Cumulus PHP-GD Banner

TNETWeather · **Posted:** Sun Jan 22, 2012 8:39 pm

scramblers wrote:

My website programming skills leave a lot to be desired but using the template and instructions, I have successfully managed to produce a banner that I can use on the Cumulus forum.

However, when I tried to use it on other forums and as part of my normal Microsoft Outlook email signature it would not work. From reading this thread I believe that this is because they will not allow php scripts on their websites. I also understand that the banner can be output as a png, jpg or gif picture which then can be used.

Am I correct or have I mis-understood parts of the forum thread?

Many forums require that an image being included use an image formatted file. ie end in png, gif, jpg... while the banner script by default outputs data in png format, the filename itself has the ending php.

If your webhost allows for it, you can create what is called a mod_rewrite rule which will take a name like banner.png and have it passed on to a php script like banner.php

Example:

Code:

RewriteRule ^/?banner.png$ /banner.php [L]
RewriteRule ^/?banner2.png$ /banner2.php [L]
RewriteRule ^/?banner3.png$ /banner3.php [L]

In the examples above, I have defined 3 different images banner.png banner2.png and banner3.png which the apache web server will actually pass to banner.php, banner2.php and banner3.php respectively.

The rewrite rules would go into your .htaccess after the RewriteEngine On command.

This way, I can use banner.png in forums and other locations that only accept graphic image filename, but get the same effect.

My banner in this posting is actually pointing at a png filename not a PHP one as a perfect example of this.

Note, including a link like this in email may not work, not because the link is bad, but because email is static and it also elevates your email to look more like spam. Many (most) MUA's don't display images by default without asking for approval to do so as many spam sources uses links like that to confirm the spam they sent was received.

scramblers · **Posted:** Mon Jan 23, 2012 3:20 pm

Quote:

The rewrite rules would go into your .htaccess after the RewriteEngine On command.

I have used FileZilla Client to look for the .htaccess but I cannot find it in my root directory. I read somewhere in this forum that the dot prefix makes it invisible! How can I check whether it is there or not?

If there is no .htaccess can I just write one or can I copy and insert a 'standard' .htaccess? And if there is a standard .htaccess can a member please post it for me to copy?

So many questions and so little knowledge

but I'm learning.

steve · **Posted:** Mon Jan 23, 2012 3:27 pm

If you look on the Server menu in Filezilla, you should see a 'force showing hidden files' option, so you would then be able to see .htaccess if you have one. If you don't then just create one with the rules that you want.

scramblers · **Posted:** Mon Jan 23, 2012 4:45 pm

steve wrote:

If you look on the Server menu in Filezilla, you should see a 'force showing hidden files' option, so you would then be able to see .htaccess if you have one. If you don't then just create one with the rules that you want.

I have ticked that option on FileZilla and I cannot see .htaccess.

My computing knowledge is scant, asking me to create a .htaccess is the same as asking me to write a sentence in urdu. My website and banner have been developed by adapting or modifying various bits of code from forum member's websites and banners as well as reading the various threads in this forum. I could not develop either from scratch (sad but true), I need a 'starter'. Could any member assist please?

TNETWeather · **Posted:** Mon Jan 23, 2012 5:42 pm

I would be able to help later today. Send me a message via my Email address.

SpHwk · **Posted:** Mon Jan 30, 2012 7:31 pm

Stepping back to scamblers post about inserting the banner into email (Outlook 2010 - w/ HTML enabled).

Does the output need to be changed to a graphic format - on an email client? I am aware that not everyone will have graphics enabled and may not see it. How do you insert the code so it shows up and not the text pointing to the banner? My attempts so far have not worked. i.e. <a href=”http://mywebaddress.com”><img src=”http://mywebaddress.com/banner.php”/></a>

Sorry if I am being dense....!

TNETWeather · **Posted:** Tue Jan 31, 2012 4:18 pm

I would highly recommend Not using this in your email. It is one of the fastest ways to get your email marked as spam or malicious. Having your email contain a link to a what the receiver of the email considered as an unknown source is not a good thing.

On top of that, the MUA doesn't see banner.php as a valid image as it is not an image file. It would need to be banner.png instead which would require the setup using mod_rewrite on your server as previously posted above.

SpHwk · **Posted:** Tue Jan 31, 2012 7:55 pm

Thanks Kevin!

SpHwk · **Posted:** Fri Feb 10, 2012 5:18 pm

I have been modifying my banner and wanted to add the wind chill to it. It appears that I am missing something and maybe overlooking the obvious?

Temporary banner url (a different version than displays on my signature): http://elkhornwx.com/123test.html

banner.php code for item in question
$text = "Hum: " . ret_value("hum") . "% - " . "DewPt: " . ret_value("dew") . '°' . ret_value("tempunit") . " Wind Chill: " . ret_value("wchll") . '°' . ret_value("tempunit");
if ($SITE['usettf'] == "yes" ) {
$size = 10;
imagettftextbox($im, $size, 0, 0, 41, $black, $font4, $text, $SITE['image_width'], "center");

realtime .txt data from site:
10/02/12 10:14:55 13.5 71 5.8 14.0 15.0 335 0.00 0.00 30.383 NNW 4 mph F in in 109.8 +0.026 0.68 0.68 0.00 66.6 30 -2.0 +0.1 28.9 01:05 11.9 08:34 15.0 04:13 26.0 04:07 30.384 10:10 30.126 00:05 1.9.2 1026 23.0 13.5 13.5 0 0.000 0 336 0.00 1 1 0 NNW 1749 ft -0.4 0.0 360 0

My realtime.txt file appears o.k. so I don't see why the whindchill does not show?

steve · **Posted:** Fri Feb 10, 2012 6:36 pm

SpHwk wrote:

ret_value("wchll")

Should be

ret_value("wchill")

SpHwk · **Posted:** Fri Feb 10, 2012 10:13 pm

Thanks Steve!

I was getting the field name from the header info of the banner.php which had it listed as "wchll" - unless I unknowingly edited it.

Works greeat now...

mcrossley · **Posted:** Sat Feb 11, 2012 9:11 am

Err, are you sure John? The banner in your Sig is blank!

and now it isn't! :lol:

beteljuice · **Posted:** Sat Feb 11, 2012 1:34 pm

mcrossley wrote:

Err, are you sure John? The banner in your Sig is blank!

and now it isn't! :lol:

Won't be using the rename facility in ftp then

Mark14 · **Posted:** Tue Sep 25, 2012 11:08 am

Do you know maybe how to change the size of units in the script? I want to have smaller size only for wind units (the rest of the line "WIND: S # 23" I want to leave bigger).

beteljuice · **Posted:** Tue Sep 25, 2012 2:19 pm

For some reason the commented lines in your script are the wrong way round - ie. bearing should be windspeed.

Code:

// Print bearing
$text = "Wiatr: " . ret_value("wspeed") . ret_value("windunit");
if ($SITE['usettf'] == "yes" ) {
    $size = 10;
    imagettftextbox($im, $size, 0, 0, 22, $black, $font3, $text, $SITE['image_width'], "left");
} else {
    $size = 5;
    imageWriteString($im, $size, $text, $black, "left", 23);
}

// Print windspeed

$text = "-> " . ret_value("wdir");
if ($SITE['usettf'] == "yes" ) {
    $size = 10;
    imagettftextbox($im, $size, 0, 60, 37, $black, $font3, $text, $SITE['image_width'], "left");
} else {
    $size = 5;
    imageWriteString($im, $size, $text, $black, "left", 23);
}

As you probably realise, you are going to have to split the text string and play with the start position of the wind units string.

eg. windspeed (ttf fonts assumed)

Code:

// Print WINDSPEED
$text = "Wiatr: " . ret_value("wspeed");
if ($SITE['usettf'] == "yes" ) {
    $size = 10;
    imagettftextbox($im, $size, 0, 0, 22, $black, $font3, $text, $SITE['image_width'], "left");
    $text = ret_value("windunit");
    $size = 8; // new wind unit size
    imagettftextbox($im, $size, 0, 0, 42, $black, $font3, $text, $SITE['image_width'], "left");
// NB. start position 42 is a GUESS, leave enough room for an expected Max speed


} else {
    $size = 5;
    imageWriteString($im, $size, $text, $black, "left", 23);
}

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