SVG images in forum?

[Neil]

I have recently been experimenting with the W3C specification for online vector graphics, SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics). This new format will soon become more widely used and has terrific benefits for webmasters. But I don't want to go into all that here, if you want to find out more, go to http://www.adobe.com/svg .

My question is how can I begin implementing these images into my forum?

Because these images currently require a plug-in to the browser to view, I have been using an <object> tag to add the svg, with a nested <img> tag which will display a raster image as an alternative for those who have no plug-in. eg:

<OBJECT data="header.svgz" type="image/svg" width="281" height="105"><IMG src="header.gif" width="281" height="105"></OBJECT>

This works fine for a web page, excluding only MSIE 3 and NS 2 or below.

I would love to be able to have SVG graphics on my forum, such as my header and icons. Is there any easy way (without editing the code) to add the images as object tags with nested images?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Neil

[Neil]

Noone has any suggestions with this one?

[doron]

is svg yet at 1.0? Anways, no browser has native support yet (mozilla plans to have some soon), and I doubt many people have the adobe plugin to warrant usage.

Jasc Webdraw (http://www.jasc.com/webdraw.asp?) is pretty good for creating svg's

[Neil]

According to the official SVG page ( http://www.w3.org/Graphics/SVG/ ):

SVG has now met its Candidate Recommendation exit criteria. Since it has a dependency on SMIL Animation, currently a last call Working draft, it must wait for SMIL Animation to proceed to Candidate Recommendation before SVG can progress to Proposed Recommendation.

Basically that means the SVG spec is complete and won't change before it's released as a final standard.

Amd according to the Mozilla SVG project ( http://www.mozilla.org/projects/svg/ ):

While the current support in Mozilla is good for drawing simple shapes and manipulating them via Javascript, SVG needs a fairly complex 2D graphics library to support transformations, filter effects, antialiasing, embedded fonts, gradient paints, patterns and various stroke styles.

So Mozilla has enough support to start using it without a plug in. Adobe's plug in is freely available ( http://www.adobe.com/svg ) and will be installed with all new versions of Adobe software. There is also an IBM java plugin that displays SVG.

So there's ample opportunity for people to experiment with SVG if they want, and those who don't won't know any different, thanks to the <object> tag.


So basically I am trying to get ahead of the wave and learn about SVG now so that when the wave hits, I'll be ready. I want to learn the issues involved in implementing SVG in a wide variety of web situations, and forums are a key area. I think that given the substantial advantages the format offers, it would be smart for the vBulletin people to start looking into it.

All I really want to know is if there is a simple way (preferably through the control panel) that I can code the <object> tag into the forum graphics.

I hope someone can help!

[Mike Sullivan]

You'd basically have to write a script to go through an do all the replacements -- there's no way to do it via the CP as it requires regex's to do the replacements.

[Neil]

Ahhh, I see. Well I'll make a post about this to the hack forum. Thanks for the info.