A Quick File Hosting FAQ, For hosting screenshots, saves, etc.

I want to share a screenshot, save file, or XML modding file on the forum. How can I do this?

This forum (hosted by a web organization called InvisionFree), has an attachment system for uploading files. Attachments, unfortunately, are limited in size and format, so it's only really use-able for small files. XMLs and saves are often too large for this.


So, what do I do?

Use one of the free hosting sites available. The ones I or others on the forum have used successfully include, so far:

Generic File Hosting (best for XMLs and save files)
RapidShare (up to 50MB upload size, any format, split archives allowed, unlimited bandwidth)
Ripway Web Hosting (up to 5MB upload size, 30MB storage space, limited bandwidth) Free signup required
YouSendIt (up to 1GB, deletes after 7 days or a limited number of downloads) *

Image Hosting (best for screenshots and images)
ImageShack (up to 1024KB, .jpeg, .jpg, .png, .gif, .bmp, .tif, .tiff, and .swf formats)
Photobucket (images 250KB or bigger are resized, .jpg, .gif, .png, .bmp, .swf formats) Free signup required
Village Photos (up to 120KB, .jpeg, .jpg, and .gif formats, 10MB per day transfer limit) Free signup required
ImageCave (up to 250KB size limit for .gif, up to 1MB for .jpg or .jpeg, 10MB storage space) Free signup required


_{^*YouSendIt was originally made for sending files via email, but since they store the files on their server (rather than as email attachments), you can simply post the "reference" link (which is provided after the upload) on the forum. Use your own address as the recipient address, or make a new one (at such sites as Hotmail, Yahoo, or Excite.}



How do I take a screenshot in the first place?

There are two options for this:

Manual Screenshot Capturing

1. During the game, press Shift + Print Screen button on the keyboard. This saves a copy of your screen to the clipboard.

2. Exit the game, and open an image editing program. Most Windows systems include MS Paint, a basic program, at installation. You can probably find it by clicking on Start > Accessories. If not, try one of the free image editing programs out there. The GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) or Paint.NET for instance.

3. Click Edit > Paste, File > Paste From Clipboard, or however your image editor pastes data from the clipboard. Save it, and you're done.

Automatic Screen Capturing Programs

Some programs can automatically capture and save screenshots. These might be easier for some. ScreenHunter and IrfanView are good for this.

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Please post if you have any other hosting sites to suggest, another question, or if you have anything else to do with the subject of file hosting.

~ El_Fluffy Dragon

This post has been edited by El_FluffyDragon on Dec 11 2005, 01:56 PM

just want to note that RapidShare can host split archives so if you want you can put up any size thing there if you split it up first.

As far as screenshots go, there are also programs that take and save a screenshot just with hitting the print screen key. I personally like ScreenHunter for capturing images on the fly; you don't need to use an image editor, and you can choose to save the images in a web-compatible format.

Updated. Thanks.

Added a couple more hosting sites to the list.

is it just me or is it the ones that don't require sign-up are better?

They are.

But I thought I'd mention the not-so-good ones anyway, just in case someone had technical issues with the 'good' ones.

(Well, Ripway Web Hosting does have a small advantage that files aren't deleted after 30 days of no downloading [like RapidShare does], but it's the only exception.)

Another quite useful one added to the list.

I realize this is a slightly old post, but I found a new site that may be useful. I have no idea about its usefulness, as I have not registered yet. It has been mentioned in "Computer Gaming World" for a few months. The advertisement mentions 'unlimited uploads, unlimited downloads, unlimited bandwidth.' Enjoy.

http://filefront.com/

Good links me thinks but now i have a question: i made a screenshot using screenhunter, it's 2,300 kilobytes which imageshack won't allow me to upload, now what? Resizing? or can i post it using rapidshare?

Try changing the format and quality of the screen captures that screen hunter takes...I think there's an option for that. If you can't, yes, you should resize it.

I can't find the option. Don't tell me, for resizing i need irfanview
ok, i got ms-paint but it's still the old ME operating system, i never know what it can and cannot do. But then again, microsfot does not either....

People with Windows XP should download Windows XP Powertoys. One of the is an incredibly useful image resizer. I would also suggest an extremely good image editing program called Photobie. (I have not used these two, only read reviews in Digit)
-regards,
ultrabot90

Files can be hosted at the modsite now for UTF members -

Host: ftp.transcendencemods.er1.be
ServerType: FTP
User: utf@transcendencemods.er1.be
Account: utf@transcendencemods.er1.be
Password: modsite

No copyright/illegal material there please, but Transcendence related things / funny stuff is allowed.

EDIT: A great FTP program, FileZilla, can be found here

My firewall doesn't allow me access to FTP sites, so if I have anything I want hosted, do you mind if I just mail it to you thom?

That's fine Boris, go for it!

Hehe, thanks. Not that I need anything uploaded now, but just so that I know in the future.

Question: Do I just click and drag the files in it? The format is a little confusing. And I also get the "This page cannot be displayed" error every time I try to view one of the mods. Is that intentional, or is my firewall hyperactive?

That's highly outdated now. I use RapidShare for files I want to send to others, my FreeWebs account for images, and everything else I store on my GMail account.

Thanks you for the post.
Hi guys, Im a newbie. Nice to join this forum.




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