What is it?: A little more complex version of the original table wrappers mod. This one allows for smaller graphic files and more detailed graphics effects. <br /> <br />Why should you care?: It's a good way to dress up the table wrappers on your Threads site <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /><br /> <br />Props to JustDave for making the whole table wrapper idea a reality. This is really his mod <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /><br /> <br />Example: Check out the link in my signature. The graphics in this set do not have my domain name or binary. They do have the name of the style sheet at the top left, and UBB Threads at the bottom right. <br /> <br />Installation: <br /> <br />Back up yout tbopen.tmpl and tbclose.tmpl file -do it now... <br /> <br />Take a look at the tbopen and tbclose templates that I'm including with this mod. Edit the path to the graphics to match your site name and the path were you install the graphics for this mod. <br /> <br />The CSS files I've included are not complete! They just contain the extra classes that you'll need for this graphic set. My advice is to cut and past the contents of each one to it's corresponding style sheet via the admin panel (they are all default styles that come with Threads). You'll have to edit the path to match your domain and the directory where you installed the graphics. <br /> <br />Upload all the files to your server, making sure to put the tbopen.tmpl and tbopen.tmpl file in your templates/default directory. <br /> <br />Enjoy <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <br /> <br />Version 1.0 -initial release <br />Version 1.1 -fixed a missing closing table cell tag. <br />Version 1.2 -fixed the directory structure in the templates to stop bandwidth leaches. <br />
<img src="/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> Cool In was able to shave a few hundred bytes off my top image since it is now broken up in 3 images with only the top left containing the actual image. The rest are alot smaller than the ones you have packaged up with most being 41 bytes. However I can't get past the Photo Quality Images I use in that NOW top left image. The smallest one I have done is 1450bytes which beats the 1750bytes before. <br /><br />I went one step further knowing graphics a bit and converted the gif down to a jpg which shaved it down to 1125bytes. <br /><br />Most of the graphics you have packaged up can be compressed to one half or even a quarter of their size with any good graphics compression program. This will help save bandwidth and load time as well. This is what I had to do as we would not even want to try to load the images I created without compressing them.
I like this way of doing the table wrapper because the images are easier to work with.<br /><br />I never really thought about compressing them further because they are already pretty small. Once they are downloaded to the clients browser cahce they won't be pulled from your web server again unless they refresh / reload a page or they clear their cache.<br /><br />Why don't you send that image you use to me so I can see what I can do with it? <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
I am using the same program you are on your advice. Fireworks! <br /> <br />What I am saying is that compressing them saves load time. My side and corner graphics are 41K instead of 80-150k like the ones in your file. I am just saying that if you compress what you have then people will save time loading them. Alot of time people like you and I forget there are still people on dialup access. Thats why I try and compress things as much as possible. I doubt you can compress my topleft.jpg any more than I could. Your welcome to try but Photo Quality images only compress so far without losing quality. <br /> <br />What you did here is great. It saves file size a bit and anything saved is just that much better. You are becoming quite the template wizard. <br /><img src="/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> <br />
Thanks <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /><br /><br />FireWorks is the only way to go for web design! Photoshop is cool, but FW is geared more toward designing graphics for a web site.<br /><br />BTW: I'm on a 64K ISDN line in Italy. I know all about slow dial up <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
I have cable access so I thought I would point out graphics sizes to you. I have alot of users that are mixed and when I design things I try and compress things as much as possible because there are alot of dialup people out there. <br /><br />I especially have to be very careful as all the table wrappers I have designed so far the top one includes a photo quality image.<br /><br />Or should I say now the top left one will contain a photo quality image. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> Yeah I appreciated the advice a few days back. I have been trying out fireworks and have been impressed. Although I compress the graphics more after designing them in fireworks.
Hey Dalantech I do have a specific question since you are very familiar to Fireworks and I am new to it.<br /><br />How do you so those indented boxes that you place the binary and your site name in? I was thinking about doing one of them on my bottom right corner with my site name as well.
Use the rectagle tool to draw a rectangle. You can use the Window / Effect tool set to define the size.
Go to Window / Object and set the roundness to 100%.
Go back to the effects window and select Bevel and Embose / Inner Bevel. Set it to flat and inverted with an angle of 135 (all other settings just take the default).
<br /><br />...and you're done <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /><br /><br />I've attached a file with the frame I used for the graphics set and three grey bars showing the progresion of the effect. Just click on them and take a look at what I've done.<br /><br />Also go to view / grid and make sure show grid and snap to grid are selected. Also go to edit grid and set it to 10 x 10 pixels, if it's not set to 10 x 10 already (makes using the file easier).
Great hack Dalantech, much thanks. But there seems to be a problem with my site. It may be that I have the Who's Online box or Side-Bar. Anyways, here's a link to the page in question. The right bar around the main section as well as bottom aren't showing up.<br /><br />BTW, if you want some extra border graphics, I could try to pop out a few. Any ideas or requests?
There is no hyperlink in your post, but I can tell you that if you do not see the right side or bottom then there is an extra closing table cell, table row, and or table tag somewhere that's killing off the html in the $tbopen variable. Look for closing tags where they should not be...
I give up. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I'm using the $tbopen template that came with your zip, so that can't be the problem. I looked through ubbthreads.tmpl, but there are just tables within tables and all kinds of table tags. Too much to trace for this chico. Thanks for your help, though! <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
It's not a problem with the files that I posted, it's a problem in the script / html that you are trying to use the table wrappers on. Somewhere in your file is a /td /tr and or /table where it's not suppose to be, so the closing table tags in the $tbclose variable are being ignored.<br /><br />I had the same problem with the Priavay page I scripted recently. It turned out that I had some closing table tags in my privacy statement html that were causing the table wrappers to get cut off. If there is an error that effects the html in $tbclose you'll see it as missing graphics on the right side, bottom corners, and bottom of the table that's suppose to have the graphic wrapper around it.<br /><br />In short: If you're not going to post your script so I (or someone else) can review it for you then you're gonna have to debug it yourself. I can't help you if you are only going to make half a post and then claim that the error is in my script...<br /><br />P.S. It's working on my site, and many others...
Also, in my post there is a copy of a corrected ubbthreads.tmpl file. Did you upload it to your /templates/default directory? <br /> <br />Did you change all of the image urls in the tbopen.tmpl and tbclose.tmpl to your site and the directory where you stored the graphics? <br /> <br />Did you change all the background image urls in the CSS classes to your site and the directory on your server where you stored the images?
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