"Free Image Host" really necessary - for one or two photos?

Ideas
#1

Hi

I’m new with PVOutput, and I’m enthusiastic to get all the settings right. I would even provide some pictures of my PV system, but I hesitate to register for an Image Server. (It’s easy, I know …)

Why it isn’t possible in the settings to simply provide a link from Google Drive with my pictures?
Unfortunately (as far as I know), a Google Drive link to an image does not contain the file name as well as no images extension like *.jpg.

I’m quite sure, that would be an simplification for a huge amount of people … :wink:

Regards
Roman

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#2

I’m sure someone will correct me if I’m wrong, but afaik, Google Drive does not work that way. The links you can get will allow a file or image to be opened in a browser by someone with the link but they don’t work in a web page as an image source. That’s why you need an image server.

I think this used to be possible in the past, but Google changed that many years ago.

#3

I use IMGUR. It is a free online storage through their website. The best part is that the images never expire and as far as I know unlimited number of photos. https://imgur.com/

#4

I’m not sure. I mean, this forum thread is a “web page” as well, and the link I provided in my opening post is a link as well. Why should this link not work on every other web site? It’s a valid URL - I think that surely works from whereever it will be used, no matter if it is embedded in a web site, a PDF document, a link in a text document or else where.

#5

I assumed you were talking about the photos you can link to on the actual PVOutput site as opposed to the forums. Those photos are linked to and then displayed by PVOutput directly as opposed to the way you linked above where you are actually navigating to another website.

#6

Now, I am confused?

See the screeshots:

I want my picture(s) linked here:

2020-04-21%2011_46_48-Clipboard
2020-04-21%2011_46_48-Clipboard1143×270 77.7 KB

My question is simply, why I cannot provide a link which directs to an image on Google (Drive)? Why must the image link necessarily end with JPG, GIF, PNG?

2020-04-21%2011_10_51-Clipboard

Unfortunately, links to Google Drive do not contain an image extension at all.

Regards

#7

OK - Then back to what I said originally. Google Photos does not have the functionality you are asking for. If you would have clicked on the photo icon above where your arrow was pointing, you would notice that the photo open within the PVOutput web page. You need to be able to link to the actual image and not another webpage. This is why Imugr works and Google Photos doesn’t.

All that said, you made a suggestion/idea so I guess we can just wait and see if it gets implemented in some fashion.

#8

@pjschaffer
I see. All confusion is cleared now.
Thanks a lot!

#9

Add a dummy parameter to your link, something like filetype=jpg
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Uy0FXxKdW_-8LTuGrmLwCTdS6i8YnPDh/view?usp=sharing&filetype=jpg

Clicking on the photo icon will show an error (the image could not be loaded), but when you click on “the image” link in the error message, you’ll see the photo.

Dirty workaround, I know :wink:

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