Post icons for specific forums?

[thegunowner149]

Is it possible to specify post icons for specific forums? I've figured out how to add a new post icon group and set usergroup permissions, but i'd love to have specific post icon groups only show up in specific forums. Is that possible? Thanks!

[Steve Machol]

The only way I know to do this is to create a unique style for that forum and force it to use that style. Then you can specify a unique image path.

[thegunowner149]

The only way I know to do this is to create a unique style for that forum and force it to use that style. Then you can specify a unique image path.

I've already setup child forums for the specific forums I want this to happen in. I assume I need to edit a template now? What specifically do I need to do? Thank you kindly for your help Mr. Machol.

[Steve Machol]

Edit the Image Paths in the Style Manager to point to the images you want to show for that style.

[thegunowner149]

I see where to edit the image paths. Unfortunately I do not see one where I can specify a different path for post icons Am I not seeing something?

[Steve Machol]

Hmmm...you're right. I never noticed this before. Honestly I don't know how to specify the image path for post icons without editing the templates.

[thegunowner149]

Hmmm...you're right. I never noticed this before. Honestly I don't know how to specify the image path for post icons without editing the templates.

Any idea which template I would change? (I know, i'm a pain, i'm sorry)

[Jake Bunce]

The icon paths are defined at the icon level in your:

Admin CP -> Post Icons -> Post Icon Manager

So setting different icons paths for specific forums means building on the existing icon paths by editing the templates. For example, if an icon's path in the Post Icon Manager is images/icons/icon7.gif then you can only add onto the front of that path, not change anything about the existing path.

Go to your:

Admin CP -> Styles & Templates -> Style Manager -> « » -> Post Icon Templates -> posticonbit

Add the code in red:

<td><input type="radio" name="iconid" value="$iconid" id="rb_iconid_$iconid" tabindex="1" onclick="swap_posticon('pi_$iconid')" $iconchecked /></td>
<td width="12%"><label for="rb_iconid_$iconid"><img src="icons/$iconpath" alt="$alttext" id="pi_$iconid" onclick="rb_iconid_$iconid.click()" /></label></td>

Using the previous example, the icon path will now be icons/images/icons/icon7.gif. So you need to create a new series of directories in your forum directory, icons/images/icons, and upload your new icons to it, using the same file names.

Now make a forum use this style and it will look to that directory for icons. To change the style for a forum go to your:

Admin CP -> Forums & Moderators -> Forum Manager -> Edit Forum -> Custom Style for this Forum

Other templates you need to edit include:

Admin CP -> Styles & Templates -> Style Manager -> « » -> Threadbit Templates -> threadbit

<td class="alt2"><if condition="$show['threadicon']"><img src="icons/$thread[threadiconpath]" alt="$thread[threadicontitle]" border="0" /><else />&nbsp;</if></td>

Admin CP -> Styles & Templates -> Style Manager -> « » -> Postbit Templates -> postbit and/or postbit_legacy (depending on which layout you use)

<if condition="$show['messageicon']"><img class="inlineimg" src="icons/$post[iconpath]" alt="$post[icontitle]" border="0" /></if>

Admin CP -> Styles & Templates -> Style Manager -> « » -> Forum Home Templates -> forumhome_lastpostby

	<div style="clear:both">
		<if condition="$show['icon']"><img class="inlineimg" src="[color=red]icons/[/color]$icon[iconpath]" alt="$icon[title]" border="0" /></if>
		<a href="showthread.php?$session[sessionurl]goto=newpost&amp;t=$lastpostinfo[lastthreadid]" title="<phrase 1="$lastpostinfo[lastthread]">$vbphrase[go_first_unread_in_thread_x]</phrase>"><strong>$lastpostinfo[trimthread]</strong></a>
	</div>

These are the only templates I can think of. There might be more that I am missing.

edit: adding forumhome_lastpostby above.

[Jake Bunce]

Hold up... rather than create a new style with different templates, you can just edit the templates for your existing style and use a replacement variable where the red code is in my previous post.

For example, instead of using icons/, use a replacement variable like {iconpath}. This is in the templates for your existing style. Then create a new child style to your existing style with a replacement variable for {iconpath} that has a replacement value of icons/. The existing style will also have a replacement variable for {iconpath} but it will have a replacement value of nothing.

The new style will have only the replacement variable not in common with the original style. Everything else will be inherited by the existing style.

Thank Zach for this idea.

[Noiz Pollution]

That's excellent, I think I'm going to try this with post icons and smilies.


Cheers,
Robert

[Jake Bunce]

Keep in mind that to do the same thing with smilies you will need to modify some files as well. The includes/functions_bbcodeparse.php file comes to mind.

[Noiz Pollution]

Hmmm, is that the only file you can think of when it comes to the location of smilies? Ideally knowing each file which handles the URL I need to edit will allow me to specify different smilie sets for different styles, this is especially important as my 2 main styles are worlds apart in terms of background colours.


Cheers,
Robert

[Jake Bunce]

That is the only one I have been able to think of. If there are more then I don't know what they are.

[Noiz Pollution]

Perhaps another dev will know, do you know who was working on that part of the system?


Cheers,
Robert

[Jake Bunce]

Unfortunately I don't know.

Because this has to do with file modifications you might try asking on www.vbulletin.org, the official vB hacking site.