Add-On Releases - Roaming Threads - Mobile Image Uploads Directly To Forum

This plug-in will give you a quick and effective way to allow your mobile forum members to upload images to threads and posts in real-time. Your members will reply to secure emails sent to them from our platform and if they attach images to their replies- voila- mobile image uploads! RoamingThreads Basic is a free service that allows each of your forums to use our platform to process up to 99 emails per month and only 1 image attachment per email. For most forums this will be more than enough to handle your member?s needs since our plug-in gives you full control of which usergroups can make RoamingThreads and RoamingPosts. This is a great benefit to your VIP members if you have a subscription program, and it also makes for a great resource for your news team if you have one. Users with the need for more messages per month can easily upgrade to get more credits by following the instructions on our site once they have installed the plug-in and activated the service for their forum. All images are stored locally on your servers, but we handle the image parsing and mail server responsibilities for you! Go to the Roaming Threads forum if you want to try the service out as a user before you install.

Roaming Threads

Requirements:

• vBulletin 3.6.x or higher
• Root Access to forums area on your server
• FTP Client to access a remote server
• Account with the Roaming Threads site

Features:

• Supported
• Free Standard Version
• Premium Version Upgrade available soon (including Video and Multimedia)
• Single and Multiple Images upload
• Image Captioning
• MMS Enabled
• Forum Owner Admin/Control

Installation:

1. Extract the contents of vb_roamingthreads.zip to your computer.
2. FTP the content of the upload directory to the vBulletin installation directory on your server. For example if your vBulletin installation is referenced as http://www.EXAMPLE.com/forums FTP the contents of the upload directory to your server's "forums" directory.
3. Upload the product-roaming_threads.xml product file, located in the do_not_upload directory, via the Add/Import Product interface found by navigating to vBulletin Admin CP=>Plugins and Products=>Manage Products.
4. Refresh the Admin CP page; the Roaming Threads menu will now be visible.
5. Rebuild bitfields
6. Configure Roaming Threads and all options if applicable.
7. Enter your domain name on the Add Domain page located within your account on the Roaming Threads site. Note: When you add your domain you have the option of all of your Roaming Thread images displayed on the Roaming Threads home page. By default this is set to sharing.

Use and configuration:
You?ve captured a bunch of photos using the camera of your mobile phone ? now how do you upload these pictures directly to a forum thread without having to transfer them to a desktop computer?

With RoamingThreads you can either add images to an existing thread or start your own thread.

To create a new thread:

1. Navigate to your forum?s thread listing page and click on the roaming thread icon.
   
2. You will be prompted to enter an email address that is accessible by your mobile device. Write up the title and intro text and submit. Your thread will not be visible to other users until you send your images.
   
3. After the thread is submitted you will receive a unique email address designated to your thread and user account.
   
4. Reply to the email with your images as attachments.
   
5. RoamingThreads will create a new thread with your images. Images will continue to be added to your first post until the max number of images per post is reached. After the max number of posts has been reached, new posts will be created using your account.
   
   
   

Breaking out of the first post:
If you would like for uploaded images to create new posts instead of being added to the first post before you reach the max number of images, change the subject line of your email to 'new post'. This will cause all additional uploaded images to be created as new posts in the thread.

Adding Images to an Existing Thread

1. Click on the ?Roaming Post? icon found next to the ?Post Reply? icon on a thread.
   
2. This will take you to a page with a pre-filled thread ID. Fill in an email address that is accessible by your mobile device.
   
3. An email from RoamingThreads will arrive on your mobile phone with an email address designated to the thread that you have selected.
   
4. Reply to the email with your images as attachments.
   

It?s as simple as that. RoamingThreads will add your images to the thread.

Image Captions:
Each image can now have its own caption. In the body of your email, you will need to use the following format to caption your images.

@image_number your image caption@

example, assuming we have attached 3 images

@1 the first caption@
@3 some other caption@

Troubleshooting and Support
We are more than happy to lend a hand getting your Roaming Threads install working properly on your forum. Jump over to the troubleshooting section of our forum, and we will do our best to offer any help that you may need: http://www.roamingthreads.com/forums...isplay.php?f=3

Changes
v1.0.1: Fixed minor issue with non-urlencoded characters in image captions.
v1.0.2: Fixed minor issue with quote characters when inserting new posts.


To see RoamingThreads in action, visit these forums:
Roaming Threads
Motoring Alliance
Walt Disney Boards

[pjcnlv]

AWESOME! This will be installed tonight!

[Trigr]

installed but I dont see the Roaming thread button anywhere.

images uploaded, using Imageshack to host, entered all my KEY's. Not showing in custom templates OR Default VB template.

Help? Would love to use this.

[crowdgather]

Originally Posted by Trigr

installed but I dont see the Roaming thread button anywhere.

images uploaded, using Imageshack to host, entered all my KEY's. Not showing in custom templates OR Default VB template.

Help? Would love to use this.

There are a couple of reasons why they are not showing up:
1. The functionality is not enabled on the main Roaming Threads options page.
2. Your style has changed the default location for button images.
3. Your templates were modified, and the install code could not find the proper location to place the buttons.
4. Permissions were not properly assigned.

Here are a couple of things to check for each scenario:
1. Admincp -> Roaming Threads -> Roaming Threads Options. Make sure that the 'Roaming Threads Enabled?' option is set to 'Yes'. This is set to 'No' by default.
2. Admincp -> Styles & Templates -> Style Manager -> Edit All Stylevars -> Image Paths. Verify that roaming_thread.gif and roaming_post.gif were placed in this directory.
3. Admincp -> Styles & Templates -> Style Manager -> Edit Templates -> FORUMDISPLAY (under Forum Display Templates) or SHOWTHREAD (under Show Thread Templates). We have added the buttons right after the new thread and reply code. Search for 'roaming' in either of these template, and you should jump to the button code that was added.
4. If you are using usergroup based permissions (recommended), Admincp -> Usergroups -> Usergroup Manager -> Edit Usergroup -> Roaming Threads Permissions. This value should be set to 'Yes' to allow this usergroup to use the Roaming Threads functionality.

Hopefully, it is one of the easier issues to fix (1, 2 or 4). If it is #3, let us know, and we will give you the exact template code and location for the buttons.

[Trigr]

Originally Posted by crowdgather

There are a couple of reasons why they are not showing up:
1. The functionality is not enabled on the main Roaming Threads options page.
2. Your style has changed the default location for button images.
3. Your templates were modified, and the install code could not find the proper location to place the buttons.
4. Permissions were not properly assigned.

Here are a couple of things to check for each scenario:
1. Admincp -> Roaming Threads -> Roaming Threads Options. Make sure that the 'Roaming Threads Enabled?' option is set to 'Yes'. This is set to 'No' by default.
2. Admincp -> Styles & Templates -> Style Manager -> Edit All Stylevars -> Image Paths. Verify that roaming_thread.gif and roaming_post.gif were placed in this directory.
3. Admincp -> Styles & Templates -> Style Manager -> Edit Templates -> FORUMDISPLAY (under Forum Display Templates) or SHOWTHREAD (under Show Thread Templates). We have added the buttons right after the new thread and reply code. Search for 'roaming' in either of these template, and you should jump to the button code that was added.
4. If you are using usergroup based permissions (recommended), Admincp -> Usergroups -> Usergroup Manager -> Edit Usergroup -> Roaming Threads Permissions. This value should be set to 'Yes' to allow this usergroup to use the Roaming Threads functionality.

Hopefully, it is one of the easier issues to fix (1, 2 or 4). If it is #3, let us know, and we will give you the exact template code and location for the buttons.

#3 - nothing in either template.

1,2 & 4 are all correct.

I appreciate the help.

I checked the Default template also and nothing in either of those.

[crowdgather]

Originally Posted by Trigr

#3 - nothing in either template.

1,2 & 4 are all correct.

I appreciate the help.

I checked the Default template also and nothing in either of those.

Ok. Thats what I was afraid of, but its not a big deal. Here is what you will need to add:

in FORUMDISPLAY you will need to add this between the closing link tag that is wrapped around your new thread button (</a>) and the vb conditional else tag (<else />):

<!-- roaming threads area --><if condition="$show['roaming_threads']">&nbsp;<a href="newthread.php?$session[sessionurl]do=newthread&amp;f=$foruminfo[forumid]&amp;roaming_thread=1" rel="nofollow"><img src="$stylevar[imgdir_button]/roaming_thread.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a></if><!-- / roaming threads area -->

SHOWTHREAD is very similar. You will need to add this between the new reply image and the conditional else tag:

<!-- roaming threads area --><if condition="$show['roaming_threads']">&nbsp;<a href="roaming.php?$session[sessionurl]do=issuekey&t=$threadinfo[threadid]" rel="nofollow"><img src="$stylevar[imgdir_button]/roaming_post.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a></if><!-- / roaming threads area -->

This will make each button show next to the new thread button on the forum view and the new reply button on the thread view.

You may also want to check your newreply and newthread templates to be sure those were modified properly too. Those should have a new section between the subject and body area for submitting the user's mobile address and to agree to the Roaming Threads TOS.

[Trigr]

Originally Posted by crowdgather

Ok. Thats what I was afraid of, but its not a big deal. Here is what you will need to add:

in FORUMDISPLAY you will need to add this between the closing link tag that is wrapped around your new thread button (</a>) and the vb conditional else tag (<else />):

<!-- roaming threads area --><if condition="$show['roaming_threads']">&nbsp;<a href="newthread.php?$session[sessionurl]do=newthread&amp;f=$foruminfo[forumid]&amp;roaming_thread=1" rel="nofollow"><img src="$stylevar[imgdir_button]/roaming_thread.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a></if><!-- / roaming threads area -->

SHOWTHREAD is very similar. You will need to add this between the new reply image and the conditional else tag:

<!-- roaming threads area --><if condition="$show['roaming_threads']">&nbsp;<a href="roaming.php?$session[sessionurl]do=issuekey&t=$threadinfo[threadid]" rel="nofollow"><img src="$stylevar[imgdir_button]/roaming_post.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a></if><!-- / roaming threads area -->

This will make each button show next to the new thread button on the forum view and the new reply button on the thread view.

You may also want to check your newreply and newthread templates to be sure those were modified properly too. Those should have a new section between the subject and body area for submitting the user's mobile address and to agree to the Roaming Threads TOS.

Perfect.

Thank you.

[hyeteck]

Great plugin, Thanks!

[crowdgather]

Thanks to everyone that has downloaded and installed the plugin!

[crowdgather]

v1.0.1: Fixed minor issue with non-urlencoded characters in image captions.

Please reupload roaming.php to your forum home directory to update your install.

[realdx]

Nice hack! Tagged! But one question, from the description sounds like that we can send 99 emails with no limit on the number of attachments per mail. While on your site you clearly state that only 1 attachment per mail is allowed. What is right? Thank you again for this!!