A note about avatar and signature images

Heyo everyone. I just noticed something about how the forum code works with different browsers (at least mine, and what the hey, if I can't comment, who can? ).

Avatar images, according to the EQ forum setup, are to be no more than 100x100 pixels in size. And indeed, it appears that most avatar pix are just that size. I recently noticed that certain forum topics/posts were being pushed off the right side of my browser and I couldn't figure that out - until I also saw that some avatar images were larger than the standard size. I messaged one member who graciously sized down her avatar and - voila! - that solved the issue. I figure it's got something to do with frames or tables or whatever... and I still say it's magic.

She also pointed out that the 100x100 pixel limit is for images stored on the forum, but that there's no size limit for images linked from off-site. Good to know!

So, I'm making a pitch to everyone to keep their avatar images to 100x100 pixels no matter where you're uploading them from. It'll certainly make my administration of the forum easier, and will be much appreciated.

My thanks to all!

UPDATE 2/16/06

It appears the text runoff/scrolling issue is not specifically an avatar issue, but rather a signature banner/image issue. So please take a look at the size of your signature image and set it no larger than 600 pixels wide and 150 pixels tall. Thanks again!

...just a humble request, but, is it at all possible that we can get that increased slightly to 125??? The only reason I ask is because nearly all the avatars that I've made are at 125 :P I'll certainly understand if you say no, but I really, REALLY hope that you'll conisder it! PLEASEE!!

EDIT: If you look at my 100x100 avatar that I'm using now, it's not even as long as the text!

<------------ ...see? :o

The text makes the space larger, still.

Good stuff to know.... I'm not an offender, am I?

*Goes off to check the size of my avatar....*

As long as we're on the topic.... could everyone please keep their banners at a 600 px width minimum too...? It's not cool having to scroll the window sideways to get to read the posts.... it's actually very annoying.

We did a poll, most users use 1024xwhat it is resolution, so it's not just me.

Thanks ;)

OK, I see that it's not the avatar that causes the problem, so I've set the limit to 125x125 pixels and no more than 50 kbytes in size.

Perhaps it is the size of the sig banners instead that causes the scrolling problem. There does not seem to be a parameter setting in the admin controls for that, however. I will look into it.

I suspect you cannot limit sig width in the configuration, but I don't know phpBB as well as SMF.

Just have to growl at people a lot to get 'em to keep 'em small.

And another thing I might as well mention...is there any sort of copyright policy in place for avatars? I assume that the scanned/cropped avatars of ElfQuest material are A-OK, but what about other artwork? I've known quite a few artist friends to become upset when they find their stuff avatar-ized without their permission, which is why I'm sensitive to it.

Standard phpbb have no limitations for banner sizes, I think. The reason avatar sizes can be limited is because the pics is uploaded onto elfquest.com or whatever. When people host the avatars themselves, the limits is whatever the size of the image is. (Oh my... baaaad bad language... haven't written english in a while...)

*aherm* So the thing is, phpbb doesn't allow setting sizes of images that is hosted on other servers. I think.

But anyway, I think max size in width and height in signature banners should be set. And then people can get a friendly warning if their banners are too big. I think a lot of the n00bs don't even read the info thread, and then, how would they know.

I think 600 px is an appropriate width limit. (I think that was the size Mirr and I came up with. And 150 in height or something. And... NO animated banners... puhlease? ;))

Hmmm :? - I dunno, alot of people seem to love their animated banners.... I'm not one of them but what about PC's scrolling Sunstream banner?

Hope I'm in the clear now. My avatar is most definately 100 x 100 and I shrunk my banner.

Heh - not for your avatar, no. I've changed the size limit for avatars to 125x125 pixels. However, a good point's been made regarding signature images. You get to be our first test subject.

Your sig banner image is now 700x169 pixels, and pushes right up against the right border of my browser window. If you shrink it to 600 pixels wide (which will give 145 pixels tall) as I've just done as an experiment, you'll lose no detail but the image will fit more comfortably on the page without causing the need to scroll for text. Wanna give it a shot?

Eeek!

As for the banner, done and done... I changed it to 600 x 145 as soon as I read Arfurido's recommendation. Hope it's appropriately sized now.

As long we're on the topic of side scrolling, I have to say that where I encounter that the most is while browsing the art topics. When the pics get too fat in a sideways direction. Which can make the comments kinda hard to read if you have to keep scrolling all the time.

Don't know if that's on anyones list of scrolling peeves, but it is kinda on mine....

thoughts anyone?

Oh, and could someone please tell me if my thread is offensive in this manner...it works fine on my screen, but for others out there.....

Not sure what you mean by "offensive in this manner" - if you're referring to the banner width, it looks fine here too.

I think people generally don't know to shrink the images they've taken with their digicams before they post them. Even small megapixel images can be over 1200 pixels wide. It's probably just something we're all going to have to remind people gently about, again and again, that images - no matter of what - need to be no more than 600 pixels wide. I'd be willing to bet that even bare-bones PCs with the most elementary image viewers, have some way of scaling down JPEG files.

"offensive in this manner" was just teasing... :oops: But I've been at school all day so maybe I am not funny today.... I should have added a happy smiley! :P

But I was specificially asking about the fanart pics, and if the eq community wanted to keep those images scaled down as well, or if it didn't both them so much to scroll through some fanart. And I don't want people to scroll through my work, so just please let me know if my fanart stuff is to wide for some screen resolutions....

Is there a way to simply link to all webart? Instead of having it pop up? Or Link to the webart and only put a avatar sized sample for people to click on?

I think that would look really cool.

~Gem

Are the animated banners and av's causing a problem? There aren't very many right now and I rather like the ones we have. Like PC's Sunstream one and when he has it up, I love Arthis's banner of Arthis pics. :)