Partially Implemented Create Showcase button in the category forum

[Stuart Wright]

So the showcase addon, as feature-rich and impressive as it is, is completely overlooked by our community.
So we have the Members' Home Cinema Gallery forum which is assigned as the forum for discussion threads for our Home Cinema Showcases category.
http://www.avforums.com/forums/members-home-cinema-gallery.152/
What I would like to suggest is a very obvious way to encourage people who have created a thread in that forum to create a Showcase.
Maybe, a 'Create Showcase' link above the first post? (This would create the showcase item with this thread automatically set as the associated discussion thread).

Also once a user has a thread in a showcase forum but with no associated showcase, could we also create a notice or notification to let them know the benefits of creating one?

 

[Bob]

Another thought is to replaced the "Post New Thread" button with "Create Showcase". This would help with the NEW ones. The other note I have on the white board is converting a thread into a showcase item.

 

[Stuart Wright]

Another thought is to replaced the "Post New Thread" button with "Create Showcase". This would help with the NEW ones. The other note I have on the white board is converting a thread into a showcase item.

I love that idea. Creates the showcase, which in turn creates the thread.
Which just leaves, as you say, converting existing threads. Although given the conversational nature of the showcase threads, it would perhaps need to be a manual process. Maybe, for each tab, the thread owner has to select which posts are copied in. And it copies the contents of the posts into that tab. Might have to have a limit on the number of posts, maybe?
And the BB codes (including ATTACH) would need to work.

 

[Stuart Wright]

In fact I prefer that idea, Bob. I think that when that happens, the use of Showcases will go up right away and a lot.
How high is it up your To Do list, Bob?

 

[Bob]

They are marked as high priority (I say they, cause there are two bits of functionality here and each one is a separate entity).

 

[Stuart Wright]

I'm guessing that one of them is the new phrase and url for the 'Create Showcase' button which will replace the Create Thread button?
We already have an addon which replaces the text so that members can 'Post New Advert' in our classifieds.
But you'd need to fire off the 'create Showcase' function also.

 

[Bob]

Ya, its a bit different tho, cause I want to give the option to either replace or add (some people want people to be able to just start bare threads as well).

 

[Bob]

This has been partially implemented. The reason that it is marked as partially, is that this is a multiple functionality request and only part of one bit of functionality requested has been implemented.

The way this works is based on the VIEWING USERS permissions. If they don't have permission to view showcase, then nothing changes. It then checks to see if the forum that the viewing user is looking at is associated with showcase (ie, showcase has that forum set as one of the forums that gets threads auto created in). If the viewing user has permission to both VIEW the category AND Create new Items, there will be a new button ('Create Showcase') displayed next to the Post New Thread Button. This will launch an overlay with the Category Chooser (as there could be multiple categories associated to a single Forum). I've also made it so that ALL Categories that a user can create will display as well (in case they want to start a showcase in a different category).

More functionality will be added to this at a later date based on feedback.

a couple visuals...

There is a Showcase Global option to Enable/Disable this functionality


When Enabled, it will display a Create Showcase button if the viewing user has permission to create a showcase item in any category associated with the forum they are viewing.


The button launches an overlay letting the user choose which category to create the item in (just in case they want to create something in a different category).

 

[Ludachris]

I love this - it makes a tighter integration in the forum. I have members who have a "build thread" (in the forum that is tied to showcases) and don't necessarily have a showcase item. I was actually considering making it so that no new threads could be posted by a member outside of creatinga showcase but didn't want to confuse people... this solution might make me reconsider that thought. This will certainly help tie the the forum to the showcase section better.

I have another idea that I will bring up separately in the suggestions forum that is related to this thought process Bob.

 

[Bob]

The Phrase for the Button = 'nflj_showcase_create_showcase' This is only used for the button that will display on Forum View.

 

[hqarrse]

Fantastic piece of functionality, many thanks. Looking forward even more to the full 2.2 release now!

 

[Stuart Wright]

Awesome. Now we only need the option '...and replace the post new thread button'

 

[BT012SS]

Awesome. Now we only need the option '...and replace the post new thread button'

+1

 

[Bob]

Awesome. Now we only need the option '...and replace the post new thread button'

For now, what you can do is simply revoke the create thread permission for that forum (for all user groups). That will make the Create Thread button disappear without effecting other forums

 

[BT012SS]

The life is so simple, awesome

Thank you

 

[Stuart Wright]

For now, what you can do is simply revoke the create thread permission for that forum (for all user groups). That will make the Create Thread button disappear without effecting other forums

Will the showcase still create an associated discussion thread in that forum for that user though? The idea being that the user can only create a thread as part of a showcase?

 

[Bob]

Will the showcase still create an associated discussion thread in that forum for that user though? The idea being that the user can only create a thread as part of a showcase?

Yes. Its the ADDON that is creating the thread with its own method, not the user via the Thread Functionality, so permissions to create doesn't even come into play for the auto creation. You can test it here if you want to.

Same thing applies with the Resource Manager. The Forum at xenforo.com that contains all the associated discussion threads doesn't allow you to create new threads.

 

[Stuart Wright]

Awesome, thanks

 

[Bob]

Awesome, thanks

Thought you might like how easy that one is I'll probably still add the option tho as its easier IMO to set it once for showcase vs having to modify multiple user groups for multiple forums.