Outputting a different user meta photo from field group

Please ignore (or delete) my top message, I sent too soon and it doesn't make sense. Here is my real question:

It makes sense to get_post_meta first (rather than user). And as a sequence do I -
1 get the group
2 get the subgroup
3. Get the user

When I use a user field within a group, is that returned value the user's ID? If so that makes more sense how to proceed.

And then if I want to get the users profile picture, is this section in the documentation correct? Would I get the user's avatar in the same way I would get an advanced image?

// Sub-field image_advanced.
    $image_ids = $group['images'] ?? [];
    if ( $image_ids ) {
        $output .= '<div class="my-images">';
        foreach ( $image_ids as $image_id ) {
            $image = RWMB_Image_Field::file_info( $image_id, ['size' => 'my-image-size'] );
            $output .= '<img src="' . $image['url'] . '" />';
        }
        $output .= '</div>';
    }

My questions only continue as I am definitely still doing something very wrong.

Hi Long,

I am still a bit confused by this. I think it is because I am trying to get an array value of a field in a group. So three levels. I tried to pair the two tutorials. And came out with this, which does not work. Any idea what I am doing wrong?

add_shortcode( 'co_author_loop_photo', function() {
$user_group = rwmb_meta( 'academicadd_co_author' );
	$user_ids = $user_group['academic_user_coauthor'] ?? : [];
	foreach ( $user_ids as $user_id) {
	$coauthor_photo = rwmb_meta( 'custom_avatar', [ 'object_type' => 'user' ], $user_id );
	return $coauthor_photo;
	}});

Hi Long,

Thank you for the support!

I have managed to pull the name and photo to the meta box group now (had some help).

However, it now does not show the data on the single post type. It is just blank, even though it populates on the meta box group skin side. I did it using shortcodes.

//Just the name of co-author
add_shortcode("get_co_user_name", function (){
	global $post;
	$post_type = get_post_type($post->ID);
	if(is_singular() && "research" === $post_type)
	{
		$field_id = rwmb_get_value( "academicadd_co_author", $post->ID, false ); 
	foreach($field_id as $user)
		{$user_name = get_userdata(intval($user['academicacademic_user_coauthor']))->display_name;
		return $user_name;
		}}});

//Avatar of co-author
add_shortcode("get_co_user_avatar", function (){
	global $post;
	$post_type = get_post_type($post->ID);
	if(is_singular() && "research" === $post_type)
	{
		$field_id = rwmb_get_value( "academicadd_co_author", $post->ID, false ); 
	foreach($field_id as $user)
		{$avatar_url = get_avatar_url($user['academicacademic_user_coauthor']);
		 $main_html_markup = "<img src='$avatar_url'>";
	};
	return $main_html_markup;	
		}});

Hi Long,

I just gave this a try - but same issue. It pulls the correct information and successfully populates the MB group skin. But then does not work when I add that group to a section on my single post template.

Many thanks,
Yasmine