Hello all 
I have been asked on several occasions how to insert graphics, (animated or still), into a CR4 Forum Post.
Graphic Formats which are generally compatible with the CR4 Forum include: .jpg .gif .png
CR4 Site Security: CR4 Forum allows Uploading of Graphics from your own Computer, but may not allow a hyperlink to actually show a graphic which is hosted on another website.
Instructions: How to Insert Graphics - Animated and otherwise:
Locate the Graphic:
You may sometimes "liberate" graphics after doing a Google Graphics search for what you want.
So, let's say you want an animated picture of an umbrella, type into Google Graphics Search Engine the two words umbrella ani (not in bold case, of course).
The Google gears spin, and moments later you have a selection of umbrella pics, hopefully animated (ani = animated).
Surf through, locate a likely one, and very importantly ensure you go to the actual website, then the full-size graphic 
(You don't want the fixed thumb nail picture as shown on Google)
Check for the animation, if OK, "Right Click" with your mouse, "Save As" to your PC system desktop in the meantime, (later moving it to a more permanent location), so you may easily locate it later, and also rename the file, so you can remember what it is.
Ensure that The Graphic File is properly checked by Security Software in your Computer.
You do use Antivirus, Anti-Trojan etc Software?
Of course you do!
So now you have the file in your system, Left Click in the Text Editor in the Forum, (where you want that graphic), go to the small button which looks like a camera, marked with my red arrow in the pic here:
(Insert/Edit Image) and Left Click on that.
A small Graphics Editor window pops up, choose the middle option of "Image Path", and Left Click on the Browse button, per my red arrow in the pic here:
That allows you to explore your own PC System, until you locate the graphic you want (easy if that graphic is temporarily on the desktop).
Once the small Graphics Editor has "grabbed the file", press the "Submit" button as shown with my red arrow here: 
and the graphic file is UPLOADED to the CR4 website, and given a reference number to locate it in the Post you are making.
Then the Graphic appears in the Text Editor, (If animated, it is not yet seen as animated in the Text Editor Window), carry on and press the "Preview Comment" button in the normal way.
The Preview Comment window opens,and if the graphic file is compatible with the CR4 Forum Software, that animation now shows the animation. (Sometimes the animation does not work, in that case "Right Click" and "Cut" the file, to remove it, and go back in the Text Editor).
If the picture is in the wrong place, Edit Post, use "Right Click" on the graphic (Firefox Browser), and "Cut", then move the cursor to the new location, and Ctrl + V = Paste the graphic into the Text Editor.
Repeat the "Preview Comment" and if OK, Post the completed Comment.
You will be aware that it does pay to look at the completed Post, as it may need further Editing, and CR4 Forum Software advises there is only a total time of 15 minutes allowable for any further Edits, once the Post is completed.
After that 15 minutes any error becomes permanent.
Please note the above instructions are for the CR4 Forum (This Forum), and instructions for other Internet Community Forums vary somewhat from the above, depending on the Forum Software, and particular Forum Rules.....
I have now "several" GB of useful graphics on my local system, all categorised, renamed, and in folders so they are easily located - When I locate any useful graphic, I 'liberate it" for future use.
Of course you would not "liberate" a © Copyrighted © graphic, would you, but most are not, as often the same graphic appears in many different websites, sometimes re-sized and re-named.
Resizing:
Resizing of fixed graphics is done in the Text Editor by Left Click on the Graphic
And a Resizing Frame appears which is shown with the red arrow below:
Move your Mouse Arrow to the Resizing Frame, and left Click on one of the small squares around the Resizing Frame, to drag the Frame (along with the internal picture) larger or smaller as required.
Here the resizing Frame has been dragged and enlarged horizontally only, the crocodile pic at top above:
And here the Resizing Frame has been dragged vertically only:
And here a corner has been dragged, so it is enlarged in proportion:
Resizing of Animated - Moving Graphics:
This is available Off the CR4 Site at special free Graphics Processing Websites.
Because the Gifworks Site is easy to understand I generally go here:
http://www.gifworks.com/cgi-bin/gifworks.pl?com=transfer_open
Carefully follow their Instructions, after the Gifworks processing, "Right Click" on the Graphic as Gifworks resized it on their Website, and "Save As" to your Desktop.
Before I could use my animated Avatar at CR4, it had to be re-sized at Gifworks, to comply with the Avatar size limits for CR4 Avatars.
I also have purchased hundreds of GB of various graphics from others, as required.
You can also "Right Click" in Firefox Browser, on most Websites (including this CR4 one), and "Save As", almost all graphics.
Remember to Save As, into a Folder where you can find them again.
Check for Malware - Viruses, Trojans etc immediately after you save any file to your Computer - Hopefully you have set up Security Software in your own Computer to do that automatically.
If you make an error, providing you Edit it within the CR4 15 minute "Edit window of opportunity", your error can be corrected by yourself, and nobody else will ever know....You will note a count-down advice in Red Letters, showing how much time you have left to further Edit your full Post.
You can go back and forth between the Text Editor and the Preview Window, to ensure your fine creation is going to actually work properly, and you have the layout correct - There is no Time Limit on this.
Easy Graphics Editor:
Although I use Photoshop, CorelDraw and other Graphics Software, they are daunting to start off with, so you could easily try the free Irfanview from here:
http://www.irfanview.com/
Have a go, nobody taught me how, I just tried things until they worked, making many mistakes along the way.
In case you wanted to know who I am, here is a real picture of myself
If you need further help, please
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Kind Regards, from faraway
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How to insert Graphics into your Post to make it more readable or interesting
Re: How to insert Graphics into your Post to make it more readable or interesting
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