New Forum for Member Articles and Thread in Draft form

Keoni986 · 02-16-2015, 01:27 PM

Article & Thread Construction Area:

This Is An Important Announcement

Have you ever wished that you could have a way to create an Article or Thread in private? A place where you could create, edit and tweak your thread before sharing it with the rest of the membership? Well your wish has come true.....

Here is the new area:

https://boxsterregister.org/announcement.php?a=19

Your Boxster Register Team

Left Hander · 02-16-2015, 06:43 PM

Super news - this will be a really great addition to the BR.

Those who have considered doing an article to share with the group here start gathering those pics and links!

Thanks Kenoni986

Guenter in Ontario · 02-17-2015, 10:49 AM

This sounds like a good idea for people wanting to create articles but don't want to post them until they're done.

Just a couple of observations of which you're probably aware.

I can't follow the link in the announcement. I get a message saying I don't have permission to access this part of the website
I can see the link/topic "Tips on How to Use This Area". Again, when I click on the topic, I get the message that I don't have permission ti access this part of the website.

Keoni986 · 02-17-2015, 10:53 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by Guenter in Ontario

This sounds like a good idea for people wanting to create articles but don't want to post them until they're done.

Just a couple of observations of which you're probably aware.

I can't follow the link in the announcement. I get a message saying I don't have permission to access this part of the website
I can see the link/topic "Tips on How to Use This Area". Again, when I click on the topic, I get the message that I don't have permission ti access this part of the website.

Oops

Fixed

Guenter in Ontario · 02-17-2015, 11:30 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by Keoni986

Oops

Fixed

Yup. Seems to be working now.

Ed Busam · 02-17-2015, 02:36 PM

Keoni986,
This looks great, and the link works for me as well.
As we discussed in a PM, I will proceed to build my engine swap story, and place the photos in folders that link to the copy/pasted shortcut in the body of the thread.
I'd like to continue on with the original thread "Catastrophic Engine Failure ..." as long as that poses no issues.
I read through the Q&A you had included at the link above, but still had this question:
If I have the photos in albums, and I copy/paste the shortcut into the thread, (as opposed to the BB code for an indivudual image), does the 'shortcut' just appear within the thread, or does a thumbnail image appear representing the folder?
(If a thumbnail image appears, and it will be the first image in the folder, then I will place a representative image as the first one in the folder.)
Thanks!
Ed

Gator Bite · 02-17-2015, 03:02 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Ed Busam

Keoni986,
This looks great, and the link works for me as well.
As we discussed in a PM, I will proceed to build my engine swap story, and place the photos in folders that link to the copy/pasted shortcut in the body of the thread.
I'd like to continue on with the original thread "Catastrophic Engine Failure ..." as long as that poses no issues.
I read through the Q&A you had included at the link above, but still had this question:
If I have the photos in albums, and I copy/paste the shortcut into the thread, (as opposed to the BB code for an indivudual image), does the 'shortcut' just appear within the thread, or does a thumbnail image appear representing the folder?
(If a thumbnail image appears, and it will be the first image in the folder, then I will place a representative image as the first one in the folder.)
Thanks!
Ed

Ed, I'll take a crack at your question.

If you post a link from a photo album, it will appear just as that, a link (not a thumbnail).

Example 1. If I post this:

https://boxsterregister.org/picture.php?albumid=407&pictureid=3980

vBulletin will parse it into this:

https://boxsterregister.org/picture....pictureid=3980

Now if I post the BB code for that picture, then I will get a full size image.

Example 2. If I posted this:

[IMG]https://boxsterregister.org/picture.php?albumid=407&pictureid=3980[/IMG]

vBulletin will parse it into this:

If you want a smaller picture, or want to make your own thumbnail for example, you can use the IMGW BB Code. That code allows you to specify the display width of the image. The browser will resize it to fit the dimension you specified.

Example 3. If I post this:

[IMGW=320]https://boxsterregister.org/picture.php?albumid=407&pictureid=3980[/IMGW]

vBulletin will parse it into this (320 pixels wide):

Click the picture to enlarge. Custom BB Code written by Gator Bite.

Now, if you are looking to affect the thumbnail that appears in the Articles index page it's important to know how the software works. It takes the first picture in the post and use it as the thumbnail unless there is an attachment. If there is an attachment it used that first. So, if you want a different thumbnail to show up in the Articles section, simply attach the thumbnail you want to your work.

Hope this helps. I'm not 100% sure of what you were asking, so I tried to cover the bases. If I missed it, please let me know.

Mark in Boise · 02-17-2015, 04:21 PM

Just my personal opinion, but if I am reading an article, I would prefer to see pictures in the appropriate place in the article, rather than thumbnails. To me thumbnails are kind of like footnotes. Do I ignore them and continue reading, or do I look at them and then to back to try to figure out where I was in the text?

Ed Busam · 02-17-2015, 04:36 PM

Gator Bite & Mark,
Thanks for the response!
I think your example #1 answers my question.
In my case, I am thinking to add to my existing thread with periodic posts where I have a short explanation of the photos in a given album, and then just a link over to that album with no thumbnail image.
So, my post can say "engine removal sequence", include a few comments, and then if the reader is interested, they can click the link and browse through the photos in the album.
There may be 5 photos or 25 (I am down-res'ing them a bit).
Otherwise, I think the post will get extremely lengthy with all the photos directly included.

Unless I am thinking about it incorrectly, an 'Article' is more like a 'step-by-step-how-to-do-it' piece, where I am rather just wanting to share my experience through pictures, with some more minimal text.

I'll give it a shot and see how it works, and please feel free to tell me a better / different approach at any point.
I took literally hundreds of pictures through the process, but am paring it way down to some that I think either help tell the story or have particular interest.

Thank You so much!
Ed

Guenter in Ontario · 02-17-2015, 05:06 PM

For my $0.02 worth. I find a picture can be extremely useful to help me identify a part or location/orientation of that part in "how to" instructions.

I like the idea of the thumbnail, provided it is placed in the place where it is used to illustrate something being described. If I don't need the picture to help me, I can skip over the thumbnail. If I need that illustration, it helps to be able to enlarge it and see it in greater detail.

Gator Bite · 02-17-2015, 06:48 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Ed Busam

Keoni986,
This looks great, and the link works for me as well.
As we discussed in a PM, I will proceed to build my engine swap story, and place the photos in folders that link to the copy/pasted shortcut in the body of the thread.
I'd like to continue on with the original thread "Catastrophic Engine Failure ..." as long as that poses no issues.
I read through the Q&A you had included at the link above, but still had this question:
If I have the photos in albums, and I copy/paste the shortcut into the thread, (as opposed to the BB code for an indivudual image), does the 'shortcut' just appear within the thread, or does a thumbnail image appear representing the folder?
(If a thumbnail image appears, and it will be the first image in the folder, then I will place a representative image as the first one in the folder.)
Thanks!
Ed

It sounds like you're trying to create a "Photo Album Index" so to speak, and that sounds like a nice project. This new area is perfect for your experiment because you can craft your project behind closed doors with the help of the BR team.

That can certainly be an article. An article doesn't need to be a step by step how to, it's really anything of great value that the community can benefit from by keeping it on top and not letting it get buried or lost in the archives.

Start something up in the new Construction Zone. Only you and the BR team will be able to see it. Ask questions there and we'll help you as much as we can. I may have some good tricks for you on that one.

Ed Busam · 02-17-2015, 08:35 PM

Thanks Gator Bite ... I will follow your record on this.
Ed

Ed Busam · 02-17-2015, 08:36 PM

Should be 'reco' (not record) ...