Help:Files

Revision as of 16:12, October 17, 2020 by Espyo (talk | contribs) (Bit of an update.)

It is possible to upload files at Pikipedia. These include, at the moment, images and audio files. This help page is a set of guidelines for contributing images to the Wiki. For help on how to include images on articles, see Help:Editing#Media.

Images

The most common images are screenshots from the Pikmin games, but other games that have content relevant to a Pikmin article, box-shots, concept art, maps, diagrams, and other relevant files are allowed too. The following are instructions and guidelines on how to correctly upload a good image. Failure to follow these could result in the image being deleted. Pikipedia uses a custom script on the upload page that makes some steps automatic, amongst other improvements. Although unlikely, the script might not be running. Either way, so long as you follow the instructions on the upload page and on this section, you will be fine.

Filetypes

Your image must be saved properly. The filetypes used on Pikipedia are:

  • PNG: for maps and diagrams, images with a transparent background, or images where it's very important to keep a high quality on the small details.
  • JPG/JPEG: for screenshots and photos.
  • GIF: for animations and low-color diagrams.

If the image you are about to send has a lot of small details that need to be kept, try to keep the image high-resolution. If not, try to avoid uploading images that have a high resolution; resize if necessary. If you are ever unsure, always save an image as a PNG file, as this is a lossless file format, which means that you will not lose image quality, and someone else can alter the image for you.

File name

Although there is no real constraint about what you should name your file, do not name it something random like "kjhsdfs.jpg". Instead, name it something that quickly identifies what the image is about, and if you think that somebody could upload a similar image in the future, disambiguate your name some more, like adding the name of the game to it. Think about it this way: if you wanted to search about images with certain content, your image should appear on the search results. It won't show up if its name is just garbage.

Description

Quickly describe what's in the image. You don't need to go into a lot of detail if you don't want to, but you should at least explain what it contains. Try to link to relevant articles, also.

Categorization

All files should be under the proper categories. If on the upload page, you see boxes asking you for the image type, the game, the area, etc., that means that Pikipedia's custom upload script is running and you shouldn't worry about categorizing manually. Otherwise, read on.

You should place the image on whatever categories it fits. Whenever possible, it should be under the most specific (deepest) categories available. Use the following checklist to decide what categories to use.

License

Each type of image requires a different image licensing template. For most types of files, the license is chosen automatically when you select the appropriate type, but if you are ever given the question about what the license should be, please pick from these options (which could vary depending on some conditions):

  • "Video game screenshot" for when it's an in-game screenshot.
  • "Concept art" for official concept art or artwork made by the developers of a game.
  • "Audio" for audio files.
  • "User image" for an image that is irrelevant to the series, and is to be used by users only (read more here).
  • "Texture" for an image that comes directly from the game's files.
  • "Public domain" for when the image doesn't have any licensing. Only pick this if you know what you're doing.
  • "Copyrighted" for images that belong to somebody else, but are meant to be used fairly on the wiki.
  • "Free licenses" for specific licenses, when you know what they are.

User images

You can upload images that are not related to the wiki or the series, especially if you only plan on using them for yourself, but remember to not overdo it. We're not an image hosting platform. You may only have five user images.

Videos

YouTube videos can be embedded in a page with: {{#widget:YouTube|id=<id>}}.

Besides the ID parameter, which points to the YouTube video ID, you can also include any of the following:

  • width=<width>: width in pixels of the viewing area.
  • height=<height>: height in pixels of the viewing area. If not present, it is calculated automatically.
  • playlist=<id>: embeds the first video in the specified playlist, and shows the rest of the videos after. With this, the id parameter is ignored.
  • start=<time>: makes the video start at the specified number of seconds.
  • end=<time>: makes the video end at the specified number of seconds.
  • thumb: makes the video show up in a thumbnail, like you would with an image.
  • left: aligns the video to the left of the page.
  • right: aligns the video to the right of the page.
  • center: centers the video on the page.
  • caption=<text>: a short description of the video. It shows up beneath it.

The number of videos used in articles should be kept to a minimum, and used only where necessary and useful. Examples of this are videos of glitches, which are easier to understand through a video, or prerelease material (though the text should not rely on videos for understanding, to cater for those who cannot watch them).

Audio

You may upload sound effects or parts of songs, but only if adding them improves the understanding of the subject. For parts of game tracks, they can't be over 30 seconds in length, and should not have sound effects. When adding the audio file to an article, use {{listen}}.

Capturing footage

Here are a few ways to take screenshots (also known as "snapshots") and videos of a game.

GameCube and Wii games

  • Using a capture card. Exact instructions vary between cards.
  • Using Dolphin's screenshot and frame dump tools.

Wii U games

  • Using a capture card. Exact instructions vary between cards.
  • Using the Wii U's screenshot feature (higher quality than the Miiverse method).
    1. Press   when you want to take the screenshot.
    2. Open the Internet Browser.
    3. Browse to a website that allows you to upload images.
    4. When asked which "file" to upload, pick either the TV screen's image or the GamePad screen's.
  • Using Miiverse while playing connected to the internet.
    1. Press   when you want to take the screenshot.
    2. Open Miiverse.
    3. Save the screen you want on your Screenshot Album.
    4. Log in to Miiverse on your computer.
    5. Access your Screenshot Album.
    6. Obtain the image from there.
  • Using the in-game KopPad (only for photos taken from a leader's perspective).

Nintendo 3DS games

  • Using a capture card. Exact instructions vary between cards.
  • Using Miiverse while playing offline.
    1. Press   when you want to take the screenshot.
    2. Open Miiverse.
    3. Create a post about your screenshot, and include the screen you want.
    4. Later, connect your Nintendo 3DS to the internet.
    5. Open Miiverse, whether in-game or not.
    6. Submit your pending post.
    7. Go on Miiverse on your computer.
    8. Find your post on the community (logging in on Miiverse and checking your profile will help).
    9. Obtain the image from there.
    • Notes: Only 3 pending posts can be kept at a time on the console. Screenshot publications posted are also visible on Miiverse by anyone. Miiverse is also a public service not intended for this sort of screenshots, so don't abuse it.
  • Using Miiverse while playing connected to the internet.
    1. Press   when you want to take the screenshot.
    2. Save the screen you want on your Screenshot Album.
    3. Log in to Miiverse on your computer.
    4. Access your Screenshot Album.
    5. Obtain the image from there.

If you want to capture a scene in an area in Hey! Pikmin using both screens, you'll need to combine and align them manually, since each screen is an independent screenshot. Vertically, you'll need to place a gap between the two screens, which seems to be 32 pixels high. Horizontally, both screens should be centered.

Nintendo Switch games

  • Using a capture card. Exact instructions vary between cards.
  • Using the built-in screenshot and video feature. Press the capture button for a screenshot, and hold it to save a video of the last 30 seconds. When using this feature, it's better to upload the footage files as they exist in the SD card after you capture. If instead you upload to a social media platform and then take the file from there, the quality will be degraded.

See also