Member's Photo Gallery

I have written what I consider to be my first "big" hack...well, maybe it's only medium. It's certainly my most ambitious project to date.

Basically, what it is is a gallery of photos of your members. Obviously, the hack does not include these photos! You need to get your members to submit to you a photo of themselves. You then need to use an image editing app to create a smaller thumbnail image. Create a new directory and upload the photos to it (you don't absolutely need a unique directory for the photos, but it's good for organization). You can make this directory anywhere; I have mine as a first-level directory inside my www root folder, but you can stick it inside your forums root directory or anywhere else. For each member you include in the Photo Gallery, you specify the URL to both images anyway, so it really doesn't matter.

This hack involves adding a new table to your database. Please make a backup of your database first! You are solely responsible for protecting your message board.

At this time, adding a member to the Photo Gallery involves direct database manipulation, such as through phpMyAdmin or direct query. This is easy, and full instructions are provided. I hope to be able to come up with some way to do this through the Admin CP, but that will require some more learning on my part (or assistance from one of you! ).

I have tested this on my board, and do not have any problems. However, since this is my biggest project so far, and the first one I've written that includes sql syntax that I devised, it's possible that I have not written this hack in the most optimal or efficient way possible. I don't consider this to be beta, though, as it is fully operational; however, if someone has any pointers on writing better code, please let me know.

Demo: My own Photo Gallery
Note: The server my site is hosted on has been having a lot of problems lately, so if it doesn't load or you get MySql errors, please try again a little later. Sorry!

Plans for the Future
1. Add a simple way to add a member to the Photo Gallery through the Admin CP.
2. Making the thumbnail gallery multi-page capable so a user can specify the number of thumbnails seen per page. --DONE!
3. Adding a search function.
4. Integrating into a member's profile, to either show the thumbnail there as well, or else link to it.
5. Got other ideas? Let me hear them.

Everything you need should be in the attached .ZIP file. Have fun!

[Dean C]

and hows the ability for a member to upload their own pic feature going?

[JJR512]

It looks like vBulletin 3 is going to include a feature that will allow a member to upload his/her own photo into his/her profile. This photo would then be displayed in the user's profile whenever someone views it.

However, I saw no mention of a centralized system wherein you could view all photos; this is what my hack basically does.

Therefore, when vBulletin 3 comes out, if it's not already included by then, I intend to release a new Photo Gallery hack that will build on the built-in profile photo system that's built in to vB 3. This new hack will be a centralized page to see all photos, as is this current version, but it should be simpler and more user-friendly, since it uses the photos that users upload for themselves.

Let this serve as notice that, unless the vBulletin developers include this functionality in the release version, I hereby claim eminent domain over this idea, and kindly ask that nobody else work on the same idea.

[Attrox]

Very cool hack, I'll use it until vB 3 is released. Nice job!

[DudeSicko]

Ok i have installed it, and i can see the page.

BUT: Where do i put in the pictures, and the text ? I cant find it in the admin page ;( ??

[JJR512]

What admin page? There is no admin page with this hack. Everything is done by file uploads and direct database modifications. It's all described in Step 2b. Sorry, I wasn't experienced enough at the time to write a more sophisticated way of managing it. I might be able to do it now, but I have no plans to do so, as I anticipate the pending release of vBulletin 3, which will require the hack to be rewritten. In other words, I'm not going to spend any time adding new features to a hack that will be depracated soon.

[DudeSicko]

HEHE ok, i understand

[irn-bru]

Nice Hack JJR512

I have been useing it for a few months now.
I have read your post about the admin cp option
of allowing to enter the photo and useid in to the
database with out using phpmyadmin.

This is a good hack I will be useing it for some time
as I have no plans to update to vb3.

If anyone can make a script that will enter the
photo and userid in to the photogallery table in the
database via the admin cp I would very muich like to
add it.

I would do my self but I would be takeing my
life and database in to my own hands .lol

Thanx

[lemarsu]

Hi,

does anyone have a demo of this in action ?

It is then possible to have 1 page with all the pictures only ?

LeMarsu

[irn-bru]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by lemarsu
Hi,

does anyone have a demo of this in action ?

It is then possible to have 1 page with all the pictures only ?

LeMarsu

[lemarsu]

hi,
One more question ...

is there a way for the users to add their pictures ? and creating thumbs ?
I can go around doing :
INSERT INTO photogallery VALUES (xxx, 'full-photo-URL', 'thumb-photo-URL', '');
for hours/days at a time and creating stupid Thumbnails ?

Lemarsu

PS: irn-bru, are you from bonny Scotland !