Major Additions - vB Affiliate Linking System (Multi-Purpose & Flash-based)

vB Flash Affiliate Linking System (Multi-Purpose)

Important: No longer supported on vbulletin.org - advice and support only available from Digital Port UK
Another creative idea brought to you by Syrus XL Media.
Free and Pro versions available from ? http://www.digitalport.co.uk
LIVE DEMO: http://www.shedevils-ld.com
Released: 15th April 2007
Version: 1.0.0
Documentation: Download packaged with .txt and .pdf formats.
Color Variations: See end of this post for other available colors.

Description
Even though we have called this an ?Affiliate Linking System?, it could serve many other purposes, depending on configuration. Basically, it will rotate any image, along with a title and an active url. You can also rename the modification name (currently the text on the bottom left) by editing the content.txt file.

Some suggested uses of this modification:

• Display forum Administrators and Moderators photos.
• Use as a miniature gallery.
• Use to display your affiliates.
• Display latest store items for sale.

The modification uses no database queries and is totally XML driven, maybe in the future we will change this to a database driven modification.

Usage
Windows users can benefit from using the scroll-wheel to flick through the various links. By double-clicking on any image, the url will be opened in a new window. A single click on any image will bring it to the front.

Adding new links with thumbnails is just a case of creating the thumbnail and editing the XML file. There?s no need to know anything about Flash, everything is controlled externally. If you find that after adding a certain number of links they fail to load, or show - Make sure you are not viewing a cached version in your browser. You should clear your Temporary Internet Files to fix this problem.

vBulletin Installation
Please read this carefully, these instructions will place the modification display on your forum homepage (if you wish to put this on the vBadvanced CMPS please view below). These instructions assume you are using the vBulletin default style.

In all installations upload all the files within the UPLOAD folder to your forum root directory.

Directory structure:

adls_data.xml
adls_content.txt
vbadlsystem.swf
/adls_images
/clientscript/flashobject.js

Note: If you have installed previous modifications by us, you may find that the flashobject.js file is already in your vbulletin installation. This file is used for fixing compatibility issues when embedding flash files, with some browsers.

Template Edits:
AdminCP -> Styles & Templates -> Style Manager -> Default Style -> Edit Templates

In the headinclude template
FIND:

<script type="text/javascript" src="clientscript/vbulletin_global.js?v=$vboptions[simpleversion]"></script>

Above add this:

<script type="text/javascript" src="clientscript/flashobject.js"></script>

In Forum Home Templates > FORUMHOME template
FIND:

$navbar

BELOW ADD:

<div align="center" width="100%" id="link_display">
Warning!!! To view this please enable JavaScript and Flash! 
</div>
<script type="text/javascript">
   var fo = new FlashObject("vbadlsystem.swf", "link_display", "700", "230", "8,0,0,0", "#E9E9F2");
   fo.addParam("quality", "high");
   fo.write("link_display");
</script>
<!-- js flashobject -->

Change the "#E9E9F2" to suit the background color of your forum.

End of Template edits to Display modification on vBulletin homepage.

Configuring the adls_content.txt file
This file only contains the text which you want to display along the bottom of the display. When editing this file do not add spaces before the main variable.

EXAMPLE:
content=Whatever you want goes here

Configuring the adls_data.xml file
This file needs very little explanation, however here?s what 3 variables you can change per image url.

The file contents:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<photos path="adls_images/">   This path can be changed, just a default we have set for the images.

   <photo name="Digital Port UK" url="image1.jpg" link="http://www.digitalport.co.uk/"></photo>

</photos>

The ?photo name? is the text you would like under the image when displayed.
The ?url? is the path to your image (note the directory is not required).
The ?link? is for your image when double-clicked on.

Creating your thumbnails
Each thumbnails image is 200x150 pixels and a non-progressive jpeg format. The flash file will resize thumbnails when they are the incorrect size, but this may lead to distortion.



vBadvanced Installation
The installation is pretty much the same apart from one template edit. These instructions assume you have installed the CMPS inside your forum ROOT, not outside.

If you have installed the vBadvanced CMPS outside the forum ROOT you will need to prepend the urls of the edits required with the flashobject.js and the vbadlsystem.swf with the full url path.

You will need to upload all files as previously mentioned for the vBulletin installation and also do the headinclude template edit.

On top of this you will need to do the following edit:
In the vBadvanced CMPS Templates -> adv_portal
FIND:

<table align="center" class="page" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%">

BELOW ADD:

<div align="center" width="100%" id="link_display">
Warning!!! To view this please enable JavaScript and Flash! 
</div>
<script type="text/javascript">
   var fo = new FlashObject("vbadlsystem.swf", "link_display", "700", "230", "8,0,0,0", "#E9E9F2");
   fo.addParam("quality", "high");
   fo.write("link_display");
</script>
<!-- js flashobject -->
<br />

Change the "#E9E9F2" to suit the background color of your forum.

End of CMPS Template edits

Enjoy!

[syrus.xl]

Originally Posted by DiSpy

Any way to get rid of the border so that it blends nicely into the site?

EDIT: marked as installed now.

Thanks!

I'll release a few other versions soon, with background and border removed. You will need to change the HEX value to the background colour you use though.

[syrus.xl]

Updated with new color variations to suit a wider range of forums. Other variations will follow.

[TOGUIMASTER]

Thanks for this colors syrus.xl

Live Demo Here

[Allan]

Originally Posted by syrus.xl

Updated with new color variations to suit a wider range of forums. Other variations will follow.

Thank you very much for the blue color

[Snake]

Great, I have been waiting for this. Thanks!

[syrus.xl]

Originally Posted by TOGUIMASTER

Thanks for this colors syrus.xl

Live Demo Here

Works well with your style!

Originally Posted by Allan

Thank you very much for the blue color

You're welcome.

I'll be adding a few more later today.

[es-league.com]

I have it installed and working ...
Is there a limit set to how many images I can upload ?
I have got to 12 and it doesnt want to display anymore ?

I was hoping to display about 20 If possible...

still a great mod I love it....

[syrus.xl]

Originally Posted by es-league.com

I have it installed and working ...
Is there a limit set to how many images I can upload ?
I have got to 12 and it doesnt want to display anymore ?

I was hoping to display about 20 If possible...

still a great mod I love it....

I have just tried this with 56 images/links and it still works fine. You maybe seeing a cached version of it in your browser, try deleting temporary internet files.

The flash movie file, will just take more time to display more images when you add more. After awhile it may slow down, but I can't say when this would happen.

[es-league.com]

thanks Buddy I will try that now...

[es-league.com]

sorted that thanks

I have a small problem now though... my quicklinks drop
down behind the affiliate linking system ?

anyway to adjust this ?