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Installation Help & Support F.A.Q. Upgrading


vBadvanced Dynamics
Introduction
Designed with versatility in mind, vBadvanced Dynamics is a highly configurable, multi-purpose product that can be used to catalog and display a database of just about anything*. From articles, file sharing, user blogs, a simple categorized list of recipies, and just about everything in between. Features include an advanced module system, unlimited categories, attachment uploads, ratings, custom fields, over 50 usergroup permissions, user favorites, e-mail subscriptions, SEO friendly URLs, and much more with over 225 configuration settings. Have more than one use in mind? It's optional and unique "Multiple Instance" licensing option makes it easy to install multiple copies on the same web site that are completely independent from one another.
Features:
Key Features
  • vBulletin Integration - Of course, vBadvanced Dynamics is completely integrated with and built around vBulletin.
  • Settings - With over 225 settings, just about every aspect of the software is easy to customize to fit your needs. Also includes settings to easily change key words such as "category" and "entry" throughout the program for seamless integration for your needs.
  • Advanced Module System - Includes a complete module system, similar to vBadvanced CMPS. There are also optional features to allow your members to customize the modules active on their pages and even add their own BB Code modules. Most CMPS modules will also be compatible.

    Included Default Modules:
    • About Me - A module that can be enabled when browsing a members' category or when viewing an entry that shows more information about the owner of the category or author of the entry.
    • Calendar - A small AJAX calendar with links to the days in which entries have been submitted.
    • Category Listing - A condensed version of your categories allowing your users to easily view and quickly browse different categories.
    • Featured Entries - A listing of any entries that have been marked as a "Featured" entry.
    • Generic List - A simple "list" module allowing your users to display a list of their favorite movies, car enhancements, baseball players, or anything you can think of.
    • Guest Book - A simple guest book that can be enabled on your members' pages, allowing other members to leave a comment for them.
    • My Buddies - Allow your members to publicly display who's on their buddy list.
    • My Categories - A module that can be enabled when browsing a members' category or when viewing an entry that shows a list of all custom categories that belong to the owner of the category or author of the entry.
    • My Favorites - A module that can be enabled when browsing a member's category or when viewing an entry that shows what entries have been marked as a "favorite" by the author.
    • My Links - Allow your members to enter a list of their favorite links to be displayed with their entries or within their categories.
    • Quick Moderation - A condensed list letting you know if there are any entries, categories, attachments, or posts awaiting moderation.
    • Quick Navigation - An expanded navigation module, allowing your users to quickly and easily find different areas of vBadvanced Dynamics.
    • Random Entries - Displays entries picked at random.
    • Search - An advanced search module allowing your users to quickly and easily search for keywords.
    • What's New - Displays a list of the newest entries that have been submitted.
  • Members' Categories - Make any of your categories a "Members' Category" in which any entries submitted will automatically be placed in a sub-category named after that user. Also included is an option to display a main Members' Category on your index page with a category-type display of all members who have submitted an entry, linking to a page displaying all entries submitted by that user.
  • User Categories - Allow your users to create their own categories and, if you'd like, give them the ability to enable/disable viewing, ratings, replies, and new entries from other members. Also includes options allowing the user to password protect the category and, if desired, give them moderator abilities for that category.
  • Attachments - Allow users to attach files with their entries, similarly to the vBulletin attachment system. Includes thumbnail generation for image files, permissions on a per-extension/per-usergroup basis, and other permissions settings allowing you to control what your members are allowed to upload. Also includes a "My Attachments" section allowing your users to mass manage their own attachments using vBulletin's inline moderation tools.
  • Usergroup Permissions - Over 50 different permissions settings that can be set on a per-usergroup basis, giving you control of what each usergroup is allowed to do. Most of these permissions settings can also be changed on a per-category basis as well.
  • Custom Fields - Different types of custom fields (textarea, text input, radio, select, and checkbox choices) may be added to collect and display additional information about entries.
  • Search Engine Optimization - Careful attention has gone into SEO for this product. In addition to strategically placed 'rel="nofollow"' tags to help direct search engines, the product also offers spider friendly URL's using mod rewrite. By changing a setting and uploading a .htaccess file from the download package, you can easily change your links from looking like this:
    http://yoursite.com/blog/browseentries.php?c=2
    http://yoursite.com/blog/showentry.php?e=1

    To this:
    http://yoursite.com/blog/main-category-2/
    http://yoursite.com/blog/main-category-2/this-is-a-test-entry.html
  • AJAX Technology - AJAX technology used throughout including the mini calendar module, quick reply (with no page refresh), ratings, and inline moderation.
  • Inline Moderation - Similar to vBulletin's inline moderation system, members with moderator abilities can mass manage entries and posts while browsing through the user side of the program. Abilities include deleting, opening, closing, un-/sticking, un-approving, and moving entries, as well as deleting, moving, and un-approving replies to entries.
  • Private Entries - Allow users to mark their entries as private, meaning only that user and members on their buddy list will be able to view the entry.
  • Drafts - Allow users to save their entries as drafts, meaning that the entry will not be visible to the public until published. The entry will still be accessible via the "My Drafts" link under the "My Stuff" menu.
  • Moderation - Ability to moderate new entries, categories, and posts submitted by users on a per-usergroup basis.
  • Unlimited categories, sub-categories, entries, posts, and etc.
  • Sticky Entries.
  • Options to allow for multiple page entries.
  • Delayed Publishing - Allow your users to submit their entry as a draft, and pick a specific date and time for the entry to automatically be updated and published for public view.
  • RSS Feeds.
  • Allow users to comment on entries.
  • Allow users to enter "Tags" (keywords) with their entries
  • Allow users to rate entries.
  • User favorites.
  • User subscriptions.
  • Advanced searching features.
  • Shows the number of views, posts, last person to reply to entries, and etc for each entry.
  • Advanced sorting options in each category.
  • Allow users to send a link to an entry to their friends.
  • Allow users to report problematic entries.
  • Image verification for guests for searching, submitting, reporting, replying, and sending entries to friends to help prevent spam bots.


"Multiple Instance" Licenses
Do you have more than one use in mind for vBadvanced Dynamics? No problem! We also offer an additional license option called a "Multiple Instance" License. A Multiple Instance License will grant you the right to run as many instances of vBadvanced Dynamics as you would like, though they must be limited to the same web site or domain name (If you have multiple web sites that you would like to use vBa Dynamics on, a separate license is still required for each web site). Each secondary instance will have it's own templates, phrases, database tables, and etc so it will be just like running a completely separate and independent product.
* - Due to legal restrictions, this Software may not be used primarily as a photo-posting type software. See the 'Usage' heading in the Terms & Conditions on the ordering page.
Copyright
This software is © 2006 - 2007 vBadvanced.com.
All copyright notes in the software itself must remain unchanged unless you have purchased a Branding Free license.
This software is NOT to be re-distributed in any way or placed on any other web site for download.
For a complete and current list of Terms & Conditions, please see the download page. By downloading this software, you are agreeing to all Terms and Conditions listed on that page.


Help & Support
Before asking for support Please read the F.A.Q below!
If you have any problems or questions that are not covered in the F.A.Q. please post them at vbadvanced.com in the appropriate forum. We will be more than happy to help in any way we can if the request for help is made there. Anyone trying to contact a staff member via e-mail, private message, or any other means will be ignored.


Installation Instructions
Step 1 - File Modifications
Open your /dynamics/dyna_config.php.new file that came with the download package and find:
$forumpath = '';
Add the full path to your forum on your server between the '' marks here.

Save the file as dyna_config.php (removing the '.new' part from the end).

Not sure how to find the path to your forums?

Step 2 - Upload Files
Upload the new vBadvanced files from the 'forum' folder in this download package to the corresponding folders where you have uploaded vBulletin.
Note that if you have changed the name of your 'admincp' or 'modcp' folders then you will need to change the names of these folders in the vBadvanced donwload package to match what you are using with vBulletin.
Be sure to upload the 'cpstyles' folder and it's contents in Binary mode, and the rest of the folders/files in ASCII mode.
admincp
vba_dyna_admin_categories.php
vba_dyna_admin_global.php
vba_dyna_admin_main.php
vba_dyna_admin_maintenance.php
vba_dyna_admin_modules.php
vba_dyna_admin_permissions.php
vbadyna_install.php
vbadyna_install_phrases.php
vbadyna_install_settings.php
vbadyna_install_templates.php
cpstyles
vba_cp_logo.gif
includes
cron
vba_dyna_autopublish.php
vba_dyna_ecache.php
vba_dyna_rand.php
vba_dyna_search.php
vba_dyna_subscr.php
xml
cpnav_vbadyna.xml
hooks_vbadyna.xml
vba_dyna_adminfunctions.php
vba_dyna_class.php
vba_dyna_class_image.php
vba_dyna_error.php
vba_dyna_functions.php
vba_dyna_functions_cats.php
vba_dyna_functions_moderate.php
vba_dyna_functions_modules.php
vba_dyna_functions_posting.php
vba_dyna_functions_savecat.php
vba_dyna_functions_saveentry.php
vba_dyna_include_modules.php
vba_dyna_include_prefix.php
vba_dyna_plugin_pt.php
vba_dyna_plugin_sf.php
vba_dyna_modules
dyna_aboutme.php
dyna_calendar.php
dyna_categories.php
dyna_featured.php
dyna_guestbook.php
dyna_list.php
dyna_moderation.php
dyna_mybuddies.php
dyna_mycats.php
dyna_myfavorites.php
dyna_mylinks.php
dyna_navigation.php
dyna_newposts.php
dyna_newrand.php
dyna_search.php
dyna_stats.php
edit_dyna_list.php
edit_dyna_mylinks.php
index.html

chmod the vba_dyna_modules folder to 777

Next you will need to upload the 'dynamics' folder and it's contents to your server. Generally the folder is placed in your root directory, but it may be uploaded anywhere on your server that is web accessible. Note that the 'dynamics' folder may be renamed to anything you would like as well.
Be sure to upload the 'images' folder and it's contents in Binary mode, and the rest of the folders/files in ASCII mode.
dynamics
ajax.php
attachment.php
browsecategory.php
dyna_config.php.new
dyna_global.php
external.php
guestbook.php
index.php
manageattach.php
managecats.php
misc.php
moderate.php
module.php
newattachment.php
newentry.php
newreply.php
search.php
sendmessage.php
showentry.php
showpost.php
attach
index.html
clientscript
index.html
vba_dyna_ajax_addentry.js
vba_dyna_ajax_calendar.js
vba_dyna_ajax_module.js
vba_dyna_global.js
images
arrow_down.gif
arrow_down_disable.gif
arrow_left.gif
arrow_left_disable.gif
arrow_right.gif
arrow_right_disable.gif
arrow_up.gif
arrow_up_disable.gif
index.html
rss.gif
small_delete.gif
small_edit.gif
small_empty.gif
caticon
index.html

chmod the attach folder to 777

Step 3 - Run the Install Script
The last step is to run the installation file. This file may be run from your browser by going to http://yoursite.com/forum/admincp/vbadyna_install.php.

This file will make all necessary changes to your database and install the templates, phrases, settings, and etc for you. Once the script is finished, you will see a new group of options called "vBa Dynamics" in the left frame of your Admin CP. This is where you will modify the settings and set up the software.

Frequently Asked Questions
Q.I'm not sure how to find the path to my forums.
A.Look in the "Extras" folder that came with your download for a file called 'forumpath.php'.

Upload that file to your server into your 'forums' folder where you have vBulletin installed, go to it in your browser, and it should print out the correct path to your forums.

Copy that path, paste it over what you currently have for your path in dynamics/dyna_config.php file, and re-upload that file.
Other problems?

Please check the vBadvanced F.A.Q. Forum.


Upgrading
  1. As with any program, you should always backup your database before upgrading. If you're not familiar with how to do this, please see this page of the vBulletin users manual.
  2. Upload the new vBadvanced Dynamics files in this package over your existing ones (Click here for a list of files). If you are running multiple instances of the software, be sure to upload all of the files from the /dynamics folder of the download package to the new folder you have created for your secodary instance(s) as well.
  3. If you have the "Enable Spider Friendly URL's" setting enabled, be sure to upload the new '.htaccess' file, located in the 'Extras (do not upload)' folder into the same folder that you uploaded the files from the 'dynamics' folder in this package.
  4. Go to the install file in your browser by going to http://yoursite.com/forum/admincp/vbadyna_install.php. Once there, select the option to upgrade.