New Rules for Avatars and Mini-Profile Backgrounds (Updated Opening Post: 2016)

Originally posted by justadood

not from what I can tell. Not saying there arent useful posts on ATS. Just saying that people care FAR more for avatars and catch phrases than they do intelligent, well-thought-out posts.

nice avatar! S and F for you!

Well thank you - too bad there aren't stars/flags on this board.

I just wanted to thank ATS for no longer allowing animated backgrounds in the mini-profiles.

I find some of the avatar animations entertaining so I don't like to use the esc key to stop those, but some of the animated backgrounds were hideous monstrosities, I never saw one that wasn't at least annoying (sorry to anyone who had one who thought yours was the exception, I may have missed it and there may be exceptions, but the ones I saw were bad).

One person's was so bad I almost had to put them on ignore, but I never did because they made decent posts, I had to hold my hand over the monitor to cover that animation while reading their post, and I know several people including myself suggested they change it and they never did, maybe they wanted to be annoying?

Anyway this will be much better without animated miniprofile backgrounds, so thanks for that change!

It appears that I have a day or so to get a new background. Maybe I'll just static this one until I can find a better one.

In the future, if we see users with an avatar/background that violates these rules, how do we alert the staff about it, or does the coding completely reject file sizes that aren't within the specifications?

For some of us that never used mini backgrounds, just the avatar portion, but now have gone to using just the background, it's like a giant release ... way more space. Right? Or am I going to be unpleasantly surprised tomorrow?

reply to post by Hadrian


No, I think you're right. I never used a background picture before, just black. So now that I'm using the background FOR my avatar, it's bigger than before. I have to get some pictures from my old computer to make my new background, but we basically have 200x600 for our avatars. They just can't be animated and that's fine with me. I do hate the flashing avatars/backgrounds!

Bumping. Im seeing a lot of avatars that are still TOO big

reply to post by greeneyedleo


Why do people do that? I mean have avatars that are cut off, and obviously not cropped right to size.

Also, I noticed recently on a few of my posts the bottom part of my avatar has been cut off. Was this a temporary glitch, or did the size (height) change again recently (last 24 hours)?

Thanks,
John













making post longer to see if my avatar shows up in full height...



Nope, Avatar still cut off. I may try to use it as a background image...


AH, this did happen today

That is ok, I'll use the background image option for my Halloween Themed "Avatar"

reply to post by Esoteric Teacher


The limit is 170 x 240. You avatar is 194 x 421.

Enforcement Timeline

Beginning Monday, October 11th, 2010, the mini-profile code will automatically truncate your avatars to the size mentioned above.

Beginning November 1, 2010, our staff will begin removing avatars and backgrounds -- observed in recent postings, they won't "look back" at old posts -- that don't comply with the new dimensions and file sizes.

reply to post by greeneyedleo


GEL, does mine look okay? Is it still too big? I actually like what the truncating did, but is there more still, that needs to be adjusted?

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
reply to post by Esoteric Teacher

 

The limit is 170 x 240. You avatar is 194 x 421.

My computer literacy is not working properly. shoot me.

me

Now what am I doing wrong? I am not using the avatar option, I'm using the mini-background image option and my picture is still not showing up right

Here is what I am trying to use, is it too wide? Is it too tall?

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/c4c96dee7f8b.png[/atsimg]

Pixel Space: The new "visible" space for background images is 180 pixels wide and 400-480 pixels tall (depending on other factors in your mini-profile).

Maximum Pixel Dimensions: Maximum allowable mini-profile backgrounds will be 200 pixels wide by 700 pixels tall. Smaller images are repeated in the background space.

All right, now I'm trying this format for my mini background image:

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/0d8c866d0af5.png[/atsimg]

_____________________________________________
I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I think my avatar background image I'm trying to use now is 180 wide by 400 tall.


_____________________________________________

UGHH. Is there a limit to how many times I can edit one post?

Here is the image I am using for my background image which I think fits the parameters...

Pixel Space: The new "visible" space for background images is 180 pixels wide and 400-480 pixels tall (depending on other factors in your mini-profile).

Maximum Pixel Dimensions: Maximum allowable mini-profile backgrounds will be 200 pixels wide by 700 pixels tall. Smaller images are repeated in the background space.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/8fc2dbd84dbf.png[/atsimg]

The pic I am using (trying to use) for my avatar background image is 180 pixels by 399 pixels, within the stated parameters of "180 pixels wide and 400-480 pixels tall" according to the Introductory post of this thread.

I am woefully computer illiterate today. I don't know why it doesn't work

A little help?

Thanks,
ET

I'll help you. Make sure you're using the right link for background and put it in your profile in the background field of your profile, NOT the avatar field.

It should look something like this: /member/3a3d904f571d.jpg


Edit:

Yours is this: /member/8fc2dbd84dbf.png
Put that link in your profile BACKGROUND field and this link:
files.abovetopsecret.com...
In your avatar field.

Don't forget to hit submit under each one.

Try that.

You also need to use a transparent spacer as an avatar - if you are using a background and do not want the text all bunched together. Anyone may use mine: files.abovetopsecret.com...
Place in the avatar space

Originally posted by ladyinwaiting
reply to post by greeneyedleo

 

GEL, does mine look okay? Is it still too big? I actually like what the truncating did, but is there more still, that needs to be adjusted?

Looks perfect

reply to post by greeneyedleo


Yay! Thank you! John Q gets me off his back tonight!

reply to post by Benevolent Heretic


Thank you both Benevolent Heretic & Greeneyedleo!

I had the right code from my picture gallery in the right place in the avatar background image, but it was not looking right until I put in that transparent code in the regular avatar.

I will work more on it later, but for now it looks good enough.

Ughh, I don't like my computer illiteracy problems

Thanks again for the help,
ET

reply to post by greeneyedleo


Your "transparent avatar" (I didn't know ATS could use .png files??) helped, guess now I have that "tiling" you mentioned.

Ugghhh! Idiots like me, computer-challenged .... I barely figured out the OLD method, and even then, was pathetic at it. Now, this? (Maybe a >blank< will be better for future. Maybe I can learn, but I'm afraid the Sun might burn out first.....).

Haven't checked, has the "Avatar Tutorial" video been updated?? Please?

Originally posted by weedwhacker
reply to post by greeneyedleo

 

Your "transparent avatar" (I didn't know ATS could use .png files??) helped, guess now I have that "tiling" you mentioned.

Ugghhh! Idiots like me, computer-challenged .... I barely figured out the OLD method, and even then, was pathetic at it. Now, this? (Maybe a >blank< will be better for future. Maybe I can learn, but I'm afraid the Sun might burn out first.....).

Haven't checked, has the "Avatar Tutorial" video been updated?? Please?

If the background is over 400 it will not tile, but leave empty space. Just an FYI

reply to post by weedwhacker


And if you make it 190 wide, it won't tile from side to side.