quote balloons?

[godfry n. glad]

Can anybody tell me, or direct me to a source that can tell me, how to make my own quote balloons, like :qsigh:

Couldn't we have a BBCode for this? Like, everything placed to the right of the q, and before the second :, in a :q: format is shown as text in a quote balloon, or word balloon, or phrase balloon.

:qaaaaaahhh:

[Ymir's blood]

http://web.infoave.net/~pitshade/icons/sign28.gif
:bundance:

I made the one above by copying one of the stock word balloons and changing the letters in a photoediting program. Paint 'white' over the existing letters then add new ones. If you need to lengthen or shorten the width, copy one end plus as much of the top and bottom as you want. Then create a new layer with the copied material and align it over the original. You'll have to do both sides to keep the arrow in the middle of the bottom line.

[godfry n. glad]

uuuuuuuhhhhhh...

:cletus:

[Fencesitter]

uuuuuuuhhhhhh...

:cletus:

godfry,

I'm glad you said that first. I thought he was speaking Greek or something.

[Ymir's blood]

Just that post or all the time?

:(

[Fencesitter]

Just that post or all the time?

:(

Sorry Ymir's blood, I didn't mean it like you weren't explaining it well. I meant that I'm really computer illiterate, so when you say complicated things like that, I get confused.

I'm sure that to a computer literate (more than me) person, it would make perfect sense.

Fence

wow, I think I need to read my posts more carefully before posting. I don't seem to be expressing myself well or people seem to be misunderstanding me quite a bit lately.

[viscousmemories]

We talked about user customizable quote bubbles at some point in the past, but I don't remember what we learned/decided to do about it. It's probably something we can address after the next major upgrade.

[ceptimus]

I suggest someting different to godfry's notation, so we can use colons inside the balloon.

aaaaaahhh

I'll see what I can do...

[MonCapitan2002]

We talked about user customizable quote bubbles at some point in the past, but I don't remember what we learned/decided to do about it. It's probably something we can address after the next major upgrade.
When will the next upgrade be happening? Is there a timetable for the production version of 3.5?

[viscousmemories]

When will the next upgrade be happening? Is there a timetable for the production version of 3.5?
I started to answer you here, but decided to do it here (http://www.freethought-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?p=103199#post103199).

[ceptimus]

I have something working now on my test machine.

The little arrow on the bottom of the balloon - do you want it centred or always the same distance from the left hand side, regardless of the amount of text, or something else?

Are you happy with black text on white background (and transparent around the edges) or would you like to control the colours?

What about the font size?

Ideas?

[ManM]

This isn't good enough?
I see how it is.
No presents for you!

For those who are curious, look up the "sign" tag under the BBCode Guide.

[Crumb]

How about an option for the arrow? Right, center, or left.

[godfry n. glad]

This isn't good enough?
I see how it is.
No presents for you!

For those who are curious, look up the "sign" tag under the BBCode Guide.

Signs are NOT the same as quote balloons.

Please pay attention!

:qsigh:
:glare:

[Crumb]

Noobs :no2:

[livius drusus]

The little arrow on the bottom of the balloon - do you want it centred or always the same distance from the left hand side, regardless of the amount of text, or something else?

Hmm... This is something I've pondered before, actually. I think my ideal would be a right and left option: one on the left side curving left, one of the right side curving right.

Are you happy with black text on white background (and transparent around the edges) or would you like to control the colours?

I'm happy with it black on white. KISS and all that.

What about the font size?

Erm... Dunno? They should definitely match the uploaded ones, but there's probably a little leeway there.

[JoeP]

I think my ideal would be a right and left option: one on the left side curving left, one of the right side curving right.

I'm happy with it black on white.

font size? They should definitely match the uploaded ones
Yes, yes and yes, but I'd like a centred version of the tail as well.

[Fencesitter]

Noobs :no2:


ManM,

You see how they treat new people around here?! It's just outrageous. I'm only glad that you're newer than I am. :yup:

And BTW, thanks for being a good noob.

Fence

[ceptimus]

http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=WILL IT WORK?
:chin:

http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=Of course it will. That ceptimus is smart!
:einstein:

http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=But wasn't he supposed to have done a rightward and centred tail position?
:P


http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=Yup.http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=Yup!&P=R
:whup:--:cool:

http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=The font isn't exactly the same as the pre-made quote balloons.&P=C
:glare:
http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=Damn! You people are never satisfied.&P=C
:blush:


http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=What about the nice VB code tags he promised us? This image stuff is a bit clunky.&P=L
:(
http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=THAT WILL COME WITH THE VB UPGRADE, UNLESS vm OR JoeP WANT TO DO IT NOW!&P=L
:D


http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=There you go! Please let me know of any bugs. Quote this post to see how to make your own quote balloons.
:bowing:

[Crumb]

http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=This is too small to read!
:oldman:

[ceptimus]

http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=IT'S ACTUALLY SLIGHTLY BIGGER THAN THE READY-MADE QUOTE BALLOONS, WHEN YOU USE ALL CAPITALS (LIKE THEY DO)
:teacher:

:qsigh:
:(

[godfry n. glad]

http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=WILL IT WORK?
:chin:

http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=Of course it will. That ceptimus is smart!
:einstein:

http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=But wasn't he supposed to have done a rightward and centred tail position?
:P


http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=Yup.http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=Yup!&P=R
:whup:--:cool:

http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=The font isn't exactly the same as the pre-made quote balloons.&P=C
:glare:
http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=Damn! You people are never satisfied.&P=C
:blush:


http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=What about the nice VB code tags he promised us? This image stuff is a bit clunky.&P=L
:(

http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=THAT WILL COME WITH THE VB UPGRADE, UNLESS vm OR JoeP WANT TO DO IT NOW!&P=L
:D


http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=There you go! Please let me know of any bugs. Quote this post to see how to make your own quote balloons.
:bowing:



http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. THANKS!
:godfry:

[livius drusus]

http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=What about the nice VB code tags he promised us? This image stuff is a bit clunky.&P=L
:(
http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=THAT WILL COME WITH THE VB UPGRADE, UNLESS vm OR JoeP WANT TO DO IT NOW!&P=L
:D

http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=NOW! NOW! NOW!&P=C
:mob:

P.S. - cep, you're a freakin' genius. :bow:

[Crumb]

http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=DON'T GET ME WRONG CEP, THIS IS FUCKING FANTASTIC !!!
:wriggle:

[ceptimus]

Actually I can easily build in a size control - the same thing as the position control for the tail - we'd just have to put &S=1, or &S=2, etc.

Maybe we need tags like this?

[BALLOON]Balloon text (left tail)[/BALLOON]
[RBALLOON]Balloon text (right tail)[/RBALLOON]
[CBALLOON]Balloon text (centred tail)[/CBALLOON]

But it would get too complicated catering for the different sizes that way. Maybe there is a better syntax? Ideas?

[viscousmemories]

I'm nearly certain we could add the size variable to that. So the tag for size 2 with a centered tail would be:

Balloon Text Size 2

[SharonDee]

Don't tell me, let me guess: You have to be HTML enabled to do this?

[JoeP]

http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=I LOVE IT!&P=C
:bliss:

http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=Now we'll mess around.&P=R
:twisted:

http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=I BET WE CAN BUST THE SCREEN DISPLAY BY HAVING A REALLY LONG TEXT STRING BECAUSE CEPTIMUS'S CODE WON'T KNOW WHERE TO WRAP IT -
http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=BUT MAYBE THE URL OR URI IS LIMITED TO SOMETHING LIKE TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FIVE CHARACTERS ANYWAY
http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=and maybe Pope livius I would like this experiment removed
:plotting:

http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=There oughta be\nsome%0dcontrol characters%20in$nin this thing
:?

[livius drusus]

Point is made, Mr. P. Must fix post now. :glare:

No, Sharon; this will be plain ol' vB code and right now it's cep's special smartguy code, but you don't need to be in the HTML group for it to work.

[Crumb]

Don't tell me, let me guess: You have to be HTML enabled to do this?
Nope.

[ceptimus]

http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=I'VE ADDED IN THE SIZE THING. THIS IS S=2&S=2
:)

http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=THIS IS S=3&S=3 (S can range from 1 to 5)
:)

http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=THIS IS S=4&S=4
:)

http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=THIS IS S=5&S=5
:)

http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=It's easy enough to make the text wrap at (say) 640 pixels wide, if that's what you want.&S=2
:yup:

[Skep]

Coolness, cep!

I think the text should wrap long before 640 pixels though. Maybe half that?

[JoeP]

I suggest 400 pixels.

[livius drusus]

:cough: I believe I mentioned...

http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=NOW! NOW! NOW!&P=C&S=5
:mob:

[Legs]

http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=Wow even I can do it!&S=5

:bundance:

[viscousmemories]

I wonder if this is working
:bundance:

How about this one?
:slide:

The first is the new balloon bbcode, the second is lballoon=X.

[livius drusus]

Go white boy go white boy go!
:cheer:

[Crumb]

YAY!
:snoopy:

[viscousmemories]

I'm not sure how to make cballoon or rballoon yet... need more info from cep.
:professor:

[Skep]

Would anyone besides me rather have a white background for the balloon text?

[livius drusus]

Oh wow. I hadn't even noticed, but yes, definitely. White background is a must.

[Legs]

Justaman's my bitch
:hoff:

[Ymir's blood]

What's this? What's this? What's this?
:skell: :apresent:

Back off you skull faced freak!
:santahat: :rudolph2:

[ceptimus]

Okay, I've fixed the white background, and made the balloons max out at 400 pixels wide by default. It's possible to override that by using a (say) w=100 parameter if you like - but that will only work with the complex method. I think we should KISS and keep the width fixed at 400 maximum for the normal vB code version.
:professor:

http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?p=c&w=150&t=This is how you limit the width (or increase it) just in case anyone is interested. I'll send the script to vm now, so he can host it on the ff server. That way we won't need all the 81.174.131.162 magic number rubbish - even if we decide to make use of the 'advanced' features. And of course, with vm's excellent work we can normally just use the [lballoon] tags now. Yay!
:professor:

[Legs]

FF Rules!
:ffdance:

[JoeP]

http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=LET'S TRY AGAIN.&P=R
:twisted:

http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=I THOUGHT WE COULD BUST THE SCREEN DISPLAY BY HAVING A REALLY LONG TEXT STRING BECAUSE CEPTIMUS'S CODE WON'T KNOW WHERE TO WRAP IT -(EVEN THOUGH MAYBE THE URL OR URI IS LIMITED TO SOMETHING LIKE TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FIVE CHARACTERS ANYWAY) BUT POPE LIVIUS I WANTED THE EVIL EXPERIMENT REMOVED AND CEPTIMUS PBUH MADE IT WRAP ANYWAY
:plotting:

http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=This is cool!&P=C
:bliss:

[fragment]

I'm going to give it a try!
:pengy:

But can I write £3.95?
:fly2:

How about & or '"£$%^*(#),.~?|\/
:partyhat:

VERY COOL, BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM TO LIKE AMPERSANDS OR THE HASH SYMBOL, I'M GUESSING THEY AREN'T GETTING URL ENCODED WHEN CONVERTED FROM VB CODE
:pepe:

The third example was "How about & or '"£$%^*(#),.~?|\/". Also the £ symbol looks a little funny in that font.

ETA: that was using the LBALLOON tags

[viscousmemories]

Hmm... looks like we're getting slashes in the text now with the file on our server.

I'm still half-asleep, so I can't remember why that is.

[fragment]

I just noticed the slashes too, I'm sure they only appeared in the last 15 minutes.

ETA
Good morning vm!

[ceptimus]

http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?s=3&w=155&t=I suppose we can embed the %26 character like this, if we really need it.
:chin:

[viscousmemories]

LBALLOON requires a size input, sorry fragment.
:(

Good morning to you, too!
:)

[fragment]

http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?s=3&w=155&t=I suppose we can embed the %26 character like this, if we really need it.
:chin:
It would be nice to have it converted automatically, but I don't know how easy it is to adjust the way VB converts bbcode into html.

[ceptimus]

The slashes will be because you have magic_quotes enabled in your PHP config file. I hate magic_quotes, so I always turn them off.

I suppose you won't want to turn them off, if the rest of the forum works okay with them, so I'll code a mod when I get time...

See this link (http://www.webmasterstop.com/63.html) for an explanation of why magic_quotes are evil, and should be destroyed.

[fragment]

LBALLOON requires a size input, sorry fragment.
:(

Ah, I see. Thanks for the heads up on that!
:cool:

[fragment]

magic_quotes are evil, and should be destroyed
:yup:

[livius drusus]

The slashes will be because you have magic_quotes enabled in your PHP config file. I hate magic_quotes, so I always turn them off.

I suppose you won't want to turn them off, if the rest of the forum works okay with them, so I'll code a mod when I get time...

See this link (http://www.webmasterstop.com/63.html) for an explanation of why magic_quotes are evil, and should be destroyed.
Is that why Ymir's blood QR was messed up before vm fixed it?

[viscousmemories]

Is that why Ymir's blood QR was messed up before vm fixed it?
:yup:

[livius drusus]

You are so smrt.
:berliner:

[viscousmemories]

See this link for an explanation of why magic_quotes are evil, and should be destroyed.
Veddy interesting. Based on all the tutorials and such that I've done I was under the impression that there was no good or bad when it comes to magic_quotes, just on or off. I see now why they are evil and should be destroyed.

[ceptimus]

vm, you can kill the slashes for now by sticking

$text = stripslashes($text); at about line 17 of my PHP script.

It might have some funny effects if people try and put backslashes in quote balloons, but I think that won't happen very often, compared to the use of apostrophes and quotation marks.

[viscousmemories]

Done, thanks. :)

[Ymir's blood]

Is that why Ymir's blood QR was messed up before vm fixed it?


O, that this too too solid flesh would melt thaw and resolve itself into a dew! Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God! God! How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable, seem to me all the uses of this world! Fie on't! ah fie! 'tis an unweeded garden, that grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature possess it merely. That it should come to this!
:drama:

[JoeP]

I've made a new thread for this float bugbear of mine. Feel free to move the relevant posts there...

Since the quote balloons aren't rillyrilly smilies, I've put it in forum admin.

[ceptimus]

I was making a long complicated post here, but I got bored with it. Maybe I'll try it again later if I think of anything interesting to say. I'd already posted it, and I can't delete, so I edited it to this for now.
:blush:

[viscousmemories]

I made cballoon and rballoon tags now too.

Balloon with a center tail.
:hm:

Balloon with a right tail.
:hm:

[ceptimus]

Cool!
:)
Cooler!
:cool:
Coolest!
:joecool:

[livius drusus]

ceptimus, this is truly brilliant, and by that I mean you are. :bow: and :thankee:

[ceptimus]

Aw shucks :blush2: 'twas nothing. Thanks to godfry for the idea, and the suggestions and help from everyone.

I think maybe we ought to move the 'tails' a bit further in from the edge on the left and right balloons. I copied the position from the existing :qsigh: and while it's fine for the smallest smilies, more often than not it is too far over.

I'll wait for suggestions on how many pixels to move the tails, before I do anything though.

[livius drusus]

You're right, cep. I would say double the current distance from the edge to the tail might work.

[viscousmemories]

Whatever you do it's an awesome addition to the forum cep, thanks. :)

[Corona688]

Feep! Feep! Feep! Feep!
:bundance: :bundance: :bundance: :bundance: :bundance: :bundance:

[JoeP]

Ni!   Ni!   Ni!
Ni!     Ni!     Ni!     Ni! Ni!     Ni! Ni! Ni!       Ni!     Ni!
Ni!       Ni!  Ni!     Ni! Ni!     Ni! Ni! Ni!       Ni!       Ni!
Ni!   Ni!     Ni!     Ni!     Ni! Ni!     Ni!
Ni!   Ni!   Ni!
Ni!     Ni!     Ni!   Ni!   Ni!     Ni!     Ni!
Ni! Ni! Ni!
:ni:

[livius drusus]

Squeeeeea!
:hyper:

[Ymir's blood]

You wouldn't get vary far in life not saying 'is'.

[ceptimus]

http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?T=I've implemented liv's suggestion at to the tail position, except that for tiny one-word balloons, we have to move the tails a bit to keep them within the balloon. This is what the default looks like in the new version (this is using my test server) and I've sent it to vm to host here. I made the default font size 2 now, as I agree that s=1 is a bit hard to read.
:)

http://81.174.131.162/qb.php?S=1&T=Yo
:D

ETA: Looks as though vm has the new version up already! :pleased:

[viscousmemories]

Where's the one with the sliding tail?
:slide:

[wei yau]

wow.
:faint:

[Ymir's blood]

<marquee>To bad the marquee tag won't work inside of balloon tags</marquee>

[Leesifer]

Can I do it?
:chin:

[livius drusus]

You can!
:yahoo:

[Leesifer]

I know, I just tried it on a different thread
:giggle:

Except, I can only manage one speech bubble per reply. :(

[JoeP]

I know, I just tried it on a different thread
Leesifer

Except, I can only manage one speech bubble per reply.
Leesifer

Why's that?
JoeP

Can't you just type in or copy and paste multiple balloon tags?
JoeP

[Leesifer]

I don't know
Leesifer

I tried it last night and it didn't work
Leesifer

Now it works as long as I keep my tails the same
:blush:

[JoeP]

I don't know
Leesifer

I tried it last night and it didn't work
Leesifer

Now it works as long as I keep my tails the same
:blush:
Seems ok to me.

[Crumb]

Crumb wants to try it
:mememe:

Seems to work for me.
:chin:

Maybe you need to try it again, Leesifer. (and then go write a limerick)
:yup:

ETA:
It doesn't work without a number though...
:(

[viscousmemories]

It doesn't work without a number though...
:( &lt;- Crumb

Sheer laziness on my part. Didn't feel like creating duplicate lballoon, cballoon and rballoon tags that don't require that variable.
:blush: &lt;- vm

[Leesifer]

Aha!
:chin:

Now I geddit
:yup:

By George, she's gollit
:wink:

[JoeP]

Lees, I would have told you directly (bout the size parameter) but I thought you'd like a light stretching exercise. :clever:

[Leesifer]

Thank you Joe. :kiss:

Actually, I had fun playing around with them.

[pescifish]

Do I need html capability to use the balloon tags?
:fishie:


ETA: Ooh, no, looks like I'm fully capable. Empowered, I be. Thanks!

[Legs]

Maybe I missed this somewhere - but is there 'thinking' balloons? - instead of quote balloons? where the smilie is thinking about something but not saying it? :chin:

[viscousmemories]

Not yet, but if you ask ceptimus really nicely he might comply...

[Legs]

Hi Ceptimus, you intriguing fellow, you ~ perhaps when you have a chance you can work your magic on thinking balloons? :bouquet:

[cappuccino]

Wow, I can't believe it took me this long to discover quote balloons
:whoa:

Interesting, though why no default(no numbers required) tags yet?
:?

Any chance I can look at the script? I'm most curious to see how it works!
:study:

[ceptimus]

http://www.mround.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/freethought/images/thoughtbubble.gif
:chin:

Nah... I've not done it yet. Just teasing. I suppose I need a fairly rectangular thought bubble to hold the text neatly, but one rounded enough to still look thought-bubbly.

[ceptimus]

Any chance I can look at the script? I'm most curious to see how it works!
:study:
I'll PM it to you. I don't want it on general show - at least until it's more finished.

[Legs]

http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/7876/cept1ga.gif
:chin: