>>>>>> How to post photos from a photo-hosting site <<<<<<

[k757]

Here is a sample of how to reference photos from free sites Photobucket.com or tinypic.com or other.

One plus for Photobucket is that they provide:
+ URL Link (for sending links to friends in email)
+ HTML Tag (for inserting a photo when developing a webpage)
+ IMG Code (for posting in forums... like on the ROC!)

The code you want is with the [IMG] tags.


Just copy that code to place the pic into your post. The finished code should look like this (without the spaces):
[IMG]<space>Yourpicture.com<space>[/IMG]


I recommend creating folders and subfolders on the photo site you choose as once you use that image on a forum, you can not move the photo around to different folders, else everywhere you inserted that photo, the photo will no longer display



SAMPLE 1
[IMG]<space>http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q.../PA280025_.jpg<space> [/IMG]

and now without the spaces:


SAMPLE 2
Or it can also be used for referencing all photos out on the web
[IMG]<space>http://www.handa-accessories.com/roc_logo.gif<space>[/IMG]

and now without the spaces:




I currently have my photobucket free account set to a max size of 1024x768 as that is a good size for displaying on forums. ROC attachments allow size 640x640

If you pay for the photobucket subscription, you can get sizes:
19" screen ( 1280 x 960 )
21" screen ( 1600 x 1200 )
22" screen ( 2048 x 1536 )
23" screen ( 2240 x 1680 )


Please feel free to ask any questions.

[Truckin']

This explanation is more complicated than the process I used to successfully attach images from SmugMug. I tried adding the [IMG] tag to each end, as my copied link didn't come out with that set of letters on each end. When I added the IMG in the body of my post, it just made a non-functioning link.

What worked for me was to go into "Manage Attachments" and paste the URL for the individual picture just as it copied from my off-forum photo site. I pasted it in the URL blank and then pressed upload.

This may work on SmugMug because there is a list of different uses for your images to choose from. I selected the "posting to a forum" URL so I surmise that the size is optimized for this use.

I just wanted to add that it could be simpler to do than K757's explanation. But then again, maybe the reason it's simpler is I'm using a Mac.

[k757]

The IMG tag is so easy to use, when writing text part of your message, click on the little icon that is a pale yellow with the little mountain (ridge?), then add the link in the pop-up box. The forum software adds the correctly formatted IMG tags for you. If just the link displays in your message, then that site blocks photo hosting. For example, I think Myspace does this as well. why? Because photo hosting is expensive and by allowing photo hosting, it takes away visitor traffic, which costs those sites money.

Originally Posted by Truckin'

This explanation is more complicated than the process I used to successfully attach images from SmugMug. I tried adding the [IMG] tag to each end, as my link didn't come out with that set of letters on each end. It just made a non-functioning link.

What worked for me was to go into "Manage Attachments" and paste the URL for the individual picture just as it copied from my off-forum photo site. I pasted it in the URL blank and then pressed upload.

Yes this works easily as you are uploading the photo to the ROC server to be stored for all time. When each image is attached, the forum software goes to that site where the photo is located and copies the entire image and saves it on the ROC hard drive for all time. With the IMG tags, the link is rendered (image retrieved from the linked site) at the time of the page loading, which means less space needed to store pages on the server. But also means that if you move that photo from the photo hosting site, the photo will not be displayed on the ROC at future dates.

By attaching a lot of images, you are doing an dis-service to the ROC and slowing down performance on retrieval times (i.e making the forum slower over time).

Most forums limit the amount of attachment space that a user can have and I can see the ROC going this way in the future. Having to buy more server space to house everyone's attachments is very expensive and this cost can be minimalized (yes new word). People may not like this method, but other forums force you to do this or just not be able to display photos.

[Truckin']

Originally Posted by k757

By attaching a lot of images, you are doing an dis-service to the ROC and slowing down performance on retrieval times

Whoa back, Keith. Why does this sound so much like a scolding? I have been the duchess of adding images to the ROC. It's only the last few months that I bought into SmugMug and now have my own website to store my photos. I will gladly let the ROC have access to my photos over there rather than posting them directly anymore. I certainly don't want to fall into the category of doing a 'dis-service to the ROC.'

I honestly thought I was doing the right thing with the mini-meet photos; not uploading my photos directly as I've done in the past. Silly me -- all the time I took to insert URLs for each photo. In my obvious lack of understanding of how things work on a forum, I wrongly assumed that using the URL was simply providing a LINK to my other website.

Originally Posted by k757

(i.e making the forum slower over time).

Yeah, I get it without the redundancy. This is the definition of "slowing down performance on retrieval times."

Originally Posted by k757

Yes this works easily as you are uploading the photo to the ROC server to be stored for all time. When each image is attached, the forum software goes to that site where the photo is located and copies the entire image and saves it on the ROC hard drive for all time. With the IMG tags, the link is rendered (image retrieved from the linked site) at the time of the page loading, which means less space needed to store pages on the server. But also means that if you move that photo from the photo hosting site, the photo will not be displayed on the ROC at future dates.

Thanks for this explanation. I honestly had no idea this site was able to copy the content from SmugMug via the URL rather than just link to it. I see the folly of my thinking. I was still using the prominently displayed and recommended tool of "Manage Attachments." Duh, I was unknowingly making an attachment.

I would think vBulletin should make the 'Insert image' tool the tool of choice by bringing it out the the clutter of seldom used tools above the comment box. I would have been more likely to discover this on my own down on the 'Additional Options' section.

Originally Posted by k757

The IMG tag is so easy to use, when writing text part of your message, click on the little icon that is a pale yellow with the little mountain (ridge?), then add the link in the pop-up box. The forum software adds the correctly formatted IMG tags for you.

If it's this easy to link to an image hosted elsewhere, why the convoluted explanation in the first post you made? I thought I was going to have to type [IMG] paste here - carefully avoiding spaces [/IMG] on every blasted photo I put in my post. What a PITA. When I looked at "Manage Attachments" and considered using the URL box I'd never used before, it seemed like a much better alternative to typing in those additional eleven characters with every photo.

Why is this the very first time that handy tool has been pointed out to us? We are instructed on the forum FAQs about images this way:

http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/f...q_new_faq_item

"How do I display images in my post? To upload one or more images with a post, use the "Manage Attachments" button located on the same page you use to enter a new post or to enter a reply. The "Manage Attachments" button is located below the message body text box. This opens up a new window that shows three text boxes with "Browse" buttons to the right of each. Click a Browse button to search your computer's hard drive or CD drive for the image you wish to upload. As you can see, three text boxes allow you to upload up to three images at one time. Once the image files are selected and displayed in the text box(es), click the "Upload" button to the right of those boxes. *Uploading may take a minute or so, depending on the size of your image. Once the image(s) has been uploaded, the file names will be displayed on the Upload window. From there, click the "Close Window" button to close the upload window and return to your post. You can now submit your post and the image(s) will be attached. Images cannot be massive in size, so you may have to located an image editing tool (freeware or purchased) that can shrink it down in dimensions and/or file size."

Originally Posted by k757

People may not like this method, but other forums force you to do this or just not be able to display photos.

I have no problem using this method now that I've figured out where it hides out and how to do it. It's very easy, even easier than the 'Manage Attachments' method as I don't have to switch on and off the pop up window. Perhaps it is time to update and modify the 'How do I display images' explanation on the FAQs page.

I'm no computer whiz and I don't know HTML code or anything about web hosting. However, I'm bold and I'll tackle anything I want to do on my computer. Sometimes I need some hand holding or more specific instructions.

I've constructed a chart that would have quickly and clearly pointed me to the 'Insert image' tool so I would have mastered this new skill correctly the first time. I hope the explanation I've included is accurate.

[T Mac]

It can be tricky when figuring out what to paste between the IMG tags, but I just tried the above from your SmugMug gallery and the full-size images are all JPEG format and have compatible paths, so it works like a champ. I right-clicked on a full-size image, chose "Copy Link Location" (in FireFox web browser) and pasted that between my IMG tags. I like SmugMug.

[Truckin']

Thanks. I like SmugMug very much myself. It's got various linking and sending options laid out (under the share photo button) with a single click to copy the link size/style you want to use.

I went in and pasted that very photo the using the 'Insert link" to put it into my thread. It's extremely simple using SmugMug and vBulletin together. I'll go back when I get a few minutes and repost those other photos.

This also solves another thing I've not been able to figure out before and that's separating photos so I could add comments between them. Other people have done that all along, but I didn't know any way to attach images except using Manage Attachments. My photos always ended up in a clump at the bottom of each post. That's why I made so many posts on my mini-meet thread, to make the narrative match the two or three photos.

Is there still a limit of five images per post using this method?

[Tim1954Tinman]

So what the heck is going on? Are we no longer allowed to post pictures directly? I am confused and the above explanations give me a headache.

[T Mac]

We still host images. We encourage those who have online photo galleries to insert photos using the [IMG] tag rather than to upload them to our server. As Keith said, what happens is that we run into a double whammy - it takes space on our server (and I'm now nearing a required upgrade) and it also takes bandwidth.

I certainly will continue to allow members to post pics on this server. I'm just saying...if you have these already online somewhere and you can simply embed the image using a link to that image, it saves the server and still gets the job done. Hopefully that makes sense.

Thanks all!

[djeaux]

Just to add my to the equation, another reason for linking to images hosted elsewhere (instead of uploading) is that you can insert the picture within your post instead of just having them all at the end. The "two cents" image above is an example.

Instead of using a photo-hosting site, I upload my images to folders on my own website. I'm paying for the hosting service, so I figure I might as well use it I use the "copy image location" method to pick up the URL to past in the "Insert Image" tool here.

[Pizza Man]

With some help from K757, I found the service I was using (SnapFish) either doesn't allow linking to their site or isn't capable of it. I uploaded a few images into Photobucket and was able to very easily do the image linking on the ROC. An additional benefit doing it this way is photos don't need to be downsized.