Help:Media

An uploadable media file such as an image, audio or video clip, or document, is an open educational resource or learning resource type which you can create for Wikiversity.

This page will help you upload and use such media files.

If you use media with your educational resources, you will improve their quality and people will enjoy them more.

Using existing media files

This is the easiest way to find media for your educational project.

Wikimedia Commons is a repository of over a hundred million media items, all of which you can instantly use in your learning resources on Wikiversity. You just need to find some suitable items over at Wikimedia Commons, and then insert a short piece of code into your page to use it.

See also: Educational Media Awareness Campaign, a project which guides you through uses of Wikimedia Commons and showcases the use of Commons materials in the creation of educational resources.

Uploading files

You can upload a file to Wikimedia Commons using the Special:Upload form, or by clicking the "Upload file" in the left-hand sidebar.

Wikimedia Commons allows several file formats to be uploaded. However, it does not allow uploading of non-free formats, such as MP3, MOV, and SWF. Free alternatives to most common formats are available - it is recommended to convert formats to free versions in order to upload to Wikiversity, Commons, or other Wikimedia sites. Both the content and the format need to be free in order to be allowed on Wikiversity - see Wikiversity:Copyrights

When you upload a file, it will be saved at "File:Oak_tree.jpg". It is helpful if you choose the title of your file carefully before uploading it (perhaps by renaming or using "save as" on your computer).

Uploadable filetypes

The uploadable filetypes are as follows:

PNG (images, such as diagrams)
JPG (images, such as photos)
GIF (best used only for animation)
SVG (images, for very high quality diagrams)
OGV (a media format for audio and video, vaguely similar in function to MP3 and MP4)
PDF (for documents)
XCF
MID
DJVU

The maximum upload size is 20 MB.

Image files

You either use images already uploaded to Wiki commons or you can upload images if they have appropriate open licenses.

PDF files

You can upload a pdf file exactly like an image file. However, you cannot embed a PDF file within a page - instead you need to link to it. You can use the [[File:Name.pdf]] syntax similar to above - which will link to a page with the pdf file, which you can open or download.

In order to 'bypass' the file view, and link people directly to the image view, use "Media" instead of "Image", ie [[Media:Name.pdf]]

You cannot view the pdf file directly. It must be viewed by a helper application from your browser.

OGV audio vs. OGV video

OGV audio files: OGV audio files are a different format than OGV video files. Wikiversity does not handle the difference well. Most browsers don't work well with the difference between audio and movie OGV files.

OGV video files: See Commons:Video to get more info.

Sound-only OGV files

Upload a OGV file exactly like an image file.

Change the word "File" to "Media" to use the file in your lessons or to access the files.

No other sound files work in Wikiversity, including WAV AIFF, etc. Uploading a file format that is not currently allowed on Wikiversity will give an error message.

To put OGV files in your lessons

An OGV file can be put in a lesson simply by saying [[Media:The file name without the word "File" at the beginning | Any name you wish to call the sound file]]

A second way to put OGV files in your lesson pages is to use a template called "audio". To do this you type: {{audio | The OGV file name without the word "File" at the beginning | Any name you want to appear in your lesson}}.

Click here (help·info) to listen to a short sample created by a non-talented filmmaker.

This appears similar to typing this:

Click here to listen to a short sample created by a non-talented filmmaker.

or

Click here to listen to a short sample created by a non-talented filmmaker.

(Click on edit this page to see the coding for these last two examples.)

ODT

Midi files

Images

Images can be embedded into Wikiversity pages, whether from existing images on Wiki commons or Wikiversity, or you can upload images yourself if they have appropriate open licenses.

Embedding an image

An example of an image file which has been uploaded to Wiki commons is File:Happy face.svg.

To place (or "embed") this image, simply use [[File:Happy face.svg‎]] in a page where you want the image to appear. You can also use the "embedded file" tool which is in the editing toolbar.

Reducing the size of an image file

By default the image will often be too large, but it can be re-sized e.g., like this [[File:Happy face.svg‎|200px]] - where "200px" indicates a width of 200 pixels (note the vertical bar | - it is not the letter l)

and you will see this

To make it even smaller, for example, try [[File:Happy face.svg‎|50px]]

and you will see this

Creating a thumbnail image

You can create "thumbnails" (provides a frame and a space for a caption) using: [[File:Happy face.svg|thumb|80px|A face]] Adding a caption is optional.

Aligning an image

Alignment is optional. Options are: Left (default), center, or right.

Creating a gallery of images

You can add a gallery of images to a page by adding the <gallery> tag. For example adding:

<gallery>
File:Fichtennadel.jpg
File:Abies concolor leaves.jpg
File:Pinus strobus needles.jpg
File:Needle Leaves at Tree Top.jpg
File:Hjálmfura 02-5d.jpg|5 day old Pinus pinea
File:Seekiefer (Pinus halepensis) 9months-fromtop.jpg|9 months old Pinus halepensis from the top
</gallery>

gives:

5 day old Pinus pinea
9 months old Pinus halepensis from the top

Note that sizing of images is automatic, but that image descriptions may be added. Note also that the double brackets (as in [[File:Fichtennadel.jpg]]) are not used.

Linking to an image

If you want to link to an image, and not embed it onto a page, you can use a colon before the image name. For example, [[:File:Fichtennadel.jpg]] - giving: File:Fichtennadel.jpg