Online/Offline Status with Avatar Opacity

This is our first hack, but it works very nicely.

This hack changes the way a user is displayed as online or offline when viewing a thread. It serves three purposes. One, it cuts down on a cluttered postbit. Two, it makes it very easy to distinguish who?s online and who?s not when viewing a thread. Three, it?s kinda cool.

If a user is offline his/her avatar?s opacity will be set to 20 (This is the setting we are using, you can change this number by editing the ?postbit_avataroffline? template, which is included in the attached zip file). A low image opacity gives an image a washed out sort of look. If a user is Online his/her avatar?s opacity is 100 of course.

See a live demo at our forums:

http://forums.otllive.com

This hack is fairly easy to install. You?ll have to edit three php files, add a new template, edit your ?Head Insert? under Styles, upload a small Javascript file, and make a small change to your postbit, announcement, and privmsg templates.

Included in the zip file is an install.txt document and one javascript file.

Creativity by Grendel
Coding by Nomb

BTW, This is the Official Merry Christmas Hack!

Don't forget to click install if you use this hack.

Merry Christmas.

**EDIT** (12/25/02 6:00 pm EST)

I've updated the install file. Users that don't have avatars will stay that way. Also, the coding is integrated into whether or not users select the option to "show" avatars or not.

Final release!

I will be adding something else to this hack in the future. For now, it works with no weird stuff.

[Brad]

I know that :-p. im talking about the default avatar if none selected.

[Sebastian]

very interesting hack

[Grendel602]

Originally posted by Sebastian
very interesting hack

You guys are making us blush.

:banana:

We are working on another hack for gaming oriented clan sites.


Don't forget to click the install button if you use our hack.

[mli]

Originally posted by Courage
Nice !!!

See exemple here:

http://www.softnews.ro/forum/showthr...1968#post61968

No registration needed !

BUG found

if the user has no avatar selected.. it apears like the avatar is missing .. 404 eror !

This is way off topic, but you've got a ROMANIAN FORUM!!! Crazy. I was born in Romania and lived there for 10 years. Where do you live?

[ladyfyre]

i don't really want our avatars to go transparent if people are not online....but i think there is still a pretty cool way to use this.....

what if instead of setting the avatar to opaque if the user is OFFLINE, you put a border around the image using the { categorybackcolor } replacement?

That would highlight those who are ONLINE, while leaving offline members as is.

[partang2]

Great hack! Works great on 2.2.9

*Clicks install*

[Grendel602]

Glad you all like it. Leave some links of how you all are using the hack.

[DFX]

Ran into a little problem. I had to edit some of the lines for a different hack.

if ($avatarurl=="" or ($bbuserinfo[userid]>0 and !($bbuserinfo[showavatars]))) {
$post[avatar]="";
} else {
eval("\$post[avatar] = \"".gettemplate("postbit_avatar")."\";");
}

Is instead

if ($avatarurl=="" or ($bbuserinfo[userid]>0 and !($bbuserinfo[showavatars]))) {
$post[avatar]="";
} elseif ($post[usergroupid]== 103) {
eval("\$post[avatar] = \"".gettemplate("postbit_blur_avatar")."\";");
} else {
eval("\$post[avatar] = \"".gettemplate("postbit_avatar")."\";");
}

Is there anyway for me to use this hack?

[Nomb]

Do you want to discontinue using the hack you have in place now? Can you post the contents of the "postbit_blur_avatar" template.

Thanks ( :

[nymyth]

sup...this is kinda unrelated....but on your website u have this thing where under 'NOMB' u have text taht reads invisible flag man.....i was wondering how u put this there.....(and im talking a bout under thread starter, not the custom name).....thanx

Peace