Show Thread Enhancements - AME 2.0 -Auto Media Embedding for posts, blogs, visitor and group messsages

From the creators of French and Toast comes a sweet and sticky enchanement to the New York Times best-seller: AME - Auto Media Embedding

AME 2.0 - The Embedder Strikes Back!

AME has won Mod of the Month for Spetember 08. Thanks!

Note that 2.5 Gold has been released. Click Here.

Discussions for AME 2.5 RC 1 start here

AME 2.0 is the next version of the "Mod of the Month" winning media embedder that:

• Allows user to simply 'paste' in a URL (i.e. a youtube link) without needing to know any special tags. However instead of displaying just the URL, it will show the media within the post
• is lightweight as it does all of her chores without the overhead of having 1 bbcode per pattern or trying to parse a post every single time it gets displayed with a bunch of patterns. AME radically reduces overhead and speeds up processing. The only time ame will kick in is after creating a new post or after editing an existing one (or if an ame tag is found)
• is extensible. She allows you to add, edit, delete, import and export patterns. That way you can decide which services to support, how they should look and then share them with others! At time of typing this, there are over 150 media sites that have been contributed by vBulletin.org members
• can extract the title (requires your server to allow url wrappers with fetch_contents)
• can extract embed code from sites whose URLs do not contain sufficient information to embed the video
• can rebuild your old posts to convert your 'other' mediaish tags into URL tags.
• can rebuild your old posts, blogs, comments, visitor and social group messages to convert URL tags into ame tags where needed
• can convert her codes BACK to url codes so you're not stuffed with a bunch of dead tags if you uninstall!
• won't uglify your site by having videos appear in quotes, php, code or html blocks (blech!)
• can be globally disabled
• can be excluded from forums
• can exclude usergroups
• can be toggled on/off per post, blog, comment, visitor and social group message
• would cook dinner for you if she had arms
• can wrap the output in a 'container' with original URL
• has a super comprehensive admincp help system. Yes, I actually took the bloody time to add all the info you need into vB's admincp help system. If you ask a silly question in this thread that is addressed in the help system, you will be taunted.
• is fully phrased
• has hooks around integral operations so you can extend it
• Supports embedding in vbBlog, Visitor Messages and Social Groups.
• Can be disabled in one or more of the following sections: Posts, vbBlog, Visitor Messages and/or Social Groups

Apart from the additional areas of support around vbBlog, Visitor Messages and Social Groups, little has changed about AME since version 1.0 released over a year ago. I cleaned up a few minor bugs, trimmed and updated the default definitions.

Which sites are supported?

At time of counting this, there are about 170 sites supported. But I have only included a few common standards as default (yahoo, youtube, myspace, google and Amazon). Why only these? AME was designed with its own import and export system that enables users to create or modify definitions and share them with the community. This keeps the system lightweight, customisable and saves us all from having to upgrade every time a media site changes their URL structure or if I add another site.

Check out the 'add ons' section of this post below to see availible add-ons.



Installation/Upgrade

• Upload the contents of the forums folder into your forums directory and import the product-ame.xml file into your product manager (if upgrading, choose 'yes' to overwrite previous installation).
• After installation, make sure that the system is on (admincp->AME CP->Settings)
• Then you may want to try to rebuild old URLs via the tools option.

Big thanks goes out to all those in the community that have supported this mod. Especially Digital Jedi Who has created about 155 definitions for this system alone!

Change Log


2.0.2 - fixed added slashes in quote blocks (DoH!), vm advanced error and incrimented product version. You need to replace include/ame_bb_code.php and re-import the product-ame.xml to upgrade
2.0.1 - fixed missing backslashes in code blocks

2.5 Pre-Release information

Attached to this post is pre-release of version 2.5

2.5 is a pretty major upgrade from the 2.0 series and adds the following functionality to 2.0:

• New in Beta 3 - Validation ability. This will help prevent media being embedded that can not be embedded (i.e. youtube videos that the author has stipulated can not be shown off of youtube). This option requires the extraction option to be turned on and a valid validation regexp. I have included one in the default youtube version. When a video on you tube gets embedded, but the author doesnt allow embedding, a link (with icon) is shown instead.
• Ability to prevent non authorised usergroups from viewing (see Readme file in zip for more info)
• Usergroup permissions (edit usergroup to adjust edit/view permissions)
• Template driven system - uses templates now instead of 1 master replacement (see Readme file in zip for more info)
• Signatures supported
• Different sizes and template configurations for each supported zone (posts, blogs, groups, visitor messages and signatures)
• A couple new hooks (Mainly to support a future add on for AME media in profiles)
• Notfication system (similar to vB's to check for errors)
• Definition keys for easier updating of definitions and to use in templates
• File caching system which radically reduces processing
• And more that I cant think of off the top of my head!

Note that while previous definitions will work with the new system, they will not be sizeable by zone. Since DJ helped with the private beta testing, I am sure he will be releasing 2.5 versions of his definitions soon.

Please note that 2.5 is a pre-release so there will be issues. If you want more stability, use 2.x until this version becomes gold FWIW: The only items currently outstanding are to add some missing admincp help. The rest is working as intended as far as I can tell

nJoy

[Digital Jedi]

Originally Posted by 58D

Thanks DJ. The reason I bring it up is a couple of Beta Testers on my test forum had a heck of a time trying to figure out why it was not working. It was only after clicking on the title of the video and going to the video host website that they were told they needed to update flash. If a simple link to upgrade flash was in the container, it might clue them into why they can't see the video. I'll play around with editing the container. Anyone else need the same thing? Ideally a replacement of the red X image (see attachment) with an image asking them to update their flash player. Is that a possibility or is there no way for AME to know when it's not playing for a user because they don't have Flash?

In order to replace the X you'd likely have to change the embed code for each definition, as I believe that's handled there. Editing the container would be simpler in the long run.

[Ohiosweetheart]

Originally Posted by Digital Jedi

If I'm not mistaken, that should happen automatically when a person's flash player is not up to date. But you can add the text to the container HTML. Depending on which version your using it will either be under Settings or will be part of the ame_container template as in 2.5.


Be sure to subscribe to, tag or download the definitions from my Add-On thread so you'll be automatically informed.

I have it tagged, thanks.

[58D]

In order to replace the X you'd likely have to change the embed code for each definition, as I believe that's handled there. Editing the container would be simpler in the long run.

Thanks DJ. I edited the container (see attached). I'll play around with the font to make it a little nicer looking but I do have a simple question. I added the following code:

<a href="http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/" target="_blank">Video Not Playing?  Click Here to Update Flash Player.</a>

I thought the target="_blank" would get it to open in a new tab. It won't. The AME title at the top has the same thing and it opens in a new tab. What am I doing wrong? Thanks in advance.

-Jake

[Digital Jedi]

Originally Posted by 58D

Thanks DJ. I edited the container (see attached). I'll play around with the font to make it a little nicer looking but I do have a simple question. I added the following code:

<a href="http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/" target="_blank">Video Not Playing?  Click Here to Update Flash Player.</a>

I thought the target="_blank" would get it to open in a new tab. It won't. The AME title at the top has the same thing and it opens in a new tab. What am I doing wrong? Thanks in advance.

-Jake

It's dependant on individual browser settings and type as to whehter it will open in a new tab or new window.

[58D]

This is the Title at the top of the container. It opens in a new tab.

<td class="tcat" colspan="2" style="text-align:center">
                        <a href="$ameinfo[url]" title="$ameinfo[title]" target="_blank">$ameinfo[title]</a>
</td>

This is what I added to the bottom of the container. It won't open in a new tab.

<td class="tcat" colspan="2" style="text-align:center">
                        <a href="http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/" target="_blank">Video Not Playing?  Click Here to Update Flash Player.</a>
 </td>

I figured I must be doing something wrong.

[Digital Jedi]

Originally Posted by 58D

This is the Title at the top of the container. It opens in a new tab.

<td class="tcat" colspan="2" style="text-align:center">
                        <a href="$ameinfo[url]" title="$ameinfo[title]" target="_blank">$ameinfo[title]</a>
</td>

This is what I added to the bottom of the container. It won't open in a new tab.

<td class="tcat" colspan="2" style="text-align:center">
                        <a href="http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/" target="_blank">Video Not Playing?  Click Here to Update Flash Player.</a>
 </td>

I figured I must be doing something wrong.

No, I your not doing anything wrong. Like I said, it just depends on how your browser is going to treat it.

[58D]

Ok..thanks DJ. You are doing an awesome job by the way.. I really appreciate it.

[rob01]

is the gold version coming any soon?
:S

[58D]

Ok..I fixed it. This is what I came up with. Thanks DJ.

[rouvio]

Originally Posted by The Geek

You are most likely using multiple versions of the same definition. This can occur if you import a similar definition more than once. The solution is to delete one of them.

That was my problem
It's fixed now.

Thank you for an amazing mod that keeps the lives of us 'webmasters' a LOT more easier.

Kudos.
Nir.