suggestions for ZCS improvement

hi Brad, perhaps you could consider couple of possible enhancements?
1. Currently the pictures attached to postings are sized down to a size that is probably too small?
Here an example from a recent posting:
[img size=150][img]http://www.zcentralstation.com/media/kunena/attachments/legacy/images/mtl_fp7a_1.JPG[/img]
it is tiny, even though the original is reasonable:
www.zcentralstation.com/media/kunena/attachments/legacy/images/mtl_fp7a_1.JPG
the instructions are clearly stating:
"Your image file can be maximum (width x height - size): 800x800 -150kb
The picture attached above is 750x325 124Kb and yet it appears more like thumb?

2.At the moment only:
[ img ] image url [ /img ] is available as an option,
but if you had:
[ url= full size image url][ img][color=] thumbnail url [ /img][ /url][/color]
you could have "live thumbs" ?
And here is how it works:

my little thumb (if you click on it) takes you straight to full size picture, where the one above is dead (you can right click and view the image of course... but that's another story)

just some enhancements to think about ?

Chris
ps I assume there is also a limit on the number of pictures attached to one post???
not very good for somebody wanting to write the story with pictures?

Brad, Chris, That works on my computer.. great idea.
I still can't enlarge "NEW" fotos... but can the old archive fotos.
Fred:silly:

Chris, what browser are you using? Looks full size from here.... Do you have your forum settings at newest or oldest first?

Fred, what happens when you click on a photo in the gallery? Does it open a new window with a grey box around the photo?

test using bbcode tag from gallery

test using image file attach from forum

test2 gallery bbcode

Chris, right now the only way to post thumbs linked to larger images is to code it your self the way you did.

There are two ways for users to easily add photos to thier forum post.
1) use the attach file box at the bottom of the page when you reply to or add a new post.
2) best way (try this Jim) -
a-go to a picture in the gallery
b-you will see a box below the title "Share this image in Forums (BBcode)" with code in it
c-left click in it and it will turn blue
d-right click in it and select copy
e-return to the forum, add or reply to a post
f-start tying your post and then right click and select paste
g-you will the see your image "code" pasted for you.
h-submit your post and your phot will be in it.
i-wah lah, you have a photo from your gallery pasted into the forum, not to big, not to small

-Brad

ps I hope to get some FAQ's running on the site to guide users on some 'how to's'

Brad,

for me the new forum is an improvement over the old,
concerning more features and better look.

But....

I dont like archives, they are like cemetery, nice people their
but limited sharing.
A pity for me that all this pioneer phase that was builded up
during years is not anymore the fundament of the forum.

Worser...

Look please on trainboard, "US Signals"

All my pictures linked to Zcentral are gone........

Schematics even, everything.

I am businessman and have not the time to care mainly
about my hobbies, so what is lost as link to gallery
will be lost forever.

Most of my postings on trainboard are now just bubbles with hot air,
so I will stop posting in Z forums anyway, enough chaos.

thanks Brad,
it appears to be a problem with my browser
here is the screen dump of my display next to full size pic

works fine in IE, but I am not going to use Bill's product just to get into ZCS, so I am going to have to see if I can sort it out another way...
BTW I am using Seamonkey as my browser
Chris

ps
you haven't confirmed the answer to my other question relating to pics in the posts - is there a limit on the number of pics in a single post? (I hope not)
yes I am using newest post first - seems to be working fine now

on further investigation, I am not so sure it is to do with my browser?
here is what I get:

it seems that for some reason my image size is restricted to 200x200
That's weird ...

Chris

test again

bambuko wrote:
ps
you haven't confirmed the answer to my other question relating to pics in the posts - is there a limit on the number of pics in a single post? (I hope not)
yes I am using newest post first - seems to be working fine now

I am not aware of a limit.


Not sure about the image size thing, It looks like a couple of things are going on.

1-after you post all images in previous post are small (180), in both browsers, no matter who posted them

2-after I post all MY images in previous post are small (180) only in firefox but fine (400) in IE. You post images are still small.

3-I changed max image size to 600x600 but that pertains only to "Select Image file to attach" images you browse for, at least as far as I can tell.

4-There may be more info here:
www.bestofjoomla.com/component/option,com_kunena/Itemid,38/

Brad,
Sorry for delayed response.
Lets start by cliking on one of the most recent fotos "NEW SECTION" displayed on home page.
this gets me to the foto with comments, etc..
then I click on foto OR "magnifier" and the screen changes to a translucent dark gray background, there is a black square in the center, and a round circle appears similar to trainboard, and then the foto replaces the black square. it is the same size as the previous page but has the pop up options to go left or right and close. I can't seem to get an enlarged image-- probably one of MY bugs but it works on trainboard and I am able to get super big enlargements on the OLD archive foto section. don't know if there is a right click or tripple click function but that doesn't work either. I've been notified off site some are having the same problems.
t6hanks for all the work you are doing to keep zsc on the cutting edge,
Fred

hi Brad,
I will try to spend more time over weekend on Joomla to see if I can find anything. Trouble is that, even if I find something, It will be down to you to play with board settings anyway...

What you describe about changing picture sizes after mine or your posts is in keeping with my experiences - one minute the limit appears as 800x800 next minute it shows as 200x200

The reason I have asked about the number of pictures that can be attached to one post, was that after two I couldn't add any more.
Test:




but now it seems to be OK -

Another thing that's playing up intermittently is latest/oldest post first. When you do latest first, it's fine as long as there is just one page to messages, if you go beyond it gets totally confused

Chris

Dial-up Sux!

Unfortunately I am only able to access the web thru dial-up, AOL. The unfortunality has me really dis-liking the new ZCS. I want to read all responses to all the new topics, but for some reason, I only get the first 5 or 6 messages from all the posts.

The simplicity of the old ZCS has gone difficult.

Can it be simplified?

I wish I had access to a high speed internet line. My frustrations most likely would be none. Ugh!!!!

Hobo Tim

Hello Brad,

I'm not sure if this is the best thread to post this, but since it's about suggestions for improvement of ZCS I will give it a go...

While going around I couldn't find a PM option. Is it just hidden for me... or better for my eyes... or isn't it available? Actually I don't like this option that much, because it just means one more place to check for messages. And a PM for me is important... at least until I read it and decide it might not... I often forgot to check out the PM option in the old ZCS. Shame on me for that...

Personally I prefer a e-mail to me if another member want to contact me off list.

And here we come to another detail:

When I go to the members list, I get a different list each time. Right at this moment my nick is the first shown, a few hours earlier I was on third or fourth position. How is the order of the list decided? Seems to me like who logged in last is in first place on the list?

I would like to have a alphabetically sorted list. Including some buttons to go to the needed first letter of a nick.

A last detail (at least for the moment ) is the chat room. Would it be possible to see on the main page who, or how much members are in the chat room?

Ahh yes, the last one for now...

could a spellchecker be installed...
...currently I use my e-mail editor to spellcheck my postings, or at least any words where I'm at doubt about the spelling...

Ulie,
1)go to my (for example) profile and you will see four options:
Community, View, Messages, Moderation
If you select Messages - you will be able to e-mail me (e-mail is a required profile field, but the details of actual e-mail address is protected, to prevent spam)
I am looking forward to getting test e-mail from you

2)spell checker - all the decent browsers provide you with one (or more if you are using more than one language like quite a few of us). They are normally available as add-ons for you to add to your browser. This function is nothing to do with forum

Chris

Hello Chris,

bambuko wrote:

1)go to my (for example) profile and you will see four options:
Community, View, Messages, Moderation

I've seen this option, and I like it a lot, I was just wondering about the PM option where the messages were stored in the forum. I actually ike the new version much more.

2)spell checker - all the decent browsers provide you with one (or more if you are using more than one language like quite a few of us).

I didn't know that, so I will go looking if I can find those for my browser (Opera). Until then I will rely on my e-mail programs editor. That one is multilingual.

ULie wrote:

...I was just wondering about the PM option where the messages were stored in the forum. I actually ike the new version much more...

sorry for the mis-understanding,
I agree with you though, that this system is better (and less work for Brad)

...so I will go looking if I can find those for my browser (Opera)...

I am using Firefox/Seamonkey - let's hope Opera is just as good

Chris

Fred,
If you click on the magnifier is should load the image "full screen". It will not load the picture to 5 times bigger than your screen like the old site did. That was a bug on the old site and user could only see one corner of a larger picture at a time. Do you know what your computer resolution is set to?

Tim,
Sorry to hear you are having a hard time. The new site should be 5 times faster than the old......I changed a setting on the forum and you should be able to see more post at a time now. Shoot me an email, maybe I can help with a few pointers?

Cleanex,
I fixed your broken links on Trainboard.....