Adding Sigs, avatars, and pics to the forums., From Flatliners perspective. Options

[flatliner]

The first thing you must understand is that you are going to have to join an image warehousing site like www.photobucket.com. This is where you are going to have to upload the images from your computer to. If anyone has any particular sites that they prefer, please let me know, so I can add it to this post. I have only used photbucket.com.

After joining the site (usually free) you can begin uploading images you have created to the site. Each site is different, but the specifics of uploading should be pretty simple. You will have to go to the site, it will prompt you to browse your CPU, and after you find the appropriate image, you select it, and then press upload. The process can take a little time, especially if you are uploading multiple images, and the size of the images will directly impact the upload time. After uploading an image to the site, you will see a generated URL Link below the uploaded image. The URL link is the important address that you will be copying and pasting onto the forums at MOB.

So now you have multiple pictures uploaded to a hosting site, and each one has a specific URL Link, you can now begin placing them in the forums.

During a post, you will see that little Tree icon at the top of the window, if you soft dreag over it without clicking, it will say, "insert image". Clicking this icon will open a small dialog box that requests an url link. Yep. if you insert your newly created URL link from the hosting site, your pic should show up WHERE THE CURSER is in the post. Do not copy the Url link to the post itself, you must post it the way it is stated above.
the url should look like this...http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/stonecutter20/avatarneo.gif
as you can see, no picture... but if I insert it into the insert image method, I get this...


So now you want to insert images for a sig or avatar.. I have been known to change my avatar a few times a day, so here you go.
Adding an image to your avatar-
In the forums click on MY CONTROLS
You are now in your control panel.
On the left side, under Personal profile, you need to select EDIT AVATAR SETTINGS.

on the right side you will see...

Your image avatars
Enter a URL to an online avatar image

Upload a new image from your computer

BOTH options will work for you, but...Your avatar must be no bigger than 80 pixels by 80 pixels in size. Uploaded avatars from your computer must be no larger than 100 KB.
The following file types are allowed: gif,jpeg,jpg,swf,png

I am no master of adjusting the size of a pic, so you are on your own there, but if you own photoshop you can adjust the properties of a photo pretty easy. But this is not a photo edit tutorial....I digress.

If you choose to enter and URL to an online avatar image, well, you guessed it, your hosting site URL link is what you copy and paste in the space provided.

If you choose to upload directly from your computer, you will need to browse your CPU and upload it directly from there.

After doing either, push the "update avatar" button, you will be redirected, and presto chango, your pic should appear in the "your current avatar" section. IF it is not, it is probably to wrong size or format, and you will have to adjust it, or select another avatar.

Now for the ever popular and important SIGNATURES
This relates more to the POSTING PICTURES section from above.

while still in the control panel, look to the left for Personal Profile again.
Click on EDIT SIGNATURE.

You are now provided with two windows at the right side.
Your Current Signature

and

Edit your signature

In the edit your signature area, you will see that little tree again. Follow the same instructions as above for posting pics and insert the generated URL link from photobucket, or your hosting site.
Click the UPDATE MY SIGNATURE button and again, presto chango, in the Your current Signature section you should see the signature/picture of your choice. There are no restrictions here, but please do not make a mondo huge sig that takes up the whole screen, it is a signature anyway.

That about does it. If you have any further questions, PM me and I will help you with it.

On a side note there are many many very talented people that frequent the MOB servers who, if you ask nicely, will design sigs for you.

Addendums to this post to follow...