Forum Display Enhancements - vB Sponsors - Add a sponsors location to your site

What does this do?
This allows you to add sponsors to your site.

How does this install?
1) Install this product via Admincp => Plugins & Products => Manage Products
2) Edit your Admincp options via Admincp => vBulletin Options => vBulletin Options => vB Sponsors Settings
3) Add one or more wherever they will work.
$vbsponsors_marquee - Box with scrolling marquee (vertical - up)
$vbsponsors_marqueeh - Box with scrolling marquee (horizontal - left)
$vbsponsors_onecolumn - One column sponsor box (uses first 20)
$vbsponsors_twocolumn - Two column sponsor box (uses two columns; Column 1 uses 1-10, Column 2 uses 11-20)
$vbsponsors_threecolumn - Three column sponsor box (uses three columns; Column 1 uses 1-7, Column 2 uses 8-14, Column 3 uses 15-21)
$vbsponsors_fourcolumn - Four column sponsor box (uses four columns; Column 1 uses 1-5, Column 2 uses 6-10, Column 3 uses 11-15, etc.)
$vbsponsors_fivecolumn - Five column sponsor box (uses five columns; Column 1 uses 1-4, Column 2 uses 5-8, etc.)
$vbsponsors_sixcolumn - Six column sponsor box (uses six columns; Column 1 uses 1-3, Column 2 uses 4-6, etc.)

Currently I have it set up (in the screen shot) in the FORUMHOME template right above the <!-- what's going on box --> comment.

How does this work?
Edit your:
Sponsorbox Title
Usergroups
Column widths (for left, center, and right columns)
- 1 column uses the center column size
- 2 column uses the left and right column sizes
- 3 column uses all three column sizes
- 4 column uses 4 even column sizes (to set)
- 5 column uses 5 even column sizes (to set)
- Marquee uses 1 column size.
Height and width of image to be resized (you can use any image but it will be resized to the dimension you specify here - width must be smaller than column width).
Sponsor Title, Image, and Link
- Title is the title or caption of the image
- Image is the your image you want displayed (full http:// URL works best)
- Link is where you want the clicked image to go to

You can have up to 21 Titles, Images, and Links. See screenshot for more detail. If anyone would like to provide a demo, please PM me and I will add it here.

It has been pointed out to me that you may be able to use this in more than one location:
e.g. $vbsponsors_threecolumn in your FORUMHOME template, and $vbsponsors_onecolumn
in your sidebar/column if you use columns. I've not tested this but have had someone test this with success.

Release Notes:
Gold: No changes

RC1: Added 3 more column choices and a new horizontal marquee choice. Removed a couple options that didn't work.

Beta 4: Fixed 3 bugs.

Beta 3: Fixed 4 phrases that may have caused some confusion.
- Added a scrolling marquee (up) for scrolling and size purposes.

Beta 2: Fixed ability to enable/disable modification.
- Added function to give each column's images their own sizes (width and height) specific for that column.
- Added second admincp page to separate long list of options from long list of Titles, Images, and Links.

Beta 1: Initial Release

Ideas for future releases:
[s]One column marquee[/s] - Added in Beta 3

Pre-RC notes:

As this is Beta, I will support this but I am not responsible for issues outside of my control. If you would like to contribute to this and offer suggestions, please PM me and I will do my best to add/take in all suggestions for this modification as this can/does have potential. Aside from the bugs marked in the notes below, this beta is fully-functional.

I've classified this as Beta for these reasons:
1) I have more features planned for this
2) 2 features are present that may be developed further or may be removed as they currently do not serve a purpose.
[s]Enable vB Sponsors - does not currently work.[/s] - Fixed
Unphrased item with three options - very well might remove this - serves no purpose.
3) 2 features are present that are somewhat potentially useless and are considered as "extras" that I am unsure their outcome.

One final note. If you don't like this, don't use it - if you do, great!

[socalsoccer]

How do you make it to open in a new window, rather than having them link out of your site totally?

[davidw]

It should already be opening in a new window (target="_blank") - are you wanting to open them up in an iframe on your site rather than a new window? I'm a little confused.

[socalsoccer]

Thank you David my error!!

[davidw]

No problem

[davidw]

Originally Posted by Lone Gunman

its fine if they all rotate in the same order. just for each of the 21 banner spots on your mod, enable it so you can put up to 4 different banners in each of those 21 spots and they all rotate at same time/speed/order which universal speed can be adjusted. that way up to a total of 84 different sponsors can be listed in those 21 spots. each spot only rotates the 4 listed in that spot then.

I will attempt to work on this update this weekend.

[detroit]

If I can make a suggestion for future enhancements.....

A report of how many clicks each of the sponsors sites got from it would be a great feature to show how much it is working.

Just my 2 cents....

[davidw]

That is something I am planning on a future release when I move this to the database (as it's own entity).

[GateKeper]

How can this be added to the main page for those of us who use Vba CMPS as well ?

Thanks

[davidw]

At minimum, you must add the template names being used and all relevant variables to the main options in the CMPS AdminCP options. I will see about a tutorial later.

[dmknights]

this is only RC, so when will the final be released?