How do you insert photos into a post ?

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

Prompted by RWM's post on another thread, I'm asking for some help and instructions on the above. 

I've tried using the 'Insert/edit image" function at the tree icon in the toolbar above, but it always freezes up and never works for me. 

There doesn't seem to be any instructions anyplace on this website.  There is a place on another Forum here for such things, but that Forum seems to suffer from a lack of attention, so that's why I'm posting here instead.

I recall that someone - Larry/ tree68, perhaps - either posted or had a link to instructions a year or two ago, but I can't seem to find it lately. 

Any help or insight will be greatly appreciated, not only by me but others who would like to share photos, too.

Thanks in advance !

- Paul North.

[MP173]

Thanks for asking Paul. 

Can one post directly from photo files on your computer, or does it have to be on a web based photo storage site?

Ed

[The Butler]

MP173

Thanks for asking Paul. 

Can one post directly from photo files on your computer, or does it have to be on a web based photo storage site?

Ed

Ed, I can't answer Paul's question, but you do need a web based photo storage site.  I think the only picture that can be posted from your computer is the one for your avatar.

[selector]

To post an image in a text box here, you must provide this server with a URL and proper tags to retrieve the file.  That means it must be accessible 24/7.  For that purpose, the best solution is to register for a free account at any number of webhosts, photobucket being one of them.

Once you are logged in to photobucket (for example), you upload images directly from your computer.  When they are labelled and you see them on your gallery page, you can place your cursor on them and drag it down to the drop down menu that appears.  Slide down to the bottom option, the one that says "img tags" or something similar.  Right click and save, close out, come here to your text box, and paste.  When you post your comment, the image will have been retrieved by our server here and will appear as you intended.

-Crandell

[tree68]

The answer to Ed's question is correct.

Posting a picture is easy, once you find a place to host your image.  I have my own webspace (for a small annual fee - you can do that too, and have your own website if you're so inclined), so I host my own images.  Pretty much any photo site will do.

If you end up hosting your own images, be sure to reduce them to a managable size.  I usually keep my images down to a width of 800 pixels, using a photo editor, before I upload them.

Inserting an image is easy, using the IMG tags.  I'll do an example, using the wrong brackets, so you can see it.  The correct brackets are [ and ].

Example:  {img}http://www.tree68.net/Railroad/DeshClear.jpg{/img}

That will yield this, with the proper brackets:

Once you have a place to host your images and learn the tags, you'll be bombarding us with pictures!

[Kootenay Central]

.

 

[K. P. Harrier]

Since there is no direct economic incentive for Kalmbach (and I suppose other reasons too, possibly including legal), it is not surprising there is no mechanism for them to host forum photos, nor for them to explain in easily found and accessible places HOW to post photos. (That is why Paul found it necessary to start this thread in the first place.)

So, to have photos included in our posts at the trains.com website, we have to go to non-Kalmbach host outfits, such as photobucket.com, where the above photo can be found. But, such outfits only offer FREE limited space. So, posted photos aren't permanent, but will only last as long as the poster has no need to free up space for other photos. Thus, we peruse through back posts, and find posts with photo(s) absent.

Paul's intelligent thread question unwittingly shows up what may or may not ever be altered at Kalmbach, i.e., the lack of permanence to forum photos AND the lack of DIRECT economic incentive to have such. But, that is only my opinion.

To directly address Paul's question ... the above posters said it correctly: Just include a hosted photo's IMG line in the post composition.

 

[tree68]

One of the forums I post on allows a direct upload, but there's never any space on the server.  So I post pictures there the same way I do here - with the IMG tag.

Like I said before - ours is a photo heavy hobby.  And even though storage is getting cheaper, we'd still be burning a lot of it up.

In a previous incarnation of this forum there was a resource that did list the forum coding.  It would be nice to see that back.  I don't profess to be an expert on it - but a lot of what I know now came from that resource and the similarity of forum code with HTML.  I wouldn't want to clutter the top of the forum with a permanent sticky, though, so it would have to be added somewhere else.

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

OK, so now I'm going to give this a try, with a Sept. 2004 photo of 2 BNSF trains meeting at speed on the north bank of the Columbia River about halfway between the Bridge of the Gods and Mt. Hood:

1.  Using the ''Insert/ edit Image'' function ['tree' icon] above -

2.  Pasting the image's URL between the IMG tags -

Pasting the

" align=left mce_src="">

 

- Paul North.

Well, none of those worked - so I'll try again - using the 'Embed Image' function from Picasa:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/O0PNj2PS5y0p5MZVBMvfjw?authkey=Gv1sRgCNrcsZbc4cDkpgE&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_o57bVHrFAbQ/SFmIwDhv0qI/AAAAAAAAAEo/xIOwhRU5m_Y/s144/DSCN0493%20-%202%20BNSF%20Trains%20Col.%20River.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="PDNs'>http://picasaweb.google.com/PaulDNorthJr/PDNsRailroadPhotos?authkey=Gv1sRgCNrcsZbc4cDkpgE&feat=embedwebsite">PDNs Railroad Photos</a></td></tr></table>" border="0" />

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/O0PNj2PS5y0p5MZVBMvfjw?authkey=Gv1sRgCNrcsZbc4cDkpgE&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_o57bVHrFAbQ/SFmIwDhv0qI/AAAAAAAAAEo/xIOwhRU5m_Y/s144/DSCN0493%20-%202%20BNSF%20Trains%20Col.%20River.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="PDNs'>http://picasaweb.google.com/PaulDNorthJr/PDNsRailroadPhotos?authkey=Gv1sRgCNrcsZbc4cDkpgE&feat=embedwebsite">PDNs Railroad Photos</a></td></tr></table>

Well, obviously still not working.  Guess I'll have to try again later.

- Paul North.

OK, it's now 'later'.  I've adjusted the Picasa's 'Album Visibility' setting to 'Public' - so now let's see what happens:

Nope - still no luck.  I suppose I'll have to re-read tree68's instructions - if that doesn't work, then maybe look into getting a 'Photobucket' account instead - that seems to be the common thread to a lot of the advice I've been given above.

In the meantime - Thanks again for your help, guys.

- PDN.

http://picasaweb.google.com/PaulDNorthJr/PDNsRailroadPhotos#5213348402820010658 

 

 

[Modelcar]

.....Does seem a bit strange that well qualified personnel on the computer even seem to have problems inserting photos on here....Why does it have to be so mystifying....I gave up trying to do so a long time ago. 

I'm comfortable around the computer, but no geek by any means....

[selector]

It has not been an issue with me since about a week after joining the fora here five years ago.  Someone described the steps I outlined above to me, I acted appropriately, and have never looked back.

It sometimes is the case that one's choice of browser and its settings, and how they interface with the server here, gives people fits, and not just with inserting images.  Often their text gets mangled or de-formatted when it appears.

If you use the img tags and square brackets, and use a webhost such as photobucket or railimages, etc, the gross majority of users get full service out of the procedures.

-Crandell

[K. P. Harrier]

Paul,

Your attempted link seems to be a multi-photo link.

When I copied the actual photo's link, as below (minus a bracket on each end so I could show you) ...

IMG]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_o57bVHrFAbQ/SFmIwDhv0qI/AAAAAAAAAEo/xIOwhRU5m_Y/s640/DSCN0493%20-%202%20BNSF%20Trains%20Col.%20River.JPG[/IMG

... it worked, as below ...

Hope that gives you some ideas ...

K.P.

 

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

Well, with the benefit of K. P.'s example, now I'll try again . . .

[IMG]http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/O0PNj2PS5y0p5MZVBMvfjw?feat=directlink[/IMG]

 

[The Butler]

Paul_D_North_Jr

Well, with the benefit of K. P.'s example, now I'll try again . . .

[IMG]http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/O0PNj2PS5y0p5MZVBMvfjw?feat=directlink[/IMG]

 

Two things I've noticed, this link is "active" in Paul's last post (is it supposed to be?) and the link is to Paul's "album" page not a page with only the picture and nothing else.

Edit The address for the picture only: http://lh5.ggpht.com/_o57bVHrFAbQ/SFmIwDhv0qI/AAAAAAAAAEo/xIOwhRU5m_Y/s640/DSCN0493%20-%202%20BNSF%20Trains%20Col.%20River.JPG

[tree68]

I've found that the forum software will auto-format an HTML link.  Thus it is necessary to insert images in the following order:

1.  Highlight and copy the desired link (see note after the picture!).

2.  Type the opening IMG tag.

3.  Place the cursor after the closing bracket of said tag (]).

4.  Paste the URL.

5.  Enter the closing IMG tag (with the slash).

On the face of it, your attempt is correct, but because the forum software auto-formatted your image as a link, the underlying HTML code is corrupted.  So much so that I couldn't even quote your post.  Not your fault - call it a glitch.

Here's your image:

One technique I often use to capture the URL for a given image is to have the image up on my browser, right click on the image, then select "properties."  The window that opens will contain the actual URL of the image (it may not all fit on the two lines displayed, but it'll all be there).  Highlight the entire URL, right click and copy it, then paste it as above.   That's what I finally had to do to get the image above posted.  I could open the link to your page just fine, but I couldn't get it to work within the IMG tags.

Once we get past this, maybe we'll do a lesson on the URL tag... 

[selector]

What I would suggest you do, Paul, is to save your image URL, come back here, and type both tags.  Then, place your cursor between them and paste.  That process will definitely not let windows explorer change it to an active URL except as an image link that the server will 'get'.

I have had success doing it as Larry describes above, too.

Love the topography and view in that image.   My kind of place.

-Crandell

[The Butler]

tree68

snip...One technique I often use to capture the URL for a given image is to have the image up on my browser, right click on the image, then select "properties."  The window that opens will contain the actual URL of the image (it may not all fit on the two lines displayed, but it'll all be there).  Highlight the entire URL, right click and copy it, then paste it as above.   That's what I finally had to do to get the image above posted.  I could open the link to your page just fine, but I couldn't get it to work within the IMG tags.

Once we get past this, maybe we'll do a lesson on the URL tag... 

Thanks, tree, I didn't know about the "properties" way.  I use Firefox and right clicking on a picture gives me the option to "View Image."  That will give me a page with the picture only and it's address in the "Navigation Toolbar."  The "properties" way is faster, especially on my dial-up connection! 

[Modelcar]

....That is a nice image.   A "different" type of scene.

[jeaton]

 

 From the site where I have my pictures stored, I click on "properties" for the picture I want to move, then copy and paste this portion of the URL for the picture:  

jeaton.rrpicturearchives.net/pictures/22533/IMG_2541-1.jpg

After that I put the img and /img (both in brackets [ ]) at each end, and last fill http://.

The end result is:

img]http://jeaton.rrpicturearchives.net/pictures/22533/IMG_2541-1.jpg[/img

(The first and last bracket eliminated to illustrate).

 

[selector]

K. P. Harrier

...it is not surprising there is no mechanism for them to host forum photos, nor for them to explain in easily found and accessible places HOW to post photos...

On the index page showing all the forums at trains.com, under the heading "Discusssions", is an orange coloured font, in caps, showing "FAQ".  How to post images is covered in that section.

I do agree with you that it could be plainer, and should appear on all forum main pages in addition to the index page, where is exists solely.

-Crandell

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

selector

  On the index page showing all the forums at trains.com, under the heading "Discusssions", is an orange coloured font, in caps, showing "FAQ".  How to post images is covered in that section.

I do agree with you that it could be plainer, and should appear on all forum main pages in addition to the index page, where is exists solely.

-Crandell 

 

By golly, you're right - it's in the heading: 

Forums

Discussions

FAQ

which leads to: http://cs.trains.com/trccs/faq/default.aspx 

The following appear to be the most relevant to this question:

http://cs.trains.com/trccs/faq/default.aspx#ps13 

Can I post images?

Yes, images can be shown in your posts. If the administrator has allowed attachments, you may be able to upload the image to the board. Otherwise, you must link to an image stored on a publicly accessible web server, e.g. http://www.example.com/my-picture.gif. You cannot link to pictures stored on your own PC (unless it is a publicly accessible server) nor images stored behind authentication mechanisms, e.g. hotmail or yahoo mailboxes, password protected sites, etc. To display the image use the BBCode

 

http://cs.trains.com/trccs/faq/default.aspx#ps2

 

What is BBCode?

BBCode is a special implementation of HTML, offering great formatting control on particular objects in a post. The use of BBCode is granted by the administrator, but it can also be disabled on a per post basis from the posting form. BBCode itself is similar in style to HTML, but tags are enclosed in square brackets [ and ] rather than < and >. Some examples are:

• text - for bolding
• text - for italics
• text - for creating links
• [img]http://www.example.com/my-picture.gif" border="0" /> - for posting images

I'll try again momentarily.

- Paul North.

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

 Well, here goes nothing . . .

Geez, it worked !     Larry's 'right-click and extract the URL from the Properties data' is how I did it this time.  Thanks so much, gentlemen ! 

My wife will be surprised and pleased at the several kind compliments on the photo, too.  That's because she took it - I was driving, and there was no time or even room on the shoulder to park and try to take the photo, so she did it as a quick 'grab shot' with some coaching from me.  She's proud of it, as she should be - there's a lot of drama to it, and it came out well for the very little preparation that was available to us.

Since yesterday, what you've also missed out on was my many abortive attempts to accomplish this last night and earlier this morning.  This kind of situation/ frustration is undoubtedly why the 'Head Banging' emoticon    was created . . . Maybe more on that later.

You do realize, of course, that what you've done is kind of similar to giving the atom bomb to a monkey.    But I promise to post only decent photos of likely broader interest, not just everything I happen to shoot . . .

 Thanks again ! 

- Paul North.

[tree68]

We've created a monster!  (But a good one, I'm sure.)

So, on to the URL tag.  There are actually two ways to do it.  One will happen automatically (but not always) - that's if you simply type in or paste a complete URL.  I still prefer to put the tags in myself to ensure that my links are properly "lit up".

For that, simply put the URL and /URL tags before and after the complete (including the HTTP://) URL:

{url}http://www.yourwebsite.com/extensions/etc{/url}  Of course, you'll use [ and ].

The other way is that shown in the FAQ:

{url=http://www.yourwebsite.com/extensions/etc}Check This Out!{/url}, which will display the words between the two tags underlined and in a different color and link the reader to the website if they click on the words.

Both have value.  If you want to highlight/credit the source of the link specifically (good for news-type links), use the first method.  If you want to provide a link (and especially multiple links) without breaking up your writing (ie, "It was a cold day on the CSX Chicago Line at Utica when an eastbound mixed manifest came through followed shortly by a westbound autorack.  Brrr!") go with the second.