Auto-embedding image links and saving them on own server?

maggador · Post by **maggador** » Fri Apr 24, 2015 7:51 am

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.

Holger · Post by **Holger** » Fri Apr 24, 2015 8:02 am

This can be dangerous from copyright perspective. I would not recommend this!
In some cases only providing a link to an image, without bbcode, can be acceptable. Putting the image in the bbcode and showing it can be prohibited and in that case transferring it to your server would definitely be a "crime".

Nevertheless, in my phpBB 3.0.x I have a custom coding that allows me and the moderators to click a button to transfer the external images posted in a post to our server. But we have to click the button and no automatic function. There has to be thought over if the image should/could be transferred or not.
For example images uploaded by using tapatalk (stored on tapatalk.imageshack.com) are transferred in almost all cases.
Also, we have an option in the posting-template where a user explicit can tick an option to disallow the transfer. In that case the button is not shown at all.

Mess · Post by **Mess** » Fri Apr 24, 2015 8:36 am

Holger wrote:Nevertheless, in my phpBB 3.0.x I have a custom coding that allows me and the moderators to click a button to transfer the external images posted in a post to our server. But we have to click the button and no automatic function. There has to be thought over if the image should/could be transferred or not.
For example images uploaded by using tapatalk (stored on tapatalk.imageshack.com) are transferred in almost all cases.
Also, we have an option in the posting-template where a user explicit can tick an option to disallow the transfer. In that case the button is not shown at all.

Is that code available anywhere? I would love to see an extension for my moderators for this.

javiexin · Post by **javiexin** » Fri Apr 24, 2015 8:37 am

Holger wrote:Nevertheless, in my phpBB 3.0.x I have a custom coding that allows me and the moderators to click a button to transfer the external images posted in a post to our server. But we have to click the button and no automatic function. There has to be thought over if the image should/could be transferred or not.
For example images uploaded by using tapatalk (stored on tapatalk.imageshack.com) are transferred in almost all cases.
Also, we have an option in the posting-template where a user explicit can tick an option to disallow the transfer. In that case the button is not shown at all.

I would be VERY interested in this. If you only have the 3.0 code, I would even go so far as to transform this into a 3.1 extension, if I see it as feasible, and I have the time

So, would you share your 3.0 code?
Thanks a lot!
-javiexin

Holger · Post by **Holger** » Fri Apr 24, 2015 8:47 am

We had this custom programmed by oxpus.

Holger · Post by **Holger** » Fri Apr 24, 2015 9:14 am

Another feature is the automatic addition of the original URL of the image below the image after transfer and change of the post (change of img-path to local).

Images from https-sources are not transfered due to technical restrictions (would need processing of certificates?). But then we edit the post and remove the s and then normally we can transfer them.

maggador · Post by **maggador** » Tue Apr 28, 2015 3:45 pm

Regarding copyright issues, one can use Fair Use notice, and have a link back to original image location appearing below the image embedded itself.

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?

Got v 3.1.x

Cheers

BigBlockMopar · Post by **BigBlockMopar** » Tue Sep 03, 2019 9:10 pm

Old topic, but here's another vote for an extension like this.
I've seen it being used on a vBulletin-forum.
At first I didn't like it the site copied my images and hosted them on its own server, but it does make sense for the site itself, to keep topics 'complete' and useful with working pics over the years.

nou nou · Post by **nou nou** » Wed Sep 04, 2019 1:09 am

This reminds me of this extension:

https://senky.github.io/httpproxy/

Which I have been using on my forum, and works really well. Perhaps the author can be persuaded to do a version that is not limited to http links only?