SGP >> General Forum Usage v1.2

[ColdGlider]

SGP Guide: Team SGP Forum General Usage
v1.2

Including contributions by:

• ColdGlider
• Pulse Cloud (originally posted by Amacythe in the Simple Machines Online Manual)
• NightCrafter27

Table of Contents

• Avatars
• BB Codes
• Chat

Avatars    [link]
by ColdGlider

Warning:
Uploadable avatars are a big privilege in the forum-world, and represent a bit of a risk to forum administrators.  SGP members are expected to abide by the law with respect to the images they upload.  Furthermore, if you upload an image that is blatanly pornographic, you will be BANNED.  If the offending upload is also illegal, you will also be REPORTED.  Remember that the forum administrators have your IP addresses.  Have fun, but as always:  Keep It Clean.

You can change your avatar by selecting the "Profile" tab on any of the forum screens, then by clicking "Forum Profile Information" (heretofore referred to as "FPI") from the links on the left.

You can set your SGP avatar in one of three ways:

• Selecting a pre-loaded avatar from our ever-growing collection.
• Specifying the URL (web address) of the image.
• Uploading the image to the SGP server.

It is recommended that you use the first or last option, as linking is only as stable as the address you link to.

To choose a pre-loaded avatar:
Navigate to the FPI page and click the "Personalized Picture" option.  To the right of this is a list of avatar categories (e.g. "[SGP]").  Click a category and you will then be able to browse the avatar images in that category.  When you have chosen the one you'd like to use, click the "Change Profile" button at the bottom of the FPI page.

To upload your own avatar:

• Make sure you know where the image is located on your PC.
  
• Make sure the image is square.  The ideal image size for SGP avatars is 130x130 pixels.
  
• Make sure the image is in the correct format.  I recommend .PNG, but .JPG and some .BMPs will also work.

Once you have made the above preparations, go to FPI and select the "I will upload my own picture" option.  Then click the "Browse" button.  This will bring up a window where you can browse your PC for files.  Select the image you saved to your PC and click the "Open" button in the browsing window.  Finally, click the "Change Profile" button at the bottom of the FPI page.

To link to your avatar image:
From FPI, click the "I have my own pic" option and type its URL into the adjacent textbox.  Click the "Change Profile" button at the bottom of the FPI page.  Again... this method isn't recommended.  

Issues
If your image does not show up properly in the FPI page after you click the "Change Profile" button, the most likely cause of the problem is that your image was in the wrong file format.  Try a different format.  

If your image show up stretched and/or squashed, you probably uploaded an image larger than 130x130 pixels that wasn't square.  Make your image square and upload/link it again to fix the problem.  You will either have to crop or pad your image.


BB Codes    [link]
by Pulse Cloud (originally posted by Amacythe in the Simple Machines Online Manual).

Please use tags in this manner: [tag]Item goes here[/tag] or [tag1=blah][tag2]Item goes here[/tag2][/tag1]

Button	Usage	Description
	[b]text[/b]	Makes text bold.
	[i]text[/i]	Makes text italicized.
	[u]text[/u]	Underlines text.
	[s]text[/s]	Strikes out text.
	[glow=red,2,50]glow[/glow]	Adds a glowing effect to text. This BBCode only works with MS Internet Explorer. This is not a standard feature in any other browser.
	[shadow=red,left]shadow[/shadow]	Adds a shadow effect to text. This BBCode only works with MS Internet Explorer. This is not a standard feature in any other browser.
	[move]text[/move]	Makes the text inside move in a marquee.
	[pre]text[/pre]	Preformats enclosed text.
	[left]left align[/left]	Aligns enclosed items to the left.
	[center]centered[/center]	Aligns enclosed items to the center.
	[right]right align[/right]	Aligns enclosed items to the right.
	[hr]	Inserts a horizontal rule into a Post or PM. Note there is no closing tag.
	[size=10pt]font size[/size]	Adjusts the font size of the enclosed text.
	[font=Verdana]font face[/font]	Used to change the font face of the enclosed text.
	[flash=200,200]http://somesite/somefile.swf[/flash]	Inserts a link to an animated flash file in .swf format. Please be cautious when enabling this BBCode in your forum, since it may be a security risk.
	[img]http://somesite/image.jpg[/img]	Inserts an image into a Post or personal message.
	[url]http://somesite/[/url] or [url=http://somesite/]Site Name[/url]	Formats a URL in a Post or personal message.
	[email]someone@somesite[/email] or [email=someone@somesite]Somename[/email]	Formats an email address in a Post or personal message.
	[ftp]ftp://somesite[/ftp] or [ftp=ftp://somesite]somesite[/ftp]	Formats an FTP address in a Post or personal message.
	[sup]text[/sup]	Formats enclosed text as a superscript.
	[sub]text[/sub]	Formats enclosed text as a subscript.
	[tt]text[/tt]	Formats enclosed text in teletype format.
	[code]code[/code]	Used to insert a selection of code into a Personal message or post.
	[quote]text[/quote] or [quote=Author link=http://somesite/]text[/quote]	Places enclosed text in a quote box.
	[list] [li]SMF[/li] [li]YaBB SE[/li] [/list] You can also use the following: [list] [o]circle [O]circle [0]circle [*]disc [@]disc [+]square [x]square [#]square [/list]	Inserts items in list format.

For the following 3 tags: they have to be used exactly like their HTML equivalent.

This is a table.

[table][/table] Inserts a table. It can't be used alone, or it has no sense! [tr][/tr] Inserts a row into a table. This BBCode can't be used alone. [td][/td] Inserts a column into a table. This BBCode can't be used alone. BBCode without buttons on the interface. Usage Description [abbr=exemlpi gratia]eg[/abbr] Displays the full expression for the abbreviation on mouseover. [acronym=Simple Machines Forum]SMF[/acronym] Displays the full expression for the acronym on mouseover. [html]<br />[/html] Parses HTML code. (Only Admins can use this) [nobbc] [/nobbc] Ignores bbcode formatting [time]1132812640[/time] Converts a Unix Timestamp into a time recognizable by people. [iurl]http://somesite/[/iurl] Makes a link that opens in the same window. [anchor=test]Test[/anchor] [url=#test]Link to anchor[/url]

Chat    [link]
by nightcrafter27

To see who is online:
Click "List online users" in the menu on the right
To go to a different channel:
Click on the left "bubble" at the top of the chatpage, and then click desired channel
To go to a private channel:
Click "Enter private room" in the menu on the right
Invite someone to your private channel:
See who is online, click the desired user's name, and click "Invite"
Describe Action:
This makes it appear if you are doing something
EX.: ColdGlider is doing Admin stuff
It can also be used to illustrate a thought
EX.: EnigmaBiz2 thinks purple is awesome!
Roll:
FOREMAN will roll a dice for you. To specify how many dice, and how many sides, type [number of dice]d[sides] after /roll
Quickly type another user's name:
Click on that user's name
Change the skin of the chatpage
Click on the middle "bubble" at the top of the chatpage, and select the desired skin