Auto-embed external images & save on own server?

maggador · Post by **maggador** » Fri Apr 24, 2015 12:28 am

Is there any way to automatically embed image links people post, and at the same time have them uploaded and stored on own server so they remains active even if the original site goes dead or removes the linked images?

I been trying out finding a way to do it myself with little luck, nor have I found any extensions or mods or other ways to do this

Anyone can help out with this and how one could go about doing it?

Thanks a lot and cheers!

Oyabun1 · Post by **Oyabun1** » Fri Apr 24, 2015 12:47 am

Just add the images as an attachment rather than a link. The images are then stored locally and it would be irrelevant if some external site is live or altered.

maggador · Post by **maggador** » Fri Apr 24, 2015 7:54 am

Yes, but that is inconvenient, as the users will have to know about that then, and in addition they wont be embedded into their proper places in a post.

I want people to be able to post an image link, and have it automatically embed into the post where they put the image link just as when using the Img BBCode button.

But when doing so, I want the images to be uploaded to my own server and hosted there, instead of being externally hosted.

This way they will be sure to remain, because i have experienced problems with images disappearing before when embedded and hosted externally, which can make a mess in a post with many images important for certain things, and it ruins the post and makes it unuseable without its proper context that the images provides.

Perhaps its possible to modify the code of the already existing Img BBCode so it does the saving on own server part, which would be very good, but the ultimate would be both automatic embedding when an image link is posted and auto-uploaded and linked to on my own server, without even having to use the bbcode function.

I have a cool extension for media that auto-embeds media from more than 100 sites such as youtube etc by only posting the direct link to the media, but it doesnt embed direct image links, nor does it store any of the posted media on my own server - not that I want videos and stuff saved on my own server, I only want this function as described for image links..

Thanks to anyone that can help out with this.

Post by **Mick** » Fri Apr 24, 2015 8:20 am

You can't do that in standard phpBB, it would require an extension.

Post by **stevemaury** » Sat Apr 25, 2015 2:20 am

maggador wrote: and in addition they wont be embedded into their proper places in a post.

What does that mean? Attachments can be placed anywhere in a post.

maggador · Post by **maggador** » Tue Apr 28, 2015 3:42 pm

OK you are right, they can be placed anywhere in the post when attached, bust still people need to go through the attachment procedure and many dont even know about that feature. Most people simply post direct image links.

Thats why I want what I am asking about here, auto embedded images from such external links, having the images themselves saved on my own server.

If there is no coding I can do myself to add into some of the php files or plugins I already got as explained above, is there any such plugin/extension out there somewhere, or someone cool and kind and experienced enough to make such one?

Cheers

Lumpy Burgertushie · Post by **Lumpy Burgertushie** » Tue Apr 28, 2015 5:22 pm

although anything is possible, this would involve a lot of very special coding and you would just have to request such and extension in the extension request forum and then wait to see if anyone would want to give it a try.

not to mention that there could be any number of image upload sites that people could be using that would have to be accounted for in this extension.

personally I would not hold my breath waiting for it.

robert

**My CDB Contributions** · Post by **HiFiKabin** » Tue Apr 28, 2015 5:37 pm

You can of course always 'drag and drop' images into the reply box

maggador · Post by **maggador** » Tue Apr 28, 2015 6:50 pm

Lumpy Burgertushie wrote:although anything is possible, this would involve a lot of very special coding and you would just have to request such and extension in the extension request forum and then wait to see if anyone would want to give it a try.

not to mention that there could be any number of image upload sites that people could be using that would have to be accounted for in this extension.

personally I would not hold my breath waiting for it.

robert

Have posted request. The image sites are no issues as all the extension needs to do is auto-embed any link ending in any image format (*.jpg, *png, *gif, etc)

No sites themselves needs to be implemented into the extension, it sould grab any image url, embed the image, store it on local server for forum.

They guy I mentioned above who got an extension that auto embeds media from over 100 sites could probably manage to implement this feature as well into his plugin easily, i sent him a message, lets see what he says.

Lumpy Burgertushie · Post by **Lumpy Burgertushie** » Tue Apr 28, 2015 9:15 pm

I don't think you understand how this works.

it would have to go to wherever that image is hosted and download it/tranfer it to your server.

so, the extension will need to take the complete url, access that website, follow whatever methods are needed to copy an image from that website server and transfer it to your server into a directory there.
all of the links will have to be updated etc. etc. etc.

not saying it can't be done, just saying it would not be as simple as you think.

also, the video extension you are talking about has the individual embed codes for each of those video hosting sites listed in its code. depending on what the website url is , it has to basically create a special bbcode type link for each one and then create the html needed to embed the video in the post.
whenever a new video site comes along, he has to update the extension and users will have to uninstall it and reinstall the new version to be able to use the new site etc.
from what I have seen there is simply no way in that extension to use it for images. it is just not what it is designed for.

robert

maggador · Post by **maggador** » Thu Apr 30, 2015 5:44 am

You may be right, i am no expert coder, though I do have some experience with programming, used to be into c++ and delphi and pascal etc decade and half ago.

But, I dont see what can be so complicated about grabbing an image if you just code it properly to understand that images of various common formats are images when linked directly, such as www.domain.com/image.jpg, and then have that jpg auto grabbed, uploaded unto own server, and embedded into the post.

There are certainly more complex extensions out there than what I am asking for, and I do think it be possible fairly easily for those with experience in the php and phpbb coding.

All it needs to do is recognize an image file, and then auto-embed it after quickly uploading to own server.

If I wasnt too busy with my other work these days I would put my nerd googles on and try get it done myself but I have been out of that game for a decade now and involved with completely different thingns.. Anyway, hopefully someone can help out with this.

Cheers

Oyabun1 · Post by **Oyabun1** » Thu Apr 30, 2015 8:17 am

The place for extension requests is the dedicated [3.1.x] Extension Requests forum.

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