• Welcome to the Two Wheeled Texans community! Feel free to hang out and lurk as long as you like. However, we would like to encourage you to register so that you can join the community and use the numerous features on the site. After registering, don't forget to post up an introduction!

How do I change my Avatar?

julimike54

Forum Supporter
Joined
Feb 14, 2016
Messages
1,794
Reaction score
347
Location
Euless
First Name
Mike
Last Name
Hayden
I'm trying to get the avatar image to display properly, but I can't get an image to display properly, it cuts half the picture off.
 
That is a great question. I cannot find an option to set or control the avatar size ANYWHERE in the Admin CP. I am still trying to learn where everything is in the Admin CP, but doing a search for "avatar" doesn't pull up anything that lets me change the size.

My avatar is currently 96 X 96 if I right click on it and select "View Image Info". I am pretty sure that when I uploaded mine to vB it was 200 X 200, or real close to that. So I think XF has taken my image and scaled it down to 96 X 96.

IF you click on your avatar here,

avatar.jpg


It brings up a page that lets you upload an avatar.

avatar2.jpg


Even thought it recommends a 400 X 400 image, it certainly doesn't display it that size! I have not experimented with it, but based on the comment about dragging the image around to crop it, I am thinking it doesn't use ALL of the 400 X 400 size. You may just have to play around with it to see what happens.
 
I was looking into this yesterday. It basically cut off the bottom half of my avatar which makes that picture irrelevant. I'll probably change to something else and hope that you work your magic and get it to work like it used to.
 
Mine was only showing the black space on the left and then cut off the image in the middle of the license plate. I followed your steps above and got it fairly well centered so the complete TX T is now showing.
 
Start with a big image, like bigger than 400 X 400, then see how it crops it. Otherwise, resize the image you want to 96 X 96 so there is no cropping. From what I can tell, I have no control over the 96 X 96 size... At least not without getting into the code of the forum.
 
When I reduced the image to 96 size, it was clear on the pc and when set as the avatar it still was cropped (the image appeared to have been expanded) and the image was so fuzzy it looked like something, but could hardly recognize it. See my avatar.
ChromeSpark.jpg

above is pic from pc This was previous avatar

Well that's about the same try the other
96x96 avatar.jpg


This is pc pic
 
Last edited:
When I reduced the image to 96 size, it was clear on the pc and when set as the avatar it still was cropped (the image appeared to have been expanded) and the image was so fuzzy it looked like something, but could hardly recognize it. See my avatar.
View attachment 46659
above is pic from pc This was previous avatar

Well that's about the same try the other
View attachment 46660

This is pc pic

The top one is clear and centered for me.

The bottom one is a rectangle. Aspect ratio is the problem. The forum seems to be forcing avatars to be square, so if you start with a rectangle, it crops the ends. For something like your bike, you need equal space above and below the bike so it would be centered in a square image. I am looking to see if I can find a way to play around with the settings. I still haven't fully learned where every little feature is located in the Admin CP. There are myriad menus and submenus :doh: But I AM looking ;-)
 
Found another one that's fairly close

pic on pc
86 Aspy LF avatar.jpg


They look almost the same, it must be the ratio like you stated. Guess I'll have to get a new pic (or find on the pc) to try the whole bike.
 
Apparently, without actually getting into the code of the software, there is no option that gives me direct control over avatar size. I can control the width of the block on the left side of the messages where the avatar is located and I think the avatar size changes based on that.
 
Okay, I found a way to bump them up to 150 wide. But they will still be squares and a rectangular image will still get the sides (or top/bottom) cropped. You still need to start with a big image so that when it is scaled down it will look better.
 
150 looks to big. I dropped it to 120 and it looks a bit better I think.
 
Ok new avatar pic, started with a large img from the camera. Cropped it till almost square, then reduced the largest size to 96 that defaulted the other to 84

pic from pc
Avatar pic.jpg


The 96 was across the pic and 84 the height. The avatar pic has been cropped down from 96. Guess I'll have to try a real square size
 
Ok new 96x96 pic from pc versus avatar

Avatar pic.jpg


pc pic looks slightly clearer to me, or I'm fooling myself. Oops, I guess I need to do it 120x120
 
Ok new avatar pic, started with a large img from the camera. Cropped it till almost square, then reduced the largest size to 96 that defaulted the other to 84

pic from pc
View attachment 46662

The 96 was across the pic and 84 the height. The avatar pic has been cropped down from 96. Guess I'll have to try a real square size

Don't reduce it on your PC before uploading. Keep it around 400 X 400 if you can because that will give it better quality when the forum scales it down. Also, try leaving a bit of space behind and in front of the bike if you can. Just make sure the final image is square, and there should be no cropping other than scaling it down.
 
ok I'll do a 400x400. I'm mainly looking for the clarity in the avatar. If I get that down I'll have to take a new pic because the original is too wide versus the height.
 
Well the 400x pic seems to be much clearer, now I'll have to take a portrait layout pic of the bike, so I can crop off the extra from top and bottom (the extra background). When I get good weather I'll post back with the new pic

ps would an 800x equal a more clear image and of course how high would actually make any difference. But they definitely need to be square.
 
I'm mainly looking for the clarity in the avatar.

I am noticing the lack of clarity as well. My image is sharper in the original. I guess the scaling affects that. I might try resizing mine in an actual image program to 96 X 96 to see if that gives better clarity and then upload it.
 
Scott the 96x I posted was done as you suggested editing a full size image (use MS pic manager or something close to that name). Started by making the image square (think the number was 2448x), then resized to the different ones posted.
 
Ahh, nice. Much clearer. Cropped it using the preset 1 to 1 ratio on the native samsung tablet software. Perfect.
 
Well, after doing some searching, it seems the blurry issue is a common one. Other admins are complaining about it on the XF support forums. I am not 100% sure yet if there is a solution. It has something to do with the way XF scales the image. For each users, there are actually five different sized avatars that get used depending on the size of the screen used to view the site, from big monitors down to mobile apps. I will keep looking though.
 
Last edited:
Wow, this is so confuuuussing to a computer illiterate. Luckily my son will probably fix my avatar when he gets back from Minnesota. I’m just and old guy who hates change but I do miss the join dates that we had under our avatars and when you read a thread who is also on it, to mention a couple of things.
 
Wow, this is so confuuuussing to a computer illiterate. Luckily my son will probably fix my avatar when he gets back from Minnesota. I’m just and old guy who hates change but I do miss the join dates that we had under our avatars and when you read a thread who is also on it, to mention a couple of things.

If you are a regular computer, just put the mouse over the person's avatar and wait a second. If you are on a phone, just put your thumb/finger on the avatar and hold it for a second or two. A small box pops up with all that info.
 
Back
Top