Howto: posting photos and videos

[Jeroen]

Part A: posting photos

Basic forum requirements for photos:

Images in posts:
Max size 1024x768 pix, forum resizes to this max size automatically but please keep pictures compact for faster loading (in case of auto resize still the entire large image needs to be loaded first!). Please add a 56K warning to the thread subject if you're posting more than just a few pics

Avatar:
Max size 150x150 pix

Image as (part of) signature:
Don't use too large images there either as this might mess up forum layout and also requires more time to load. Please stick to a maximum heigth of 100 pix and a maximum width of 500 pix.

1. Make sure the photos are uploaded to the internet

Because of limited storage space for the forum it is not possible to upload pictures here. This means you'll have to upload them to the internet somewhere else.
The following websites are free and user friendly and do not require programming skills or additional software: www.imgur.com ; http://www.flickr.com ; http://www.mijnalbum.nl or http://www.picasaweb.google.com . On these websites you can easily upload a photo step by step or even a whole series at once.
Ideally: upload photos to your own webspace so photos will remain available for later reference or enjoyment! As soon as you remove a photo, or rename a photo or folder, the link is broken and the photo is lost (unless you update the link in the original forum post of course).
Please note that for most of these hosts you can adjust privacy settings. Anything else than public may cause that you can see them, but others may not!

Note/Update: Photobucket blacklisted after blocking photos and charging rediculous amounts in annual fees. Your own domain is always the safest and most flexible option!

2. Find the photo and copy the address (url)

Suppose you'd like to share this photo with us



Then there are 2 ways:

a) use the hosting website's own option screen (copy direct link to the image)


b) not always is this option shown but you can also right click an image and choose 'properties'



and there you will find the address (or url) as well, select and copy

3. Check the address

By pasting the address you just copied, in the address line of your internet program (browsers like Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Silverlight) you can check if you copied the right data. If correct, only the image will be displayed and not an entire page with text, links, ads, etc. The copied image address usually has the extension .jpg ; .gif ; .bmp ; .png and should not have an extension like .html ; .doc ; .pdf which indicates you copied an entire page or file.



paste the copied address should give you the following result, without the entire layout that was shown on the original page



Mission accomplished!

4. Compose your forum message

Got it working? Good, time to use that address in a message here on the bmwe21.net forum!

By clicking the img button once you generate the IMG tags automatically. Between the two sets of brackets you post the copied address which probably still is in the computer's memory. Use "paste" or ctrl + v to paste here as well, usually your cursor is already blinking at the right location. Finishe your post, use 'preview' to check if all went well and if ok click 'submit' at the bottom of the message once to post your message, with photo! Good luck and enjoy!

[Jeroen]

Part B: posting videos

The bmwe21.net forum has an option to play Youtube vids within the forum. This means that the video's starting screen will be shown in the message and if clicked it will play within the message as well. Want to see in larger format? Just click the movie once more. How to get this done:

1. Find the Youtube video and copy the address

Only copy the unique video code, usually shown in your browser's address bar after "v=" but there are more ways. The unique address consists of a funny combination of digits making it easy to identify. Make sure to copy that code only

2. Compose forum message

By clicking "New topic" or "Reply" you open the compose message screen to post a new subject or reply.
Hovering your mouse over the "youtube" button also shows you this instruction:



Click this "youtube" button once and then paste the unique code between the two sets of brackets as follows:

3. Checking and posting your message

You can check your work using the "Preview" button and then click "Submit" to actually send it off and post the message



And you're done!

Other video sources, like Vimeo: just post the link to the movie, it will convert to an embedded video automatically. Please use http:// (not https)
For example: [*]
Leads to:


Don't post the link to a page, it won't embed the video!

[Jeroen]

A friendly request to all. In several topics, especially on events, we see that photos have disappeared. No longer available. Some sites tend to remove photos after a certain time, in other cases the user removed the photo or broke the link by renaming photo or folder.

A pity as this causes that we are missing more and more photos on events, tech topics, etc. I personally always try to leave photos on line and in the same location. Ideally you post your photos on your own webspace. It can be useful to set up a clear structure of folders for example by year/name/date.

Anyway, we cannot force you but please help us to keep useful photos available for later reference and joy! Thanks in advance for your cooperation!

[Piwi]

I'm looking for the diagram of the wiring for the hazardlights of an e21, 1983. Everytime I put them on the fuse explots.

If anybody can help me with a second hand one?

[Jeroen]

As you can see on the page about the fusebox http://www.bmwe21.net/?page_id=130 fuse 17 is for the hazards and also interior lights, glove compartment light, side blinkers, bonnet light. If you have a defective hazard switch or a short circuit in the lighting, the fuse will keep on blowing. I don't think there is a need for a wiring diagram, better take the following steps:
- disconnect hazard switch
- check the wiring for these lights, especially at the bulbs and the switches (in A-pillar and top of glovebox)
Not likely to be much more than this if your indicators are working ok, otherwise there could also be a short circuit inside one of your indicators

[bealo]

Hi jeroen,

I’ve been using Flickr to store my images for using on the forum which has been fine until recently.

Every time I insert the image address into a post it only posts the link rather than displaying the image itself

Any ideas??

[Jeroen]

On most photo websites, you can choose to copy the link, url or bbcode to your clipboard. BBCode looks like this

Code: Select all

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2kpLSFQ][img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50808505982_4202935d5c_k.jpg[/img][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/2kpLSFQ]7389D619-BCAA-4309-9AE8-75AC99FC9AF4[/url] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/156950422@N06/]Iain Bell[/url], on Flickr

And gets you this result:

7389D619-BCAA-4309-9AE8-75AC99FC9AF4 by Iain Bell, on Flickr

You can also choose to use a part of all this code, the direct image url ending with .jpg, in this case

Code: Select all

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50808505982_4202935d5c_k.jpg

More work, but in between brackets this leads to a cleaner display of your image, like this: