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!

[davidw]

Strange, I didn't see a subscription reply on post 79.

A) 1, 2, and 3 are currently available (to an extent) through manipulation of the current system using available slots and different $vbsponsors_ variables

Rotation is something I am going to implement in the new banner system - it isn't available in this system.

B) Click-management will come to the new system - it cannot work in this version.

C) I already have written a flash version for a client a couple years back (totally different type) but will most likely implement this in the next version.

D) Part is doable, but vendor upload is possible but could pose a security risk, especially if it is a flash banner. I will have to take consideration in this one.

[Cybershaolin]

Thanks for your answers for post #79 davidw, I really like your hack.

What about shuflling the banners asked in post #80, when using the variable $vbsponsors_marqueeh? Is this feasable with the actual version?

Finally, do you have a release date frame for your new version?

[davidw]

I cannot shuffle/rotate in the current form. That will be available in the new version. I have to switch how the banners are handled.

I cannot give a release time, however, if I were to give a conservative estimate I was guess 1-2 months. My coding time for these projects usually fall on the weekends.

[Cybershaolin]

All right, thanks. Once all the new features will be there, this will be the best mod for sponsors. It's actually not bad already.

[Xphusion]

how can i set this so i can make a new page and have my sponsors on one seperate page by itself?

for the future need some adjust in the sposers area large box to put code in not just links that way we can monitize it adsense links etc

[davidw]

I would have to create a separate page for the sponsors page, but that wouldn't be that hard.
I can do a ad/text box for top, bottom, left, and/or right but that would come with a future revision.

Don't forget to click install.

[RichB318]

I was wondering if someone can help me? My issue is I have the plugin installed and I added a sponsor under setting in vb. How to add it to my site. Do I copy paste the html from your template(i.e. 2 column) and paste in the ad location template? Or do I just copy/paste $vbsponsors_twocolumn into the adlocator template. I know I have to select adfooter etc. But I'm haveing trouble getting it to appear on my site. Thanks for your time! Rich

[davidw]

If you have the plugin installed, you should be able to just use the variable rather than copying and pasting the template code itself. For the most part it is trial and error. If the variable doesn't work, then try the template code - this way you know one way or the other.

[RichB318]

I have the plugin installed. I just tried it both ways and neither worked. I added it to the Ad Location Templates in the ad footer/ end. But nothing appeared. Is there something I could be misssing? I have google adsense if that could matter. Vb sponsors is showing as installed in my plugin manager. Plus I have the options for it under vb options. Under settings I have it "yes" for it being vb sponsor enabled. Under users able to view, I added aminstrators, and registered users. Besides that I didn't change anything. Thanks again!

[davidw]

If you are using the template within a template within a template... I can't say if it will work or not. The best thing to do is evaluate the plugin (look at caching the templates and template evals. I am familiar with calling templates but not calling templates from within templates.