As we near the release of IP.Downloads 2.1.0, we wanted to take a moment just to summarize the changes in this release and to point out the new features you can expect to see upon updating.
Friendly URLs
Friendly URLs have been implemented into IP.Downloads starting with version 2.1.
Ability to shut off "Resume breakpoints"
Most download accelerator clients support downloading multiple pieces of a file simultaneously. While this means that the file can download faster for the user, it also means that you can have multiple connections open from one user downloading a single file. Beginning with IP.Downloads 2.1 you can disallow requests for individual file parts to help control the number of open connections to your server.
Download sessions
Beginning with IP.Downloads 2.1, you can enable functionality that will cause IP.Downloads to create a unique URL for each file download request. The URL will expire once used (or after 24 hours, whichever comes first), helping to prevent users from sharing direct download links to the files.
Global settings
IP.Downloads 2.1 will allow you to configure maximum file size and screenshot dimension settings globally, while still allowing you to override those settings on a per-category level should you need to. This can help simplify updates to your download manager configuration for these particular settings which are commonly configured the same across all categories.
Support for link "types"
When submitting screenshot and file links, you will now be able to select what type of link you are submitting. The link types are configurable in the ACP so administrators can add and alter link types to better suit their site.
Upload progress meter
Through integration with the flash uploader used for uploading attachments to IP.Board posts, the download manager now supports a true progress bar for all uploads (if the user is using the Flash uploader as specified in their user control panel).
One record, many files
To date, IP.Downloads was designed to allow you to submit one file at a time (and one screenshot, depending on the configuration). IP.Downloads 2.1 takes the next step and allows you to submit multiple files and multiple screenshots per record.
Interface updates
The interface for the download manager has been tweaked and updated to provide a more polished feel, while distinguishing the user interface from the rest of the board.
Wrap Up
The primary focus of IP.Downloads 2.1 was expansion of the file storage methods to include support for important new functionality: multiple files per record and support for the flash uploader tool used by IP.Board. To that end, we decided to focus development on this core functionality in order to provide a solid foundation for future functionality changes in IP.Downloads. We hope you find the updates useful, and we look forward to your feedback to continue improving the product.
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