Integration with vBulletin - vHoist : Garage / Car Showroom

About:

vHoist is a new Virtual Garage plugin that allows your users to share the rides with the rest of your forum!

Our plugin fully integrates into your forum software providing seamless integration without the limits of other plugins with similar features, such as extra SQL querys added to your site.


vHoist Has:

- Multiple Garages for each user

- No Added SQL Query's

- Users Cars listed under their post info

- Full seamless integration into your forum

- Users can share their garages over multiple websites without the need to modify their profiles for each site.

- Anyone that "parks" their car on your website, will provide a backlink to your site for every other site they are on.

- Unlimited Pictures and Rides

- Many new features coming weekly! Facebook plugin, phpbb plugin both in development.

- Will be supporting MOTORCYCLES, ATV's, Boats and much much more!

Sites that are already using vHoist.com:

http://www.GenerationDub.com
http://psaclub.net/forums.php

Install Instructions

1) Download the zip file.

2) Upload vHoist.php into the root directory of your website.

3) Install the product "product_vhoist.xml" (Allow overwrite if you're upgrading) into vBulletin.
[ Plugins & Products ] -> [ Manage Products ] -> Add/Import Product.

4) Visit www.vHoist.com and Register an account. *COMPLETELY FREE*

5) Once logged in, click "Downloads", and redownload the zip file to enable the administration panel. REFRESH this page after download.

6) Add your website to vHoist.com by using the "Site Adminstrator" menu to the left, located under your Member Garage.
* Your site will not be added to vHoist.com until you upload vHoist.php and correctly add your URL to our database.

7) Save the information and Paste the passkey Generated by vHoist.com into your vBulletin vHoist settings.

[ vBulletin Options ] -> [ vBulletin Options ] -> [ vHoist Settings ] -> Website Passkey

8) Adjust your settings in vBulletin for vHoist accordingly.

After you are finished the above, visit your newly installed vHoist on your website. You will see a message saying that you do not currently have any cars parked on your site. Click on "Add / Edit vHoist" and then park your car on your site!

FAQ:

How does the benefit my site?

- There is no "Overhead" added to your site like other plugins, such as vbGarage, because everything takes place on vHoist.com

- Backlinks, an important SEO feature, come from vHoist.com to your site. For example, if one member parks his / her car on multiple websites, you will automatically be back linked from potentially thousands of sites. It's already happening.. http://forums.generationdub.com/vHoi...iew&gid=100390 - This is a VERY important feature and benefit to your site.

- Your users now only have to "Update" their ride on one site, and it propogates to all other sites they have parked too. Now if they have "forgotten" that they came to forum before but parked their ride there, it will be bumped up to the top of the list when they have an update.

- If someone comments from your forum, the user will receive an email saying that someone commented from your forum, and potentially giving you another user to come back to your site! Again, ANOTHER backlink is added on the comment. Here is an example:

http://forums.generationdub.com/vHoi...iew&gid=100000

Here's what a users garage looks like parked on 2 seperate sites!

Site 1 - http://forums.generationdub.com/vHoi...iew&gid=100000

Site 2 - http://psaclub.net/vHoist.php?do=view&gid=100000

Do you get our users information?

We save the UserID, UserName and Email address of users that "Park" a car on your website, so that the user display information will properly show up on your site. This is strictly because users will occasionally have multiple usernames across many forums. Since vHoist.com allows a user to "park" their ride on your site, we need to display their username for your site properly.


For more FAQ's like this, visit: http://www.vhoist.com/FAQ.aspx

Time to install: < 5 Minutes
Template Edits: 0
File Uploads: 1
Products: 1

Has been tested on:

3.6.7
3.6.8
3.7.1
3.8.0

Believed to work on ALL versions from 3.6.0 to 3.8.0, but would like confirmation from users currently using those sites.

product / vhoist.php files - [1.0.0.1]
- Fixed Search not working
- Removed Sponsor Program
- Allowed importing for 3.5.7
- Disabled "member ride" listed under user's name until I can figure out the "slow down" issue
- problem with quotes in user names
- moved related rides to the left instead of right

product / vhoist.php files - [1.0.0.2]
- Added "Random Image" table - show 1 through 10 random garages by your users
- Created a new way to add vHoist to your forum, so you can use a selection box to pick where it goes
- Added "Latest Image" table - show 1 through 10 last edited garages by your users
- Added more extensive options menu
- Added Quick Links Menu
- Fixed "Enable / Disable" Option
- Removed "Members Rides" option under user names until futher testing

product / vhoist.php files - [1.0.0.3]
- Added sorting on title bar of search
- Added some vHoist website functionality
- View users rides from www.vhoist.com/ride/XXXXXX/ where XXX is the ride number.
- Fixed bug for not being able to remove ride

product / vhoist.php files - [1.0.0.4]
- Added User Profiles tab
- Removed this from "beta" since it's been functioning on sites for a few months now
- Added some vHoist website functionality - analytics to be added in next release
- View users profile from www.vhoist.com/id/username/ where XXX is the username on vHoist.com

Known Issues for this release:

- None reported

Other:

This is currently a working public BETA. I will be supporting this daily (well, mostly nightly EST) in this thread and via any problems submitted by email using the contact form on the site, http://www.vhoist.com


*Attention vbGarage Users*

We have been working diligantly on a conversion tool to transfer your current vBGarage users into vHoist.com. The converter is currently in Alpha testing and is not publicly avalible yet.

It is recommend that smaller sites that are using vBGarage start off with a fresh new vHoist account, however, we understand that content is hard to come by and we are working fast to bring this converter to you! If this is stopping you from installing vHoist.com, then please use our contact forum to let us know you are waiting!

....

Cheers .... and .... here goes nothing... this is my first publicly released mod, so if I did this wrong, please forgive me!

[nazguluk]

The vBAdvanced integration screws up the vHoist page, I've left it broken for now so you can see the bad calls

[footose]

product / vhoist.php files - [1.0.0.2]
- Added "Random Image" table - show 1 through 10 random garages by your users (as per request)
- Created a new way to add vHoist to your forum, so you can use a selection box to pick where it goes
- Added "Latest Image" table - show 1 through 10 last edited garages by your users (as per request)
- Added more extensive options menu
- Added Quick Links Menu
- Fixed "Enable / Disable" Option
- Minor bug fixed labeling as 1.0.0.2a

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/attachmen...4&d=1231912735

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/attachmen...5&d=1231912832

nazguluk: thanks, I will check it out immidately - Please try the latest version and let me know if that helps (it likely won't..but worth a shot!)

[flup]

Hmm, I thought this was THE modification I was looking for, however I do not like the idea of having my users to send and signup at another site and manage the content over there. This would be the best modification for my website if it was all localy available.. too bad I'll give it a go anyways, but I guess I'll stick with vBGarage and expand that mod to my needs.

[Leo Brazil]

Originally Posted by flup

Hmm, I thought this was THE modification I was looking for, however I do not like the idea of having my users to send and signup at another site and manage the content over there. This would be the best modification for my website if it was all localy available.. too bad I'll give it a go anyways, but I guess I'll stick with vBGarage and expand that mod to my needs.

I've been watching this thread since the beginning and unfortunatelly I have to agree with you, it's a great mod though.

[nazguluk]

Is there a way that the user could be automatically registered and an email containing password sent on first use?

[footose]

Is there a way that the user could be automatically registered and an email containing password sent on first use?

Yes, its possible for me to add the user automatically.. basically "pre-register" if that is something you would like, I think it would be fairly simple to impliment.

I understand the concerns of users / owners not wanting to work with this type of mod because of the Registration process but there are several advantages of doing it this way.

User Standpoint:
1) If you are on more then one forum with this vHoist app, then you can "park" your car there and no need to update

2) I'll be releasing a "CarDomain" type website within the next week, where the user can customize their profile at vHoist.com, so that not only do they have a personal page on vHoist.com, but also still park their cars on your website also

Admin Advantages
1) Share backlinks with hundreds of other forums

2) No overhead from your forum

---

Also, I have been working with several other forums and taking their suggestions into consideration! I'm constantly adding features to the site, so keep checking back

I think adding a user automatically is a great idea, but one of the reasons I didn't do it this way, is a lot of forums do not require valid email authentication, which makes it difficult (and a lot of extra work) if people are using invalid email addresses and wish to access their vHoist account.. also.. it could be an issue if users are using seperate email addresses for other forums.. it could potentially register the user several times under different mail addresses,w hcih would defeat the purpose of the mod.

I will come up with a plan though - "Auto Register with your information from www.site.com" or something. Good idea :thumbup:

[footose]

Oh, there has been an report of using vBadvanced CMPS v3.1.0 with PHP 5 and this mod ..

I believe the solution is located here: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=125302 - People using PHP 5 can potentially fix this problem by editing [path]/includes/vba_cmps_include_template.php and [path]/includes/vba_cmps_include_top.php and casting the array_merge line as (array).

I can't replicate the problem on my server (vb 3.8.0 and vbAdvanced) , so I'm working with SmartManiacs.co.uk to rectify the issue since they are the ones that reported it. This could take a few days to fix (if possible to fix) because of our time difference, so stay tuned if you are also expereincing this issue.

[wikked]

Originally Posted by flup

Hmm, I thought this was THE modification I was looking for, however I do not like the idea of having my users to send and signup at another site and manage the content over there. This would be the best modification for my website if it was all localy available.. too bad I'll give it a go anyways, but I guess I'll stick with vBGarage and expand that mod to my needs.

Afraid i agree with you there. I thought this was also THE solution but im not happy with it being "offsite"

On another note...any ideas how i can restrict certain usergroups from using the garage as its a paid member feature but with no admin on everyone is creating garages??

Any help gratefully received

[footose]

If you create a new category for vHoist, and use the settings options to put it under that category / forum, it should take all of the permissions settings from that category or forum you assign it to be above.

[flup]

I unfortunatly uninstalled vHoist, as I said, it was a great mod and it definitly looked awesome. But I decided to spend $35 on the CND Garage modification and spend some time in customizing that one to my needs. Although I appreciate you work in vHoist, the concept is simple and good!

However, making all the actions on my own website would be the sollution.

Why don't you work with code that sends http-post/get requests to vHoist.com from the users website. You still get to have full control on your side and the data will be still stored on your website. On the other side, everyone who installs this mod wil have the ability to let the users stay on their site. You eventually can send an e-mail to the user who added a car telling them about the functions vHoist can offer and perhaps some links of other forums or something.