Show Thread Enhancements - Automatic Embedded Video (youtube, plus many more)

This hack has been withdrawn. Read on for an explanation. Shortly after the initial release I was contacted by another developer who had some ideas for the mod. This developer basically rewrote a new mod based on my original concept. Unfortunately we couldn't come to an agreement on a way to develop and support the future of this mod. Since he has released his mod separately, and it does pretty much everything my original mod did and is more efficient for those running large systems, I have decided to discontinue the further development of my mod. I took this decision because I don't believe that it makes sense to have two mods out there doing the same thing. I recommend to all users, both present and future, that you switch over to his mod instead (here). I've taken a look at it and I think it's a great mod and you'll all be very happy with it. I understand that he will also provide routines to import and convert tags used by my mod, this should also make your life easier.

Since I will not develop this mod further, I am also withdrawing support for it. Since I don't believe there is such a thing as an unsupported mod (since people will ALWAYS ask for and expect support regardless) I have therefore withdrawn the file from download. I hope some of you can understand my decision.

This mod has had a short but happy life, and I wish you all the best with the replacement mod. Thank you to everyone who has offered encouragement so far, and I hope to see you on my next mod.

I've left the original text below for historical reasons:


What does this mod do?

If a user copies and pastes a URL that links to a video streaming service (such as youtube) the mod will automatically take the URL and convert it into an embedded form directly in the post itself. Users can now play the videos directly from the thread! In other words:

• No template or file edits
• Nothing to configure
• Initial version supports sixteen different video sharing sites
• Pasted URLs are automatically converted to versions that display embedded video - in thread
• Option to include original URL in additional to providing embedded version.
• Forum, group and user permissions allow you to include or exclude who/what is affected by this mod.

How many services will it support?

The initial version contains support for sixteen different video services. If others contribute the required information for other services, this is likely to grow. The initial version (1.0) contains support for the following services:

Youtube, Metacafe, iFilm, Putfile, Bolt, Google Video, Guba, Grouper, Revver, Atom Films, Veoh, Myspace Video, Vimeo, Vmix, Eyespot, Liveleak, Sapo

Which services does it not support?

Many video sites don't provide enough information in the URLs to make automatic embedding possible. The following services were checked and found to be impossible to use with this mod:

Photobucket, Daily Motion, vidiLife, Yahoo Video, AOL Uncut, Yikers, vSocial, ManiaTV, Phanfare, CastPost, Jumpcut, Sharkle, Clipshack, Filecow, Break

Please don't request that these services be included in this mod - it's not possible. If you'd like to try and figure out how to do it yourself - please do!

Why is this different to other mods?

Other mods require you to enter BB Code yourself, but more importantly they require the user to have to add the tags themselves. Users are notoriously lazy and often won't even bother to use BB Code. This mod suits lazy users - it handles everything automatically without the user having to do anything - they just copy and paste the URL!

How do I install it?

Download the enclosed .xml file. In your AdminCP -> Plugins and Products -> Manage Products -> Add/Import Product use the browse button to upload the .xml file you just downloaded and make sure "Allow Overwrite" is set to yes if you are upgrading from a previous version. Click "Import". Installation time - 30 seconds.

How do I configure it?

Go to AdminCP -> vBulletin Options -> Automatic Embedded Video. All settings are pretty much self explanatory and there is nothing that needs to be changed for most forums.

Are there any limitations?

The hack will only work with properly formatted URLs. If the user mangles them, it may not work. Only new messages posted will be affected and this mod will not have any effect on any URLs you may paste in while editing. It will only take effect when you preview or submit new posts!

Is there a downside to this mod?

None that I can think of!

Will new services be added in future?

Possibly. Make sure you click "Installed" so that you'll be notified about new versions.

How can I expand it myself?

See the first post on this thread for details.

User Testimonials

What have people been saying about this mod?

"Anyway, this is be far the best mod of the year! something so simple, yet so effective! My members and myself love it. Thanks again." - hornstar1337

"No way! This Hack is simply a Must!!" - Silvio

"simply the best mod ever." - kushal

"You are my hero. My users are always F'n up the BBcode that should be so simple and now its idiot proof." - MortysTW

"Thanks very much for the mod - very simple to install yet useful as anything." - p0ng0

"Sorry I had to come and re-post how excited this mod has made me lol." - Fleabag

"Working great with vbSEO" - mtlcore

"I have only tested a few videos so far but works like a charm!!! What an awesome mod!!!" - RichieBoy67

Version History

1.0 - Initial release (23.06.2007) (updated a couple of hours after release with some minor fixes 01:31 24.06.2007 GMT)
1.1 - Feature upgrade (26.06.2007). Added ability to include/exclude users, groups or forums. Added feature to replace even when BB Code permissions don't allow it. Added feature to both embed the video AND display the original URL above the video. Loosened logic to include variations in URLs for certain services (different countries, domains, etc). Should cover a wider range of URLs now. More video services coming soon...

27.06.2007 - Mod withdrawn. Details above and here.

[mfyvie]

Originally Posted by DiesellMinded

So the mOd you want us to use is from the Geek and hasnt been posted yet?

Correct. Obviously if you've already got my mod installed you don't have to remove it immediately, nothing will break You can then take a look at the Geek's version when it is released. I've just withdrawn the mod early to make sure that the size of the installed base for this mod is as small as possible prior to the release.

He told me he doesn't know exactly when it will be released, he thinks tonight or tomorrow. The version I saw didn't have my extra features, so I guess he is busy coding those now to make sure that it supports the same kind of things.

[Ren? Kunze]

Harm. I have myself been pleased it with me to insert already in such a way with the German videos. It was first chops that immediately and very well functioned.

[cayne]

Originally Posted by mfyvie

Ummm, well since you were the one who switched it on, you should really know where to switch it off? Try the clue in the description of this mod listed at the top of the page, namely:

Dude, I'm not stupid. If I said, I didn't enable it, I didn't enable it - it's that easy. Anyway I just take a look at it and of course it was "disabled" in the options, but it STILL shows the text above it.

Anyway, I see that you stopped support of the mod, so it doesn't matter that much. But it's indeed weird to stop support for this mod, when the "new" one isn't even out yet...

[The Geek]

For what it's worth, I'm disappointed by mfyvies choice on this - but it is his to make. I encouraged him to keep this here, but I see that it is already removed.

The version I sent him was a functional replacement for his first version and IIRC, contained all of the feature set, but none of the code. Since then he added a bunch of other features, most of the relevant ones I folded into the project before we went separate ways. My version is about 90% lifted out of existing code I have for GAL 6, so it was pretty quick and easy to package up.

The only thing I would like to do is write a conversion tool for all the existing bbcodes that this one installed. As stated, it should be ready tonight or tomorrow but I wont guarantee ill have time to do a conversion tool for these bbcodes.

This mod is a great idea and I wish we would have found the common ground we needed to release something jointly. I still think that users would benefit more from a choice - but it doesnt look like that will happen. Sorry about the pain guys.

[DieselMinded]

Well Im not into the drama of who when and why , all i know is that i have been through a few different You Tube Ect... Embedders and this one seems to work great i then spent about 8 hours removing my old [YOUTUBE] ... I tried to replace them with [youtubevid] As per this mod and all of them refused to embed ???? So I posted That this dont work when editing a thread , and left all my posts with no embed tags so the links would work ,

Good Or Bad Im ready to get a mod that going to be around for the long run ,

Jumping on the newest mods here is cool , leaves you thinking that your hooking up your members with stuff that no one else has , But on the bad side You have to ride out the waves,re writes, new versions , updates , additional edits Ect and its a headache ,

Im extremely greatful for you coders as i have 40 Hacks now But i wish that You guys/gals would get all your ducks in a row before just posting a new hack It would save you from getting 500 pages of support questions and getting burnt out answering the same questions so many times that it goes UNSUPPORTED and Screws all the members who didnt get on board with your hack at the beginning

Aie Aie Aie

Thanks Geek and i plan on installing your Mod as soon as i see it as i want to get my Board on the right track when it comes to video embedding ASAP

Make sure it will work when editing a thread if you would please
Later
DM

[mfyvie]

Originally Posted by DiesellMinded

Im extremely greatful for you coders as i have 40 Hacks now But i wish that You guys/gals would get all your ducks in a row before just posting a new hack It would save you from getting 500 pages of support questions and getting burnt out answering the same questions so many times that it goes UNSUPPORTED and Screws all the members who didnt get on board with your hack at the beginning

I also don't want to get into all the details, but suffice to say that this is exactly what I tried to do here (get my ducks in a row). When I started this, and also when I released it there was no other mod that could do this. Therefore I tried to get a quality release that worked very quickly and gave most of the features that people wanted, with a roadmap for further development down the track. It's quite hard to do with this video stuff, because people will always report variations in the format, so it takes time to tweak. Let's not forget that this mod was only a few days old. However, when other mods pop up with identical functionality afterwards, I don't see the point in continuing development. I'll simply go off and find another original idea to develop (I have plenty). I don't write and support these mods because I enjoy it, I write them because I need the functionality, and if nobody else has stepped up the plate, then I have to do it. I also can't allow myself to be in a position where I have used someone else's code, but I have restrictions placed on me on which features I can and can't implement with this code. In this case I'll make the choice to use my own code - but not if my own code does exactly the same thing as someone else's!

If other mods had done this before there's no way I would have written one!

So sorry again - I was in this for the long haul, but I don't want to see a situation of two (or more mods) with totally separate codebases doing the same thing initially, with users bouncing between them. I think in this case choice is a bad thing. Programmers should be putting their resources into fresh ideas, this is now what I will do. I hope you enjoy some of my forthcoming releases.

Anyway, just so you know - if you uninstall my mod, the bbcodes are left in place for you to remove manually. This means existing stuff will keep working. For most people having 16 extra bbcodes on their system won't bother them. And if it really was such an issue for you, then you probably wouldn't have used this mod in the first place

The transition to the other mod won't be a drama, and you'll get everything you got from mine - except support.

[DieselMinded]

Well Thanks For That ,

So Were all going to have to Pay For the Geeks Version Aint We?

As for how many installs you got in 3 days its pretty obvious How badly needed this is .

There are alot of Mods that alot of people want the same thing , Its Crazy How No One wants to work on these .

vBillards
Im willing to pay someone $30 a mth for a billiards table that verify's the $username tag and keeps records and is remotely hosted and my forum is not even a billiards/pool forum There are a Ton of billiards/pool forums online that i know would jump all over it .

At $30 a Mth for 100 Boards thats $36,000 a Year !!!! WOW

This is just an example , I cant code I have built a few websites And my crutch is Front Page If I could code You can bet that I would be Focusing on things that People on here ask for ...

Give a Gift Subscription

I would pay for it ! Where is it at TAKE MY MONEY !!!!

Get a Copy of the Forum Rules Shown at registration listed on the FAQ Page ... What a No Brainer ?

User Group Based Post Icons As Admin I want to Tag some of my threads with an Official Post Icon So Users can see this means business , Currently anyone can use every post icon

Thats Just a few that I need bad and have asked for and i know others would use that no one has pursued

I have Paid for Sweepstakes $25 , Infernos Whos Online AJAX box $15 , Addon Chat $180 , Plugin Poker $25 a month

I have the Referrals Page But i cant set it to only show referrals based on dates Tho its an option its never been finished I will pay for this !

My board supports its self i have 80 paid subscribers My board started on march 14th 2007 Im ready for this thing to Rock and Roll I have $$ to invest to make it better , Im asking you to take it !

www.dieselbombers.com

Thanks

DM

[The Geek]

As an FYI: My contribution was never going to be a commercial mod and it never will be. I just won't be offering direct supporting on it. This was another reason I encouraged this mod to stay here.

BTW: It is generally advisable to have your mod remove itself completely when a user uninstalls it. However I suppose that means I don't need to bother with a converter.

[mfyvie]

I don't think you will have to pay for the geek's version, he just won't be supporting it. If he was going to release it as a paid mod, then I would not have pulled mine and would have continued development.

I hear your pain about these mods. I was in the same boat. I couldn't program mods either, so I started to teach myself by looking at how other mods worked. It wasn't easy - and even now when I post a programming question, unless it is easy it doesn't get answered, or if it does get answered not always with enough detail to help...

These days I don't bother posting mod requests anymore, I just start to sit down and write them. But I'm usually writing for something I really need.

I'd happily take on your projects, but I don't need any of them for my own system, and there probably wouldn't be enough income in them to justify them without that :-( the other problem is because I am still learning it takes me a long time to do this stuff.

The ironic thing is that when you post a request for a mod nobody is interested, but when the mod comes out everyone yells out "fantastic!" That's the way it goes in the world of free software...

[DieselMinded]

Thanks And I Understand 100% , I hate seeing the Coders Say Thats it Not Supported

Dont get discouraged your efforts go along way for Me,My Board and its members .

As for the Give a Gift Subscription Ill pay you $20 PayPal right now for taking over https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=105553 for 3.6.7 This is a business move for me as it would only take 1 use to pay its self 100% then any use after that all in the green

DM