How to Properly Upload Images and Attach Files to This Site

[admin]

How to View Images and Download Files

In order to view images or download attachments (ZIP, RAR, PSD, DMG, SIT, etc), you must be logged in as a Free Member or Premium Member.

This is done to conserve bandwidth, discourage hotlinking, and provide the best service to our members. Thanks for understanding. Remember that your support (either donating a few dollars or upgrading to a Premium membership) is how we're able to provide and archive the information found on The Digital FAQ. Thanks!


How to Attach Non-Image Files

If your file is less than 8MB in size, or 16MB for Premium Members, you may attach a RAR or ZIP (or DMG or SIT), as needed, to posts. Standard file types like PDF, DOC, XLS and some others are also available. (For larger files, use multipart RAR files, and attach all of the files to the post, max of 15 files per post. You can only upload 16MB at a time, so attach one by one.)

Just attach the file in the attachment manager (as shown in images below), and submit the post. That's it. Note that there needs to be some text in the post, it can't be blank with an attachment.


How to Post Images and Photos

To avoid problems viewing photos, please upload your images to this site. Don't link to free accounts elsewhere (Flickr, Photobucket, Imageshack, etc), or to other sites. Images put on free sites can expire or be deleted by the host, and posts made here may become confusing if the illustrations go missing.

Need to post a screen shot? Read this: How to take a screenshot / Take picture of computer screen

When you make a new post, or reply to a post, use the advanced editor -- click Go Advanced instead of replying in the quick reply box. Both Free and Premium Members have the ability to attach images to posts.

STEP 1. To upload images, simply click on the MANAGE ATTACHMENTS button




STEP 2: A new window will pop up, and you can browse to the image that you need to upload, and then hit the upload button. A few seconds later, the file will appear as a "current attachment", and you can close the window.



For non-images, this is where you'd stop.

STEP 3: To insert a photo into the post, click on the paperclip drop-down arrow in the full editor, and a list of attached images will show up. Click on the image you want to show. It will show up in the editor as a number, surround by "attach" tags.



This adds an image into the post as an "inline attachment" so it can be seen while reading the post.

NOTE: Please use JPEGs or GIFs (or PNGs) -- no BMPs -- and have them sized no wider than 850 pixels across! If for some reason you need to attach a high resolution image, put it inside of a RAR or ZIP file, and then attach that.

If you have any questions, feel free to PM me, post here, or to use the Contact Us form at the bottom of any forum page.

Thanks.

[kpmedia]

Need to Attach Larger Files?

To attach files larger than 8MB*, you'll need to create a multi-part RAR file, using the nagware** WinRAR.

* Note that Premium Members can attach 16MB, and Site Staff can attached 32MB.
** Nagware = trialware that doesn't expire, sort of a step down from freeware. Do note that WinRAR is worth buying!

More info on RAR files: What are ZIP and RAR files? + How to use them

• WinRAR 32-bit (XP) can be downloaded here: WinRAR registration
• WinRAR 64-bit (Vista/7) can be downloaded here: http://www.rarlab.com/download.htm

How to Split Multi-Part RAR

Step 1: First be sure that WinRAR is installed. Reboot if you just now installed it, otherwise the context menus may be missing.

Step 2: The easiest way to split a file into a RAR is to go to Windows Explorer ("My Computer" -- not Internet Explorer), right-click on the name of the big file, and bring up the context menu. Go down to the Add to Archive... option.

You must be logged in to view this content; either login or register for the forum. The attached screen shots, before/after images, photos and graphics are created/posted for the benefit of site members. And you are invited to join our digital media community.

Step 3: You'll need to do three things when the new Window pops up.

You must be logged in to view this content; either login or register for the forum. The attached screen shots, before/after images, photos and graphics are created/posted for the benefit of site members. And you are invited to join our digital media community.

--- (1) Be sure the file is created in a known location, such as C:, and then name the file. In this example, it's been named to C:\file.rar

--- (2) Choose the Best compression. While Normal is faster at compressing, smaller files will be quicker to upload and download to the site. Ultimately, site upload/download more important, and the overall speed benefits will be here.

--- (3) Split the file by megabytes. Undercut the size by 1/10th of a mb, to avoid any problems with files being seen as too big by the server. Note that this is a case sensitive task. "8m" is not the same as "8M". The capitalized version represents a different math reference, and will yield smaller files. For example, 8m is exactly 8.00MB, while 8M is exactly 7.62MB.


How to Attach the Split Files

The limitations of the forum -- 8mb, 16mb, 32mb -- are for the entire attachment session. The server sees uploads in sessions, not individual files. This means files must be attached and uploaded one at a time.

For example, let's say your account is limited to 16mb attachments, and you've split a 25mb file into two pieces (a 16mb file and a 9mb file). Choose the 16mb file, and upload it. That's a 16mb session. Then choose the 9mb file, upload it. That's a 9mb session. You cannot add the 16mb and the 9mb at the same time, and try to attach both, as that creates a 25mb session. Since your account is limited to 16mb, the upload will fail.


Limits on Attachments

If you plan to attach more than 10 split files, please contact a Site Staff member by PM or use the Contact Us form to send us an email. There are better ways to attach very large files (i.e., providing files to Site Staff via FTP, who can then attach 32MB split RAR files).


Why So Complicated ?

It's not a simple matter of giving more space to users. Complex sites balance the time allowed for scripting languages and databases to sustain connections. Each open connection is considered traffic, and too many open connections can bog down a site. Since this isn't really an "uploads site", the code that runs digitalFAQ.com is tuned to quickly display text and images. Making the tiny attachment feature easier for end users would bog down the entire site, because it would require a looser set of rules that would almost assuredly make our site load times go from 0.9s/1.5s to at least 4s or more (as some poorly coded forums tend to do). And that's just not in anybody's best interests.

Thanks.

[messki678]

hi,
I did the same as you mentioned but i am facing problem in downloading!!

[admin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by messki678

hi, I did the same as you mentioned but i am facing problem in downloading!!

You'll have to be more specific.
As a registered Free Member, you should be able to click on attachments.