OK You are a genius, man. There's a reason you guys help the little people like us. I had no idea that Photobucket does that to images I uploaded before. After some research into what you said, I came across a tiny little "More Options" link next to the Upload button in Photobucket. And Lo and Behold -- A resize setting for uploads!! It was set on the resolution for a 17" screen, which is 1024 x 768. No wonder!! All I had to do was click the next one down, which is 1 Megabyte file size, meaning it doesn't resize any pixels, it only compresses the file size down to 1 MB. Man, I seriously gotta hand it to ya!
Well thank you for helping me out with this one. Now I can get to work on designing my awesome Themes. Thanks again. CBF On Mar 24, 1:41 am, BlueQuoll <[email protected]> wrote: > There may be a resolution option in your upload to Photobucket. I know > I've preset my Flickr uploader to automatically reduce resolution on > my uploads, to keep upload volume and times down. > > However, I FTP my theme images to my ISP's webspace for hosting, so I > don't have any change in properties. > > Dave > > On Mar 24, 6:10 pm, CBF <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Really, so my image somehow was shrunk then? That is pretty weird. > > Well, I created the first header with the image size of 1680 x 175 in > > Photoshop, then I posted it in my Photobucket album on the Internet to > > host the URL. Not sure where it was resized along the way, as I > > haven't changed the size since I uploaded it. Hmm. That is > > interesting. > > > CBF > > > On Mar 23, 10:58 pm, BlueQuoll <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > On the face of it, this looks like a problem with the size of your png > > > images, rather than with the Themes API. Your header image seems to be > > > only 1018px × 106px, which would explain why it's displaying as it is. > > > > Any thoughts why your image would be this small *before* it is handled > > > by the Themes API? > > > > Dave > > > > On Mar 24, 5:42 pm, CBF <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > By the way if you need the actual XML file, in case that helps, I > > > > uploaded it to Megaupload here:http://www.megaupload.com/?d=LB08RROC > > > > > There are two skins on there, which I am still testing, but for now I > > > > am just trying to get the images to display right. > > > > I used the Theme Template so that's why there are all those comment > > > > tags in the first skin code. > > > > > Thanks. > > > > CBF > > > > > On Mar 23, 10:32 pm, CBF <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > Sure. OK, here is the XML file URL, which I copied and pasted into > > > > > Google Gadgets Editor under Developer > > > > > Tools:http://hosting.gmodules.com/ig/gadgets/file/106158931204188462693/buf... > > > > > > Also, I am using Google Chrome version 4.0.249.78 > > > > > > Hope that helps. Also, you say you have never seen that before, does > > > > > that mean it is a issue only I may be having, and not other users? > > > > > Whatever the case, it sure is weird. This is the first time I have > > > > > ever tried using the Themes API tool, so I just thought it was a > > > > > common problem. Thanks for your help man, I really appreciate it. If > > > > > only the ThemeMaker would allow us to create Footers as well as the > > > > > Headers, I wouldn't be going through all this trouble... > > > > > > Thanks again. > > > > > CBF > > > > > > On Mar 23, 9:37 pm, BlueQuoll <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > Thanks for the screenshots — I now see what you're seeing, though I > > > > > > can't explain it. It's quite weird — I've certainly never seen it > > > > > > before! > > > > > > > Would you mind sharing the URL of your XML file? Also, which browser > > > > > > version are you using? There's obviously something strange happening > > > > > > somewhere. > > > > > > > Dave > > > > > > > On Mar 24, 1:16 pm, CBF <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > If any one else can help with this issue, please feel free to > > > > > > > offer > > > > > > > your sugeestions... > > > > > > > Any help is appreciated. Not sure why iGoogle Themes API doesn't > > > > > > > have > > > > > > > this key critical feature. > > > > > > > > On Mar 23, 3:03 pm, CBF <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > I have provided some screen shots to show what the Themes API is > > > > > > > > doing. It seems like itdoes not matter what width I use, > > > > > > > > because I > > > > > > > > have tried the higher width sizes, from 1280x175, to 1500x175, > > > > > > > > and > > > > > > > > finally, at your suggestion, 1680x175. Themes API seems to > > > > > > > > "crop" the > > > > > > > > image down to only fit in the center, and I have now noticed > > > > > > > > there is > > > > > > > > also extra blank space at the bottom of the banners as well as > > > > > > > > the > > > > > > > > sides. By the way I have not published this Theme yet, since > > > > > > > > the > > > > > > > > images won't display correctly. I am testing them out using > > > > > > > > Google > > > > > > > > Code and the ig?skin=<theme-url> filename add-on in the address > > > > > > > > bar. > > > > > > > > Not sure if that helps. > > > > > > > > > Here is the Header banner displayed at > > > > > > > > 1680x175:http://i400.photobucket.com/albums/pp87/ComicBookFan_photos/iGoogle%2... > > > > > > > > > And here is the Footer banner displayed at > > > > > > > > 1680x175:http://i400.photobucket.com/albums/pp87/ComicBookFan_photos/iGoogle%2... > > > > > > > > > Using ThemeMaker, here is the desired effect for the Header > > > > > > > > banner. I > > > > > > > > created this image in Photoshop with the dimensions 1280x175 > > > > > > > > and it > > > > > > > > worked > > > > > > > > perfect:http://i400.photobucket.com/albums/pp87/ComicBookFan_photos/iGoogle%2... > > > > > > > > > I want that effect for the Footer as well. As you can see, the > > > > > > > > images > > > > > > > > get shrunk down. > > > > > > > > I have deleted the background and tile attributes, so only the > > > > > > > > center > > > > > > > > image is in the code, with my one image, as you suggested. > > > > > > > > However, > > > > > > > > it seems this does not work, as the image is displayed the same > > > > > > > > as > > > > > > > > before. > > > > > > > > > Any more suggestions? > > > > > > > > PS Thank you for your help. > > > > > > > > > On Mar 23, 2:16 pm, BlueQuoll <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Hi CBF > > > > > > > > > > The simplest way to achieve what you want, is to Photoshop > > > > > > > > > your image > > > > > > > > > to the width you want to fill, nominate your single image as > > > > > > > > > the > > > > > > > > > center image, and forget about the background and tile. > > > > > > > > > > Unless you want the width of the image to change with the > > > > > > > > > width of the > > > > > > > > > user's display? I don't think I'd want my photographic images > > > > > > > > > distorted in that way, but I suppose it could be useful for > > > > > > > > > abstract > > > > > > > > > designs. > > > > > > > > > > The beauty of the Themes API is that you can use as many or > > > > > > > > > as few of > > > > > > > > > the available attributes as you want. I think the idea of the > > > > > > > > > center > > > > > > > > > and tile images was that you could keep the image file sizes > > > > > > > > > down, put > > > > > > > > > the main content in the middle of the page, and still fill > > > > > > > > > the whole > > > > > > > > > width of any size screen with "padding". But it does take > > > > > > > > > careful > > > > > > > > > image manipulation to work correctly. > > > > > > > > > > I build all my themes to fill 1680 px width, so I just GIMP > > > > > > > > > my image > > > > > > > > > to 1680x175 and use it as the center image. Don't worry too > > > > > > > > > much about > > > > > > > > > image file size limit of 40kB suggested in the Developer's > > > > > > > > > Guide — > > > > > > > > > I've seen themes with header center images well over 100kB. > > > > > > > > > The > > > > > > > > > disadvantage of this approach is that as screens get wider > > > > > > > > > than > > > > > > > > > 1680px, users will see a gap at the sides. However, I'm > > > > > > > > > confident > > > > > > > > > that, at the moment, for 99% of users my header images extend > > > > > > > > > across > > > > > > > > > the full width of their screen. Users with smaller screens > > > > > > > > > won't see > > > > > > > > > the full image, but I try to spread the detail across the > > > > > > > > > image so the > > > > > > > > > overall effect isn't lost. > > > > > > > > > > Dave > > > > > > > > > > On Mar 24, 7:54 am, CBF <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > I have been using the ThemeMaker > > > > > > > > > > (http://www.google.com/ig/tm/creator) > > > > > > > > > > to create my first few themes, and after I upload an image, > > > > > > > > > > it shows > > > > > > > > > > the part where I can drag the ends of the preview area. > > > > > > > > > > See I create > > > > > > > > > > my Header banners in Photoshop first, so the ones I have > > > > > > > > > > made using > > > > > > > > > > ThemeMaker are always with the dimensions 1280 x 175, or > > > > > > > > > > higher > > > > > > > > > > width. But when I drag the ends in the preview area I can > > > > > > > > > > select the > > > > > > > > > > entire banner. Then it fits across the entire header. > > > > > > > > > > Maybe not for > > > > > > > > > > larger resolutions, but I am using a 1280x1024 laptop LCD > > > > > > > > > > monitor > > > > > > > > > > resolution. > > > > > > > > > > > My question is simple. One must use the iGoogle Themes API > > > > > > > > > > to create > > > > > > > > > > an intricate theme with a Footer, etc., and to make the > > > > > > > > > > theme Dynamic > > > > > > > > > > if desired. If the simple ThemeMaker can fill the entire > > > > > > > > > > header with > > > > > > > > > > an image, why can't the more complex iGoogle Themes API? I > > > > > > > > > > have an > > > > > > > > > > image. I want it to stretch across the width of the page. > > > > > > > > > > It does > > > > > > > > > > not have a background color. It does not have repeating > > > > > > > > > > tiles. It > > > > > > > > > > does not have a center image. It is one image. If there > > > > > > > > > > is already a > > > > > > > > > > way to do this without the tiles/center and creating a > > > > > > > > > > bunch of > > > > > > > > > > overlapping images, please let me know. So many people are > > > > > > > > > > wondering > > > > > > > > > > about this, I have noticed. > > > > > > > > > > > If not, then please redesign the iGoogle Themes API to > > > > > > > > > > allow a code > > > > > > > > > > such as "header.stretch_image.url" or > > > > > > > > > > "footer.stretch_image.url" in > > > > > > > > > > which our images will stretch across the entire page like > > > > > > > > > > the header > > > > > > > > > > banner does in the simple ThemeMaker. This would have the > > > > > > > > > > effect much > > > > > > > > > > like a desktop background. You already have the "Center" > > > > > > > > > > and "Tile" > > > > > > > > > > options available, but the one to fill all the space is > > > > > > > > > > usually called > > > > > > > > > > "Stretch". We need this option for our images to look > > > > > > > > > > professional in > > > > > > > > > > our Themes, much like the companies (such as DC Comics) and > > > > > > > > > > Google has > > > > > > > > > > their Themes. If you notice, in the Themes Gallery, most > > > > > > > > > > user-created > > > > > > > > > > Themes have only centered images, with blank outer edges, > > > > > > > > > > which do not > > > > > > > > > > look very professional and are undesired. This would not > > > > > > > > > > be the case > > > > > > > > > > were there an option to "fill" or "stretch" the image in > > > > > > > > > > the header/ > > > > > > > > > > footer. > > > > > > > > > > > Thank you. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "iGoogle Developer Forum" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Google-Gadgets-API?hl=en.
