Simple guide for inserting images in a post

This is my attempt to provide the essentials for inserting an image into a post. If you want more details there is a very long Thread about inserting images here

To display an image in a Post you need two things - the image must be hosted on some website and you need the URL for the image at that location.

You can host an image on other websites or you can upload the image as an attachment to your Arduino post.

Image uploaded as an attachment
If you upload the image as an attachment then you must go through a three-stage process to make the image appear.

First you must attach the image and submit your post.
If you find that your image is rejected by the Forum software see reply #27

Edit 20 September 2020
It is no longer necessary to follow through the second and third steps. Now when you submit your Post the image will automatically be made visible at the bottom of your Post. If you want it to appear at a different position you can Modify the Post and move the IMG link to the appropriate place.

Second you must view your post which will show the image name at the bottom like this.
ImageLink.png
If you right-click on the link and then click "Copy link address" you will have the URL for the image. You can paste that to your text editor if you want to look at it, but that is not normally necessary.

Third, edit your Post, position the cursor where you want the image to appear, click the image icon
ImageIcon.png
and then paste the URL into the box. When you save the modified post the image should be visible.

The image icon just wraps [img] [/img] around the image URL. For this test image it will look like this

[img]http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=519037.0;attach=239016[/img]

MyTestImage.png
The reader may also wish to read Reply #19 concerning Internet Explorer

Image from another website
If the image you want to display is already hosted on another website then to get its URL right-click on the image and click "Copy image address" and then continue with the third step while you are composing your Post

The full code for this external image is

[img]http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/uploads/monthly_04_2017/post-10065-0-66296600-1493118555.jpg[/img]

Hope this helps

...R

Edited 29 Dec 2017 to make the images easier to see and to correct one of the references
Edited 13 Apr 2019 to add reference to Reply #27
Edited 26 Jun 2020 to update the instructions for getting the URL of a link and existing image

Thanks Robin2.
Bookmarked.

Nothing about this?
http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?topic=364156.msg2801947#msg2801947

I will be happy to include something but as I read your link I am not clear what is the problem or the solution.

Are you saying that the normal use of the image icon does not create BB code that works in Internet Explorer?

If so can you explain what an IE user should do?

...R

This is the URL for the first image in your first post...

http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?
action=dlattach;topic=519037.0;attach=238554

This is how Internet Explorer displays that area of your first post...

Adding ";image" to the end of the URL fixes the problem...

http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?
action=dlattach;topic=519037.0;attach=238554;image

11.png

You did not answer my question

Are you saying that the normal use of the image icon does not create BB code that works in Internet Explorer?

so I am not clear whether you are saying I have made a mistake in my Post or whether there is a general problem with the way the image icon creates BB code.

When I did a test just now the image icon created the same BB code as I have in my Post for the myTestImage picture.

...R

The image icon is irrelevant. The BB code is irrelevant. They both work as expected (outputting an tag).

The problem is with the forum software. It uses the wrong disposition (an HTTP protocol thing) for the stream. After pasting the image URL then appending ";image" overcomes the problem. The forum software then uses the correct disposition.

In other words, this...

http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=519037.0;attach=238603

...is supposed to be treated as "download this file to your computer". Firefox and Chrome do not do that. The image is incorrectly embedded instead.

This...

http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=519037.0;attach=238603;image

...is supposed to be treated as "display this image in your browser". All three browsers work as expected; the image is display in the browser.

If you click the two links above you will see the difference.

My brain seems to be working very slowly this morning.

Are your comments about the reference to the image file that appears at the bottom of a post?
OR are you referring to the BB code that displays the image?

In both cases I believe my mini-tutorial just uses the standard features of the Forum and I don't see how my mini-tutorial can compensate for a short-coming in the Forum software.

When I click your first link I get a box asking if I want to save the file. If I click your second link I get the image in my browser. However if I have used the image-icon to include the image in my post there is no need to click the link at the bottom of the post so the difference between the actions seems irrelevant.

If you would like to post a few sentences of advice for users that will solve the problem I will certainly consider including them in my Original Post.

...R

Robin2:
This is my attempt to provide the essentials for inserting an image into a post. If you want more details there is a very long Thread about inserting images here

...R

Thanks Robin. That does make it simpler, and I guess it will remain to be seen if doing things this way causes issues with some browsers.

One additional annoyance is that anytime I try to edit a post, the system will complain that I have made too many edits in the past 5 minutes, and suggests I try again later. This even happens when it was the first edit I tried that day. Since its very easy to forget to go back and "try again later". Is there any trick to circumvent that?

After you make 100 posts that restriction goes away.

.

Robin2:
If you would like to post a few sentences of advice for users that will solve the problem I will certainly consider including them in my Original Post.

How does this grab you...

Third, edit your post, position the cursor where you want the image to appear, click the image icon,

{circled image icon graphic}

paste the URL into the box, type ;image, then click Insert. When you save the modified post the image should be visible.

That seems simple enough. But you have still not explained in a way that I can understand WHY this is necessary.

Are you saying that without the word ";image" being added the picture is invisible to Internet Explorer users? I find that hard to believe because I have not seen a flood of complaints from Forum members.

If the Forum does not work properly for IE users shouldn't that be fixed by the Forum software people?

Also, is this problem limited to images that are hosted on the Forum website or does it apply to every image?

Please provide a bit more in the way of context.

...R

Robin2:
Are you saying that without the word ";image" being added the picture is invisible to Internet Explorer users?

Correct. (With the change of "to some Internet Explorer users".)

I find that hard to believe because I have not seen a flood of complaints from Forum members.

I believe earlier versions of Internet Explorer worked the way Firefox and Chrome work. (I no longer have a computer I can use to test.)

If the Forum does not work properly for IE users shouldn't that be fixed by the Forum software people?

Probably.

Also, is this problem limited to images that are hosted on the Forum website or does it apply to every image?

Images hosted here.

OK, does this piece of text explain the situation adequately and correctly?

[start]
Apparently images presented using the standard Forum BB code (like this)
[img]http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=519037.0;attach=239016[/img]
are not visible on some versions of Internet Explorer. Until such time as the Forum programmers fix this you can help IE users by adding ;image to the BB code so that it looks like this
[img]http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=519037.0;attach=239016;image[/img]
[/end]

However I must say I am reluctant to include this as it really seems to be a problem that the Forum developers should deal with. I certainly would not wish to see any Forum user criticized for not including ";image" in a Post.

If there was a clamour from several Forum users I might feel differently about it.

...R

Oh my, things are getting more and more complicated. :confused:

larryd:
Oh my, things are getting more and more complicated. :confused:

I don't think that is completely fair. What's your own view about suggesting that users include ;image to facilitate Internet Explorer users.

...R

Being old and lazy, I just want to:
Attach my image, copy the url to it (or copy a url of an internet image) then use

 [img]     [/img]
Or 
[center][url=http://][img width=500]http://[/img] [/url][/center]

Wish the sponsors would put things back to the way it was 3 years ago, but that won’t happen.

Robin2:
OK, does this piece of text explain the situation adequately and correctly?

I like it.

However I must say I am reluctant to include...

I'm on the fence. Adding the extra bit is annoying. But not adding it excludes a small audience.

A footnote perhaps?

If there was a clamour from several Forum users I might feel differently about it.

Exactly.

Which is why I'm deferring the decision. But the situation deserves discussion.

I like that course of action. :slight_smile:

I will put the text from Reply #13 into a new Reply so it stands on its own without comments and I will include a line in my Original Post to refer readers to it.

...R

Apparently images presented using the standard Forum BB code (like this)

[img]http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=519037.0;attach=239016[/img]

are not visible on some versions of Internet Explorer. Until such time as the Forum programmers fix this you can help IE users by adding ;image to the BB code so that it looks like this
[img]http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=519037.0;attach=239016;image[/img]

...R

PS this text first appeared in Reply #13