Forum Ranks

The Forum ☛ Components ☛ Forum Ranks administration panel allows you to define Forum Ranks for Users. Forum Ranks can be thought of special titles for your Users based on a couple of different methods. Forum Ranks should not be confused with User Groups which are used to assign permissions.

Forum Ranks

This feature allows you to assign different ‘ranks’ to members depending on how many posts they have made. A member’s rank will be displayed along with each of their posts in the member’s data box’. In addition, when a member reaches a defined forum rank, it is possible to auto assign this member to a User Group. This auto assignment makes it possible to grant additional permissions to users upon reaching specific plateaus based on number of posts.

If using auto User Group membership based on forum ranks, care must be taken with regards to the Users are Limited to Single User Group Membership option setting (forum – options – members tab) and what happens with existing user group memberships.

To create forum ranks, enter the name and the number of posts up to which it applies. Optionally, you may select a currently defined User Group in the drop down list to assign members to when the forum rank is obtained.

If you use all the available fields simply save the options panel and another blank field will appear. There is no limit to the number of rankings you can define.

The final ranking should have a very high post count or if a user exceeds the final specified post count, there will be no ranking for the user to be assigned to and instead the user will get a default forum ranking of ‘Member’.

It is also possible to associate a graphical badge with each forum rank. Images are uploaded for use as forum badges via the badge uploader in the Custom Forum Badge fieldset below (see the help in that fieldset). Once the badge images have been uploaded, the badge can be associated with a forum rank by typing its name (including the file extension, but no path) in the badge input column. This badge will now be displayed in the topic view along with the username and avatar.

Special Forum Ranks

The special forum ranks feature allows you to assign a rank or title to a user or group of users just based upon who they are. The ranks are not based upon the number of posts but just what you title you want to give an individual or group of individuals.

You can create as many special forum ranks as you want and you may assign as many or as few users to get the special rank that you want. The admin and Moderator ranks can be thought of as a special forum rank though you control who gets that rank by identifying them as an admin or Moderator. The special forum ranks have priority when display a rank for a user, followed by the special admin and moderator ranks and finally followed by the normal forum ranks that are based on the number of posts.

To create a special rank, type the desired rank title into the input form at the bottom of the special ranks and click on the update forum ranks button. After the special forum rank is created, you may then control the list of users that are assigned to that forum rank or remove the special forum rank if it is no longer needed.

It is also possible to associate a graphical badge with each special rank. Images are uploaded for use as forum badges via the badge uploader in the Custom Forum Badge fieldset below (see the help in that fieldset). Once the badge images have been uploaded, the badge can be associated with a special rank by typing its name (including the file extension, but no path) in the badge input column. This special rank badge will now be displayed in the topic view along with the Username and avatar.

Badges Uploads

If you have wish to use badges with your forum or special ranks, you can upload the badge images here. Click on the browse button, navigate to the badges you wish to upload and then click upload. Once uploaded, the badge will be displayed next to the filename. The location that badges are uploaded to is determined on the admin configuration panel.

Custom Badges

This shows the current contents of the forum badges upload folder where badges are stored. If you wish to remove one then click on the remove icon in the far right column. The badge image will be removed from your server and any forum or special ranks that used the badge will no longer display.