Topic: How to add smileys to a forum

[antechinus]

Tell ya what; to save dramas for everyone let's try doing this the idiot-proof way.
Anyone got any links to a good smiley package that already comes as an SMF mod?
That way even a drooling Neanderthal can install it via the admin centre. (see, I'm getting cunning)

[bigguy]

There are smiley packs on the mod site for download.

[TrueSatan]

Sort of...http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=77

 That's a biggish pack anyhow but all the mod does is to drop the smileys in a new directory in your existing smileys directory...the rest is still manual and you could have just as easily put the directory there via ftp....BTW don't work about the version limits shown on the mod page...it's such a simple mod it will work with all SMF versions.

[TrueSatan]

There are smiley packs on the mod site for download.

 Yep but I'm not sure if any of them do more as a package install than the one I quoted above...personally I'd just unpack the mod and ftp 'em in place.

 BTW we have a big pack of smileys in our downloads section...goodness knows how they got there.

[antechinus]

I'm confused again. This is normal.
I'm trying to get that "default pack" of smileys running on my test forum. I extracted all the files from the zip and then uploaded the file into my Smileys/custom folder. It aint working properly so I've obviously done something wrong. All I'm getting is text saying "wink", etc and no smileys.
Also the number of "smileys" isn't the same as what's in the unzipped file.

Questions;

1/ Do I have to upload every smiley individually rather than just uploading the entire unzipped file?

2/ What about the files saying ".htaccess" and "index"? What do they do?

[TrueSatan]

Have you considered a change of username to "Confused of Australia"? Only kidding and we're always here to help whenever you have a problem.

 Answers from last to first of your queries:

 index.php in a directory can do many things...it can display an actual index page or it can simply prevent the users having direct access to the contents of the directory...putting an empty index.php file in a directory full of images that have access to them controlled by other files stops users from accessing that directory and either hotlinking to those files or downloading the lot for their own use.

 .htaccess is a UNIX (so also Linux and BSD and other UNIX based/like operating system file. The following tutorial explains some of their many uses:

http://httpd.apache.org/docs/1.3/howto/htaccess.html

 To use smileys you have uploaded into the Smileys directory the general path should be forum root/Smileys/custom_smiley_directory/

 Go to ACP>Smileys and Message Icons>Settings

 Check "Enable smiley set selection by members" and "Enable customized smileys" and make sure that the paths shown there are correct.

 Go to ACP>Smileys and Message Icons>Smiley Sets

 Click on "New Smiley Set" and on the screen that opens add the custom smiley set name and its URL and check "Import smileys already in this directory"

 If you are getting text but no smiley image go to ACP>Smileys and Message Icons>Edit Smileys

 At the top of the main area showing the smileys details you can switch smiley sets...choose the problem one and modify the details of any problem smiley within it to associate text/code for the smiley with an image and put right any other problems/settings/issues with that smiley.

 To add new smileys to a smiley set where there are some smiley images in the set that aren't shown in your forum go to ACP>Smileys and Message Icons>Add Smiley

 My explanation is a bit long and tedious but it's really very easy to do the tasks involved in the use of smileys so don't be put off.

[antechinus]

Have you considered a change of username to "Confused of Australia"? Only kidding and we're always here to help whenever you have a problem.

I feel that "Confused of Australia" should be a membergroup and therefore it would be pretentious of me to appropriate the title for my personal use.

My explanation is a bit long and tedious but it's really very easy to do the tasks involved in the use of smileys so don't be put off.

Ok. One charge of the Light Brigade coming up.

[antechinus]

Ok, it's working. There was one critical piece of info missing which had me stumped. You guys are so good at this stuff you forget to think like n00bs.

The problem was that I ftp'd the "default pack" (of smileys for this site) to my public_html/weaponstestingrange/Smileys/custom folder after unzipping it, BUT because the pack had its own name the ftp process created another sub-directory with that name, which of course I didn't expect and didn't look for until my head was sore from attempting to demolish the brick wall. Consequently the smileys weren't available on the expected path and I kept seeing "smiley not in this set" in the admin centre.
Once I figured that out I found the sub-directory, moved the smileys up to the correct directory, deleted the now-unnecessary sub-directory and, hey presto, my forum is now wonderfully infested with smileys of all shapes and sizes. Now that I know how it works I can adjust the sets easily.

Remember: think_really_stoopid. 

[antechinus]

On second thought I should provide some constructive tips. Here's my take on it:

Shadow's OP said to create a "custom" sub-directory off smileys and upload the unzipped pack to that. As I found out this results in the formation of another sub-directory with the name of the pack's file. I had renamed that file but that didn't change the address on my computer, so I actually ended up with the smileys an extra two directories down from where I needed them.   

Anyway, this is going to happen with any pack of smileys because the pack will always have its own file name. If you're not used to ftp and cpanel typing in the path will simply bring up "no records found". You need to know to look for the extra sub-directory before you can find it. Beginners may not know this.

The instructions should point this out as once you're aware of it it's easy to deal with. IMO it'd be better to give the "default pack" a different name. If, for instance, it was called "SMFHelperSmileys" it could be ftp'd straight to the Smileys directory and would automatically create its own sub-directory with the expected name and in the expected place. Then it could be easily linked up from the admin centre.

As it is you can't do that because there's already a directory called default.

My 2c. 

[sheryltoo]

I'm trying to add one of the smileys I put in a custom folder to the Message Icon list and I keep getting a message saying the icon image couldn't be found in the default theme. Please be sure the image has been uploaded and try again.
It's showing in my list of smileys and works so I don't know why I can't add it to the message icon list.
Maybe I'm doing something wrong.
For the file name, I'm using the entire name with .gif extension. I tried leaving off the .gif but got the same error.
 
Also, is there a setting I can change so the smiley appears in the message when you click on it rather then the code?
I noticed your smileys show in the message before you hit send where as mine don't show until after you hit send. At my forum that is.
Sheryl
 

[bigguy]

The reason they show here is because we are using a wisig editor for the posting instead of just a text field like the 1.1.7 line does. Put your icon here and try to add it as a message icon:

/Themes/default/images/post

EDIT: unless you have a custom theme then put it in your custom themes post folder.

[sheryltoo]

Thanks. That worked.
Sheryl

[bigguy]

Your very welcome.