tag inspector an was able to track down what tag is causing the jumbled header.

#sidebar_container .blocksubhead span.blocktitle {
    width: auto;
    display: block;
    white-space: nowrap;
    float: left;
    overflow: hidden;
    padding-left: 3px;
}

When I turn off the "float: left;" tag it goes to a normal layout as intended. So we need to figure out how to cancel that tag for vbride pages. Try adding the following to the vbrides.css template. Doesn't matter where, but I do have a sidebar_container tag already in there if you want to keep it together.

#sidebar_container .blocksubhead span.blocktitle {
float: none;
}

The two description boxes you mentioned are on the rides page? If so the small Short Summary box is what is used on the listing description. The other one is for a whatever else about the car.

Great man that seemed to fix the header issue. Both boxed have to have something in them to submit a ride though? Also if you dont add enough characters in the small box it turns solid black (the box turns black) after trying to submit.

[Action-N]

Yeah it does need both for now, kinda encourages people to fill it out since the whole point of them adding a page is to show their car.

The description block turning black is a highlight feature to show what section you need to fix. I noticed on your calendar widget the current date is blacked out as well. So that is gonna be in your skin settings to fix for the whole site.

[SPEEDKILLZ]

Great thank you. I will try to figure out where that is or if it is a stylevar

[Action-N]

It's the "general_hilite_color" under Common group

[SPEEDKILLZ]

Great man thank you. Glad to see you offer great support for a great mod.

[RSprinkel]

Hello,

Awesome mod and very easy to configure and stuff, however I have ran into one slight issue. I am using this for a Motorcycle forum which is not up and running at this time and when I go to add additional images when adding a ride, it is asking me to select a photo category from the drop down box (chassis, engine, body and interior), I really prefer not to use a category or just rename the categoires for photos if at all possible.

I have searched the settings and stuff and cannot find anything on those categories. Would it be possible to point me in the right direction for either of the methods.

Thank you for your time and understanding and again GREAT MOD.

[Dragonsys]

Originally Posted by RSprinkel

I have searched the settings and stuff and cannot find anything on those categories. Would it be possible to point me in the right direction for either of the methods.

They appear to be hardcoded in the script. look in /vbrides_usercp.php and find:

$photo_types = ('chassis, engine, body, interior');

It is in there 2 times (line #178 & #294)