Chat Modifications - Envolve Chat Integration Module

About the Envolve Chat Plugin
This module will connect your vBulletin forum to Envolve chat. Envolve is a chat toolbar similar to Facebook's chat bar that allows your users to have group and one-on-one chats with each other while browsing your forums.

This mod requires an API key from Envolve in order to function. Visit http://www.envolve.com to get one. A free version is available that provides a full feature set for up to 25 concurrent users. Higher numbers of chatters require a paid account.

This mod integrates your forum's account system with Envolve so that when users are logged into your vBulletin site it also logs them into the chat. In addition, it integrates your profile pictures / avatars and profile information. With the 2.0 release of the mod, other users can now view your profile information and get a link to your profile simply by placing their mouse over your name.

The Envolve chat system is a rich solution for community chat. Some of its features include group chat (both public and private), one-on-one chat, the ability to pop chats out into their own windows, moderation controls (boot / block / ban / timed ban), chat message translation, resizable chat windows, chat sharing, and drag-and-drop chat invitations. As a hosted solution, all chat traffic is handled by Envolve's servers and will not place any additional load on your server.

Installation:
Detailed installation instructions can be found here:
https://www.envolve.com/docs/vbulletin-chat-plugin.html. They are also provided in the Readme.txt file.
You can see and try out the chat at http://www.envolve.com.

This version of the mod will work for both vBulletin 4.x and vBulletin 3.8.x.

Screenshots:
Here the "People List" can be seen open in the lower right hand corner of the page. This shows all users who are currently viewing the forum. This site owner has chosen to only allow logged-in users to chat.


Here a public group chat has been opened, and the user has moused-over another user to see his profile information.


Here a user is creating a new group chat that will be shown to the other users on the site. He has also "popped-out" the "General" chat into its own window.

[akoj]

We are playing with this. Our users are really liking it.

I solved the issue of adding our supermods to the admin group by setting them as a secondary user of mods. The plugin really needs to add supermods as automatic admins.

Most importantly to our site though would be the ability to only allow users in the registered members group to chat. What are your plans on that?

[sticky]

Originally Posted by marksimon

I used the Envolve Chat for 3 month and liked it so far.
But there is ONE BIG PROBLEM with the chat...

If a new user registers and is not verified, he is able to connect to the chat.
The user does not have to verify per eMail and even if I moderate new users they can chat altough they are not activated by moderators or admin.
So the option in Envolve admin panel "guests have to register after 0 chatposts" is irrelevant, because after a registration they are no guests anymore.

So we can block or ban the user but if he opens the forum in a new tab or new browser he is able to chat again.

I have the vBulletion version 3.8.1. perhaps this could be the problem.

Does anybody of you has the same issue or a hint how I can fix it?
The Envolve support cannot help in this issue.

thanks,
Mark

That is a major issue.

I like this product, the way it functions and looks, but it is simply way too expensive.

There also do not seem to be enough options.

I'll wait until someone reproduces something similar with a one time fee.

[akoj]

OK, I am NOT in anyway shape or form a coder but by changing the integration xml to this code I was able to add Supermods in as an admin and block out newly registered, not approved members this way. It seems to have worked for me

changed this:

{
	$env_userInf = $vbulletin->userinfo;
	$env_isLoggedIn = $vbulletin->userinfo['userid'] > 0;
	$env_isAdmin = ($vbulletin->userinfo['usergroupid']==6 || $vbulletin->userinfo['usergroupid']==7);
	$env_displayChat = ($vbulletin->options['envolve_display_to'] == 'everyone') ||
		(($vbulletin->options['envolve_display_to'] == 'loggedin') && $env_isLoggedIn) ||
		(($vbulletin->options['envolve_display_to'] == 'admins') && $env_isLoggedIn && $env_isAdmin);

To this:

{
	$env_userInf = $vbulletin->userinfo;
	$env_isLoggedIn = $vbulletin->userinfo['userid'] > 0;
	$env_isAdmin = ($vbulletin->userinfo['usergroupid']==6 || $vbulletin->userinfo['usergroupid']==7 || $vbulletin->userinfo['usergroupid']==5);
	$env_displayChat = ($vbulletin->options['envolve_display_to'] == 'everyone') ||
		(($vbulletin->options['envolve_display_to'] == 'loggedin') && $env_isLoggedIn && $vbulletin->userinfo['usergroupid']==2) ||
(($vbulletin->options['envolve_display_to'] == 'loggedin') && $env_isLoggedIn && $vbulletin->userinfo['usergroupid']==6) ||
(($vbulletin->options['envolve_display_to'] == 'loggedin') && $env_isLoggedIn && $vbulletin->userinfo['usergroupid']==5) ||
(($vbulletin->options['envolve_display_to'] == 'loggedin') && $env_isLoggedIn && $vbulletin->userinfo['usergroupid']==16) ||
(($vbulletin->options['envolve_display_to'] == 'loggedin') && $env_isLoggedIn && $vbulletin->userinfo['usergroupid']==14) ||
(($vbulletin->options['envolve_display_to'] == 'loggedin') && $env_isLoggedIn && $vbulletin->userinfo['usergroupid']==10) ||
(($vbulletin->options['envolve_display_to'] == 'loggedin') && $env_isLoggedIn && $vbulletin->userinfo['usergroupid']==7) ||
		(($vbulletin->options['envolve_display_to'] == 'admins') && $env_isLoggedIn && $env_isAdmin);

You will probably want to define your own user groups in there. So far this seems to have done that trick

[andrew.lee]

Thanks for the enhancement Akoj! We're aiming to bring many, many more enhancements to the plugin as soon as we can, including the change you just made.

[emailapphost]

It looks good, and it worked instantly on our site creating instant chat-community. So I paid the USD 24 for a month.
However, not taking PayPal for a subscription service like that says scam all over. I feel uncomfortable having given you my cc details (fortunately on my secondary non-important cc).
But, the seriousness of your sincerity in this tread won me over.
Let us hope this works out for the best.

[andrew.lee]

Thanks for the vote of confidence : ) We don't accept paypal as the hassle of billing with Paypal is a pain and we haven't yet set up an automated system for it yet. We intend to add it in the future though.

[S3Ponline]

Originally Posted by akoj

OK, I am NOT in anyway shape or form a coder but by changing the integration xml to this code I was able to add Supermods in as an admin and block out newly registered, not approved members this way. It seems to have worked for me

changed this:

{
	$env_userInf = $vbulletin->userinfo;
	$env_isLoggedIn = $vbulletin->userinfo['userid'] > 0;
	$env_isAdmin = ($vbulletin->userinfo['usergroupid']==6 || $vbulletin->userinfo['usergroupid']==7);
	$env_displayChat = ($vbulletin->options['envolve_display_to'] == 'everyone') ||
		(($vbulletin->options['envolve_display_to'] == 'loggedin') && $env_isLoggedIn) ||
		(($vbulletin->options['envolve_display_to'] == 'admins') && $env_isLoggedIn && $env_isAdmin);

To this:

{
	$env_userInf = $vbulletin->userinfo;
	$env_isLoggedIn = $vbulletin->userinfo['userid'] > 0;
	$env_isAdmin = ($vbulletin->userinfo['usergroupid']==6 || $vbulletin->userinfo['usergroupid']==7 || $vbulletin->userinfo['usergroupid']==5);
	$env_displayChat = ($vbulletin->options['envolve_display_to'] == 'everyone') ||
		(($vbulletin->options['envolve_display_to'] == 'loggedin') && $env_isLoggedIn && $vbulletin->userinfo['usergroupid']==2) ||
(($vbulletin->options['envolve_display_to'] == 'loggedin') && $env_isLoggedIn && $vbulletin->userinfo['usergroupid']==6) ||
(($vbulletin->options['envolve_display_to'] == 'loggedin') && $env_isLoggedIn && $vbulletin->userinfo['usergroupid']==5) ||
(($vbulletin->options['envolve_display_to'] == 'loggedin') && $env_isLoggedIn && $vbulletin->userinfo['usergroupid']==16) ||
(($vbulletin->options['envolve_display_to'] == 'loggedin') && $env_isLoggedIn && $vbulletin->userinfo['usergroupid']==14) ||
(($vbulletin->options['envolve_display_to'] == 'loggedin') && $env_isLoggedIn && $vbulletin->userinfo['usergroupid']==10) ||
(($vbulletin->options['envolve_display_to'] == 'loggedin') && $env_isLoggedIn && $vbulletin->userinfo['usergroupid']==7) ||
		(($vbulletin->options['envolve_display_to'] == 'admins') && $env_isLoggedIn && $env_isAdmin);

You will probably want to define your own user groups in there. So far this seems to have done that trick

Ok, Neat. I?ll try this out. If this works then I may upgrade and pay

I also do not like that you guys don?t have auto withdraw from paypal

[emailapphost]

It looks good, and I much appreciate that Envolve contacted me personally to ensure me they are the real thing.

The issues I have now are:
- I want users for MY own forum, I do not like adding users to Envolve...
I want the sign-in to be tied to my forum, so I get more users.
- I also want the singup more viral, post to users Facebook wall and Twitter etc.
- I have 20+ subforums on my forum and will eventually want to have one chat for each forum, I assume this is possible?
- The price is to high, especially the high volume stuff. So I am still looking for alternatives.
But I might stick with Envolve if things work out well (and they look good for now).

Thanks.

Regards,
Hans

[andrew.lee]

Hi Hans -

Envolve is designed to let you have people sign into *your* forum and not into Envolve. You can turn this on very easily from our backend at http://www.envolve.com/admin. Just click on your site after you log in, and then click on "Options". Then choose "Redirect sign-in attempts to URL" and enter the URL of your sign-in page. (then click Save).

You can absolutely have subforums through Envolve. You just need to use our "grouping" feature:
http://www.envolve.com/api/user-grouping.html

We understand we are an expensive option. We are working hard to make sure we are the *best* option though and are worth the price.

Thanks for trying us out!

[andrew.lee]

Hi All -

We just updated our plugin to version 2.0. The new plugin is a major update from the previous version and addresses many of the complaints in this thread (as well as adds a number of new features).

Enhancements include:
-Support for Avatars / profile pictures
-Support for custom profile rollovers (we now link directly to your profile and have stats right in the rollovers)
-Ability to restrict chats to certain groups only
-Ability to grant administrator privileges to specific groups
-Ability to enable / disable chat on mobile site
-Ability to restrict chat to only certain sections of the site
-SSL support
-Search feature in list of people
-Vastly improved moderation controls -- timed banning, ban management

Bugs that were fixed:
-Chat no longer appears in manage attachments screen or other popups.
-Major speed improvements for large sites
-Chat does not (by default) display to users who have not been verified.

I'd encourage people who are already using Envolve to upgrade, and people who have used it and uninstalled to give it another shot. Feedback would be appreciated!

Note that we've increased the number of users allowed in our free plan to 25 users, and we've now given all site owners access to all of our futures, including, skinning, analytics, ssl, and all of our customization options.