Implemented Thumbnails for Styles

[Enigma]

When you open the overlay to change styles, show a thumbnail (maybe 120px x 120px) of each style under the title. The thumbnail could be bundled with styles and/or set by the admin manually. The thumbnail would not necessarily have to be a small screenshot, it could be any image you want to use to represent the style. If you have more than 6 styles, the popup can have a scroll bar.

Anyway, I thought it looked kinda slick...

 

[captainslater]

That is a very useful suggestions. Sometimes I'm really annoyed of forums which has tons of styles to choose from.

 

[Kim]

Love it! LOVE it! Love it!

I fancy one of the big boy used to have something like this... ??? but in your CP you could get a preview... thumbnail is even better.

If it was too much "weight" for the bottom Style Changer... maybe a page on your Settings with the thumbies?

 

[krstep]

That is a very useful suggestions. Sometimes I'm really annoyed of forums which has tons of styles to choose from.

This is the that reason this suggestion is a must-have. +1

 

[Paul B]

Not something that can be easily implemented I feel.

How does the system get the thumbnail for a start?
You can't just take the same snapshot for each style as the style changes might be subtle and buried in the thread view.
In which case admins will have to take screenshots and upload them to a directory somewhere.

Do people actually change the style on forums they use after initially setting it?
I suspect not in which case members can try each style and then just settle on the one they like.
At most it will take a few minutes.

 

[Kim]

Skinners would have to include a thumbnail, in the distrib pack, perhaps in the templates export or where ever (details can be worked out) which would be where the forum gets it from, it would have to be designed from day one to be X.png or whatever.. but much like WordPress does.

and Brogan.. lol yes people change their style a lot, some do it every few days.... others never, but I have numerous sites I know of that they change both the default seasonally, and their members constantly change and take advantage of the choice offered. At least one site I know they talk about the different skins and who is using what... a lot.. and this is not a skin site

 

[Paul B]

Skinners would have to include a thumbnail, in the distrib pack, perhaps in the templates export or where ever (details can be worked out) which would be where the forum gets it from, it would have to be designed from day one to be X.png or whatever.. but much like WordPress does.

That's fine for skinners and people who generally know what they're doing.

What about forum admins though who just want to create a new style based on their existing style?
If they don't have the ability or knowledge how to create a thumbnail and upload it to the correct directory then the system won't work.

 

[cedivad]

Should the thumbnail be generated from xf or pre-included with the design?
The first one is not exactly easy to code, the second one is a mess-up for the ones that have to release the designs.

 

[Kim]

That's fine for skinners and people who generally know what they're doing.

What about forum admins though who just want to create a new style based on their existing style?
If they don't have the ability or knowledge how to create a thumbnail and upload it to the correct directory then the system won't work.

I am saying the Admin wouldn't have to do anything - when they installed the skin to their site the thumbnail would automagically be there.. like in Wordpress once you put a theme in the themes folder the thumbnail is automatically there for the admin to see.. same principle, but applied to members instead of admins

all it would take for us skinners is to include a thumbnail of a pre-determined size and name.. then the software would take it from there. Any skinner who can't do that really has no business doing a skin/style/theme.

 

[Elizabeth]

I am saying the Admin wouldn't have to do anything - when they installed the skin to their site the thumbnail would automagically be there.. like in Wordpress once you put a theme in the themes folder the thumbnail is automatically there for the admin to see.. same principle, but applied to members instead of admins

Kim, there are many times that an admin would code their own theme. Actually that is how many of us got started in the first place. I didn't like what I was seeing at vb.org and decided to make my own, then started offering mine at vb.org. But coding version 3 series was a snap compared to version 4 which is out now.

That's why the comment about an admin adding their own thumbnail.

 

[Kim]

OH.. well in that case yeah, anyone doing their own would have to add the same pre-determined size and name thumbnail too, it wouldn't be hard, I am sure we would all be on hand to guide anyone new to it through the process

 

[dutchbb]

Very nice idea, not sure if technically/practically doable, but certainly something that should be investigated.

 

[Enigma]

The image would not be automatically generated in any way. After creating a style, you would have the option to upload an image to represent it. Whether the image is a small screen shot or a separate image designed to represent the style is up to you. The image would be bundled with the style when you export it, and applied automatically when you import/install a style with an image.

 

[Grover]

Very nice idea, not sure if technically/practically doable, but certainly something that should be investigated.

I had exactly the same thoughts when I read the first few postings in this thread. Nevertheless... I think this idea (although not essential) is very creative thinking: a nice touch.

 

[Mikey]

love it

 

[Paul B]

I'd still like to know how admin's who aren't capable of manipulating images will be able to do this.

Not everyone even has the software, never mind the ability.

 

[Lojo]

I would love to see this feature implemented into Xenforo.

 

[Enigma]

I'd still like to know how admin's who aren't capable of manipulating images will be able to do this.

Not everyone even has the software, never mind the ability.

It would be perfectly acceptable to not have a thumbnail, instead it would show a default/placeholder image.

On the other hand, I think helpful people would write tutorials that anyone could follow on how to create a super-simple thumbnail, such as take one of the main colors of your style, set that as the image background, then write the style's name on top of that in white in MS Paint or similar.

 

[Peggy]

Perhaps the style designer would provide the thumbnail image.

 

[Paul B]

It would be perfectly acceptable to not have a thumbnail, instead it would show a default/placeholder image.

Surely that completely defeats the purpose of the feature?
What use is a default image in demonstrating how a particular style differs from another?