Where are my animated gif Files

[+mathiselise]

About inserting GIF files into a listing
Inserting gif files is not so easy in a geocaching listing but there is a solution for it you have to upload the gif file in Google Drive make a link and eventually it works.
So I got in my geocache GCAET61 (A PLace On Our Globe 5) 2 animated gif files in my listing (see photo and 1 animated gif files) and has worked every time since its publication in October.

 

 

 

Now since a few days I don't see those animated gif files anymore but just 2 small icons (see picture)

 

 

Now when I click on these little icons I have the option to load the image but in chrome it doesn't load in firefox and edge on the other hand it does load but on closing and opening again those 2 little icons are there again. There is another option to open the image in a new tab and that works in all three browsers but does not stay in my listing.

 

My question why disappear in my listing ???? and is there a solution for it.

[+GasStationTuna]

Same for me. I had a GIF on a cache page for a long time, but now it's just the broken link symbol. I was going through google drive because uploading the GIF directly lost the animation of it, but part of the HTML code that enabled it all had '&' in it and that & was being automatically changed to 'amp&;' which messed everything up. 

 

I'm hoping to find a work around. It would be a shame to have to archive this cache because GC won't/can't host animated GIFs. 

[+Pichlík]

Hi, my listing stopped showing images saved on Google Drive.

 

Listing: https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GCA23DN

Link to image: https://drive.google.com/uc?id=134x-_IZRKkOzP3_MKtwPsBe25_LhRmPi

List of allowed repositories: https://www.geocaching.com/help/index.php?pg=kb.chapter&id=97&pgid=956

 

What can I do?

 

Thanks

[geoawareUSA9]

Merged in a related thread about missing GIF image

Edited January 14 by geoawareUSA9

[+Janiiss]

 

I have the same problem. I have several caches that are completely based on these gifs.

 

I hope it starts working.

[+klickon]

 

I also have the same problem. I have two caches that are dependent on an animated gif to resolve.

Is there an intent to this, or will Groundspeak provide some kind of solution?

 

For now, I used my own solution, which you can see at my caches:

https://coord.info/GC7K82X

https://coord.info/GC9CY2T

Edited January 18 by klickon

[+Stamp My Art]

I have the same issue with images that previously were displaying correctly and posted in the Bug section as it seems to be some kind of glitch. I Posted a note on my cache page telling people how to access the images needed to solve the puzzles until this can be resolved.

 

Animated Gifs Broken Bug Report

 

 

[+Janiiss]

Hey. I sent a message to HQ about it and I'm waiting for a reply. After looking into the matter and asking others, it would seem that the problem is on Google's side and possibly a permanent problem.

 

https://workspaceupdates.googleblog.com/2023/10/upcoming-changes-to-third-party-cookies-in-google-drive.html?fbclid=IwAR1jGaJZ1aH_xLKeOQ70PF2Ws1PJWfcSHNbaE-zwNBCb566bMoivE0MVw2c&m=1

[+Stamp My Art]

2 hours ago, Janiiss said:

Hey. I sent a message to HQ about it and I'm waiting for a reply. After looking into the matter and asking others, it would seem that the problem is on Google's side and possibly a permanent problem.

 

https://workspaceupdates.googleblog.com/2023/10/upcoming-changes-to-third-party-cookies-in-google-drive.html?fbclid=IwAR1jGaJZ1aH_xLKeOQ70PF2Ws1PJWfcSHNbaE-zwNBCb566bMoivE0MVw2c&m=1

Thank you for this information. This could be a problem as I don't pay for OneDrive, but do for Google, which means I'd have to switch to using OneDrive. My puzzles may become hot-linked or static. bummer

[+Viajero Perdido]

I fail to see how serving up a simple image file requires cookies at all.  I followed the link and another, and still don't see the logic ... unless Google changed the URL format suddenly (Hey!!!), which should then simply require a tweak to the URL in the cache page.  But again, how would that require cookies?

 

I mean, other than that Google likes to follow everything you do.

 

EDIT: I was going to suggest Proton Drive, as I see they have a free tier, but also now see they're not on Groundspeak's short list of three.  So ... never mind.

 

ED-EDIT: I deleted a follow-on post (if anybody wondered) because I was confused and made no sense, never mind.

 

Edited January 17 by Viajero Perdido

[+GlobeKeeper]

I am using google drive especially for transparent png images, because uploading transparent images to GC image hosting makes it non-transparent.

Anyways, experiencing a same problem - my png images that are on google drive, they are not showing in my listings for almost 2 weeks. I am using this managed format for gdrive in cache listings HTML: https://drive.google.com/uc?id=XXXXXX

I was also trying some other formats such as: https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=XXXXXX

But through all of this, the png images are not showing.

Thanks for any response.

Have a nice day.

Edited January 23 by GlobeKeeper

[Johannis10]

5 hours ago, GlobeKeeper said:

I am using google drive especially for transparent png images, because uploading transparent images to GC image hosting makes it non-transparent.

Anyways, experiencing a same problem - my png images that are on google drive, they are not showing in my listings for almost 2 weeks. I am using this managed format for gdrive in cache listings HTML: https://drive.google.com/uc?id=XXXXXX

I was also trying some other formats such as: https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=XXXXXX

But through all of this, the png images are not showing.

Thanks for any response.

Have a nice day.

Have you tried saving an image to Dropbox and used the Dropbox link?

Good luck.

Greetings Johannis10

[+GlobeKeeper]

Thanks! Yes, it is working for me in dropbox. Looks like it is the only way to link images from external hosting these times.

Let me just write a brief tutorial how to change the dropbox link of updated image in order to work in listings in geocaching.com:

Example1: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/XXXXXX/example.png?rlkey=XXXXXX&raw=1

You should replace the original dl=0 to raw=1 on the end of the link

 

But... I was also trying this on TB listings, but I found out, that the ampersand in TB listings is rewrited to something like & after you make changes. So the Example1 works only for GC listings, not for TB ones.

In order to display some dropbox uploaded image in TB listings, I found out another rewrited format of dropbox HTML linking and it works for me. See 'Example2', which works for TB listings.

Example2: https://dl.dropbox.com/scl/fi/XXXXXX/example.png?rlkey=XXXXXX

So we actually wanted to delete the ampersand in order to work for TB listings.

And also, you should replace www to dl in order to work.

This TB linking format should also work for GC listings.

Have a nice day.

 

 

Edited January 27 by GlobeKeeper

[+Stamp My Art]

On 1/24/2024 at 1:16 PM, GlobeKeeper said:

Thanks! Yes, it is working for me in dropbox. Looks like it is the only way to link images from external hosting these times.

Let me just write a brief tutorial how to change the dropbox link of updated image in order to work in listings in geocaching.com:

Example1: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/XXXXXX/example.png?rlkey=XXXXXX&raw=1

You should replace the original dl=0 to raw=1 on the end of the link

 

But... I was also trying this on TB listings, but I found out, that the ampersand in TB listings is rewrited to something like & after you make changes. So the Example1 works only for GC listings, not for TB ones.

In order to display some dropbox uploaded image in TB listings, I found out another rewrited format of dropbox HTML linking and it works for me. See 'Example2', which works for TB listings.

Example2: https://dl.dropbox.com/scl/fi/XXXXXX/example.png?rlkey=XXXXXX

So we actually wanted to delete the ampersand in order to work for TB listings.

And also, you should replace www to dl in order to work.

This TB linking format should also work for GC listings.

Have a nice day.

 

 

The only problem I have with this is I PAY for the Google increased image space, but don't for Dropbox which means I cannot switch to my DB account as I need that for personal stuff.

 

But thank you for posting that it works with DB.

[+RaynPengi]

I have just found this fix for all my animated gifs. You need to change to thumbnails. This is an easy edit.

 

Replace the link :- https://drive.google.com/uc?id=XXXX

with :- https://drive.google.com/thumbnail?id=XXXX&sz=s4000

 

The sz=4000 is important to set the max size of the image.

[+CheekyBrit]

On 1/31/2024 at 2:26 PM, RaynPengi said:

I have just found this fix for all my animated gifs. You need to change to thumbnails. This is an easy edit.

 

Replace the link :- https://drive.google.com/uc?id=XXXX

with :- https://drive.google.com/thumbnail?id=XXXX&sz=s4000

 

The sz=4000 is important to set the max size of the image.

WOOOHOOOO!!!!! That did it. You can see the gif working again on my caches: https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC9H5DD and https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC9H56R
 So here is the full line of HTML using RaynPengi's awesome new solution. <p><img src="https://drive.google.com/thumbnail?id=1CrDMo-nCDMkSytBM26-WVd0w2lQiQfS3&sz=s4000" /></p>
I tried changing out the size of s4000 to different values and it didn't seem to make a difference. Stick to &sz=s4000

 

That technique doesn't work for transparent PNGs. Perhaps with some tweaking it will. People can still download the image as a white background JPEG and use something like Paint to turn it transparent on their home computer. That technique is not very friendly for cell phone users.

Edited February 6 by CheekyBrit
Added note on PNGs.

[+Freddo]

Fix works for the problem puzzle caches I have published.

[+abl973]

On 2/1/2024 at 10:26 AM, RaynPengi said:

I have just found this fix for all my animated gifs. You need to change to thumbnails. This is an easy edit.

 

Replace the link :- https://drive.google.com/uc?id=XXXX

with :- https://drive.google.com/thumbnail?id=XXXX&sz=s4000

 

The sz=4000 is important to set the max size of the image.

 

Hey thanks for this!  I noticed last night that several of my recently published caches had their image files disappear from the cache listing and your fix has restored them.

 

Now Myra is visible again!

 

https://coord.info/GC97CTE

 

https://coord.info/GCA0KBR