How To Post Avatars And Photos

Where all the new WOWAYers can learn!

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scottidog
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Post by scottidog »

Avatars: Will be under 14 kb. If you need help resizing them, please ask for help in this topic. There are several members who have the skills and the software to help you out if you ask nicely. Bribery also works. Or so I'm told. |)

Photos/Graphics embedded in a post: Will be under 27 kb. Anything larger needs to be linked, and members will click the link to view. Imageshack has a nifty thumbnail feature that allows you to embed a thumbnail picture that links to a larger view if you click it.

If you quote a post that contains an image, edit out the image. There is no point in asking the server to download the same image more than once.

If your image is edited or removed, it's not personal. Please don't take it that way. If you do get upset and argue with a mod about it, you may lose posting privileges for as long as the mod deems necessary.

If you see an image that does not conform to the new rules, hit the report button, or PM a mod with the link, and we will take care of it.


If you are such a newbie that you don't know how to find files on your computer, or how to cut and paste, PM me and I'll try to help you through it. These instructions won't help you if you don't know those basic skills.

The file types supported by this forum are: jpg, jpeg, gif and png. The size limit for avatars is 100x100 (pixels) and a maximum of 6 K.

You can use the avatars provided with the forum software, upload an avatar from your computer to the WOWAY server, or you can link to your own website if your website supports direct linking. Most free websites, such as geocities and tripod do not allow for direct linking. (effective 08/22/07, direct linking has been disabled.)

To upload from your computer: Make sure you know where the file is on your hard drive. Then log on to WOWAY, and look at the top of any page on the forum. You will see a link called My Controls. Click on that link. Then look to the left side of your screen, on of your options will be Edit Avatar Settings. Click on that. Look for the space labeled: Upload a new image from your computer. You will need to click on the Browse button, then go to the location where you stored your image on your hard drive. Last, but not least: Click on Update Avatar.

To link to an online image: First, if you are not linking to a file on your own webspace, make sure you have permission to link to the file. If you don't have permission, it's called Bandwidth Theft, and it's not nice. People pay for their webspaces, and some get charged extra for bandwidth. It's not fair to ask them to pay for your avatar.

So, assuming you have permission to direct link: Make sure you have the URL link in your clipboard. Then log on to WOWAY, and look at the top of any page on the forum. You will see a link called My Controls. Click on that link. Then look to the left side of your screen, on of your options will be Edit Avatar Settings. Click on that. Look for the line that says Enter a URL to an online avatar image and in the line provided paste the URL from your clipboard. Click on Update Avatar. (disabled - choose another option)

There are some WAY avies that have been provided by WOWAY members for everyone to use. You will find them here. Make sure you download them to your hard drive. Then upload them as directed above.

Personal Photos:

You can have a personal photo in your profile. The size allowed is 200x200 pixels, no more than 10 K. Supported file types are: jpg, jpeg, gif and png.

The instructions for Personal Photos are very much like for avatars.

To upload from your computer: Make sure you know where the file is on your hard drive. Then log on to WOWAY, and look at the top of any page on the forum. You will see a link called My Controls. Click on that link. Then look to the left side of your screen, on of your options will be Change Personal Photo. Click on that. Look for the space labeled: Upload a new image from your computer. You will need to click on the Browse button, then go to the location where you stored your image on your hard drive. Last, but not least: Click on Update Photo.

To link to an online image: Assuming you have permission to direct link: Make sure you have the URL link in your clipboard. Then log on to WOWAY, and look at the top of any page on the forum. You will see a link called My Controls. Click on that link. Then look to the left side of your screen, on of your options will be Change Personal Photo. Click on that. Look for the line that says Enter a URL to an online avatar image and in the line provided paste the URL from your clipboard. Click on Update Photo.

Pictures Inside Your Post:

Assuming you have the photo on your own webpage or have permission to link to someone else's webpage, the procedure to include photos inside your posts like this:

Image

Make sure you have the URL link in your clipboard. Then when you are in the screen where you post (this doesn't work in the Fast Reply option) look to the top of the area where you post. You will see a button that says IMG, click on it. A small pop-up screen will appear, then you can paste the URL. Then click OK.

If you are using the Fast Reply option, you can type in the code. It will look like this:

Code: Select all

[IMG]http://home.centurytel.net/scottidog/SLO/slo01.jpg[/IMG]

If you get an error message, the most likely problem (assuming that you are using the supported file types) is that the file is too big. Remember the dimensions: Avatars can only be 100x100 and no more than 6 K. Personal Photos can only be 200x200 and no more than 10 K.


A little tutorial on how to resize and compress photos written by Cupcake (thanks Cupcake!)

Taking Part of a Picture for a Avatar (NEED: MS Paint)

http://home.cablerocket.com/~p.b.sheppa ... amaker.bmp

Sorry for the large file size, but you can use MS Paint and the Transparent Cut-and-Paste feature to make a black box around a 100x100 pixel image. If black is common in your picture, you should "fill" the outline of the box it to a color that is NOT common with the picture, so u can then "fill" it to be white after. Just crop and save.


Resizing and compressing using irfanview (NEED: irfanview)

Open the image with irfanview, then "Image -> Resize/Resample (Ctrl-R)" change the proportions to 100x100, and BOOM! An avatar sized picture!

To save the image, go "File -> Save as (S)". There are two possible ways to save your new avatar. If there are not to many different colors, u can choose to save it as a .gif file. These pictures are less blurred then .jpg's, and have the option of making one color transparent by checking "Save Transparent Color -> Choose Transparent Color During Saving" (you click a pixel that u want to be transparent, this is usually white), but are bigger files. The other option is to save it as a .jpg. You save it, then go to where u save it and open up the properties and check the size. It has to be under 6KB. Go back to irfanview, move the "JPEG - Save Quality" sliding bar towards the left a little, and save it again (over right the old picture). Go and check the properties, to see if its under 6KB. This takes some practice, but it gets the file JUST UNDER 6KB, making it the best quality possible.


Some Photo FAQs:

The only graphic software I have is Paint. How do I convert BMP files to one of the supported ones?

There is a nifty free program called Irfanview that will allow you to convert image files to jpg, jpeg, gif and png. This is a program you should have as it will allow you to view just about any kind of image file you'll ever run into.

My avatar is 100x100 but the file size is bigger than 6 K. How can I get it small enough to be able to use?

If you have any photo editing software, you should be able to compress images. If you don't have photo editing software, there is a freeware program called Vicman Photo Editor that you can use to compress photos. You can also use it to make original artwork. It will takes some effort on your part to learn how to use it, but it's a pretty cool program. And it's free. You can't beat that! I just found another
free picture resizing program.

And because I like you, I will give you this link too: It's for making your own desktop icons.

And if that's not enough, you get the Smokeless Ashtray, free! (Not really.)

If you can't figure out how to use the software, PM me and I can try to help you figure it out.

Are there any free websites that will host my photos that will allow me to direct link?

Well, there are some. They have their limitations, and they may not be around forever. Here are a few links that I know about. I'll add more if I find any. Also keep in mind that they could go away, or start charging. But for now they are free.

Villiage Photos.

Photobucket.


Whew!!

Any questions not answered by my little disertation? Ask them here.
ccsyaoran
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Post by ccsyaoran »

how do u take a screen shot of a dvd? it goes all funny....
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scottidog
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Post by scottidog »

The same way you take any screen capture...

Hit the prt scrn button (it lives in the neighborhood of the delete button on my keyboard) then paste the image into any graphic program. Crop the portion you want to keep and save it.
ccsyaoran
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Post by ccsyaoran »

it doesn't work. its like..

i'm guessing like trying to screencapture streaming media. it doesn't work...
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Post by ccsyaoran »

i'm using win-dvd...
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scottidog
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Post by scottidog »

Oh, yeah... those do get wonky. If you have a graphics program that lets you warp pictures you can fix it.
ccsyaoran
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Post by ccsyaoran »

would irfanview work?
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scottidog
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Post by scottidog »

I'll have to play with it. If not there's another one I can recommend that's also free.

Moving this to the Photo FAQs in the Newbie Zone.
ccsyaoran
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Post by ccsyaoran »

irfanview is the same. really weird. i saved it as a bmp in my pictures, so it has a thumbnail, and if u have the dvd window behind it and move the my pictures window around, the thumbnail is what part of the dvd picture it is infront of! its REALLY creepy!
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scottidog
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Post by scottidog »

scottidog @ Jan 19 2004, 11:32 PM wrote: My avatar is 100x100 but the file size is bigger than 6 K. How can I get it small enough to be able to use?

If you have any photo editing software, you should be able to compress images. If you don't have photo editing software, there is a freeware program called Vicman Photo Editor that you can use to compress photos. You can also use it to make original artwork. It will takes some effort on your part to learn how to use it, but it's a pretty cool program. And it's free. You can't beat that! I just found another
free picture resizing program.
Cupcake, that Vicman one should work for manipulating the photo. I haven't used the other one a lot, but I think it only does downsizing. It seems like it would be a great one for batch processing.
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