Help:Images

The UESPWiki – Your source for The Elder Scrolls since 1995

There are currently many pages on the wiki that could be greatly improved by the addition of a few images. If you have an image you would like to add to a page, feel welcome to add one. This page provides details on how to create good screenshots, recommended file formats, and how to upload the images. Some of the most common problems with screenshots that are uploaded are:

• Images are too dark. Use as much light as possible when creating the image; see Tips for details.
• The subject of the image is not prominent. Turn off the crosshairs and menu bars. Make sure the subject is in the center of the image and eliminate any extra people or objects. See Tips for details.
• Do not upload the raw .bmp format image that is initially created. Use software to convert it to a .jpg file, see Acceptable Image Formats for details.
• Give your image a useful name so that other editors can find it more easily. See Naming Images for details.

Contents 1 Sources of Images 1.1 Capturing Screenshots 1.2 Morrowind 1.3 Oblivion 1.4 Tips 1.4.1 Morrowind 1.4.2 Oblivion 2 Naming Images 3 Improving Screenshots 3.1 Acceptable Image Formats 4 Uploading Images 4.1 Replacing Images 4.2 Thumbnails 5 Adding Images to Pages 5.1 Multiple Thumbnails 5.2 Special Cases 5.3 Linkable Images 5.4 Viewing Images 6 Additional Help 7 External Links

[edit] Sources of Images

The most common source of UESP images is game screenshots; see the section on screenshots for details on how to create them. Images that you have created yourself are also acceptable (provided they are UESP-relevant and are good quality).

The old UESP site contains many images that have not been transferred over to the new site. If you find an image there that you would like to include in a wiki article, you can upload it to the new site. Just mention in the summary where you got the file from.

Images on web sites other than UESP can not in general be copied here. Images that have been copied from elsewhere are copyright violations and will be deleted on sight. Contact an Administrator if you have questions about the legality of an image.

[edit] Capturing Screenshots

Screenshots are the most common source of images on the wiki. The following instructions provide some tips on how to create screenshots while playing the games on the PC. Note that XBox users can not create screenshots (at least not without hardware modifications).

[edit] Morrowind

Before starting the game, you need to edit one .ini file:

• Morrowind.ini located in the folder where you installed Morrowind, e.g., "Program Files\Bethesda Softworks\Morrowind".

In this file, search for the line Screen Shot Enable=0. Change this line to Screen Shot Enable=1 and save.

[edit] Oblivion

Before starting the game, you need to edit two .ini files:

• Oblivion_default.ini located in the folder where you installed Oblivion, e.g., "Program Files\Bethesda Softworks\Oblivion".
• Oblivion.ini located in "My Documents\My Games\Oblivion"

In each file, search for the line bAllowScreenShot=0. Change this line to bAllowScreenShot=1 and save. Also, make sure you do not have anti-aliasing enabled, because that feature disables all screenshots.

Now when you are playing, you can hit the "PrintScreen" key to save a screenshot. You should see a message appear at the top of your screen: "Screenshot: File 'Screenshot0.bmp' created." A new file is created each time you hit "PrintScreen" (with a higher number). These bmp files will all be located in your installation directory.

Do not upload these bmp files. The format is not supported by web browsers, and the files are very large in size. Before uploading, you must use graphics software such as Photoshop or GIMP to convert the bmp files to a more web-friendly format; jpg is recommended for screenshots. While you are converting the file, you should also consider editing the file. For example, crop out any unnecessary parts of the image.

[edit] Tips

These are some tips on how to get the best looking images you can.

• Sheathe your weapon, particularly in 1st person shots. Unless it's an action shot, you should not have a weapon drawn (or your fists, or a spell ready to cast). The picture looks weird if it seems like you're about to smash the person on the head with your big warhammer or run them through with your sword. Put it away so it's not blocking the shot.
• DON'T use the Detect Life spell in Oblivion if you're taking a screenshot of a person or creature. That weird pink glow just doesn't look right on screenshots.
• Turn up the lights. Use a Light spell or crank your gamma, especially on interior shots. In Morrowind you can also use the Night Eye spell. (Oblivion's Night-Eye doesn't work as well, because it turns everything blue.) Parts of the game can get quite dark, and when you put the images on a website, they look much darker than they might have in the game. Alternatively, if you have access to any kind of image-manipulation program, you can adjust the levels after the fact to make them brighter, though this can result in quality-loss, particularly if a more extreme correction is needed.
• Pay attention to your background. If at all possible, try to keep anything that does not belong in the shot out of the frame. In general, do not include your character in the screenshot. If you're taking a picture of a person for that character's NPC page, make sure his friends aren't right next to him. You can push them out of the way by walking into them if necessary.
• When taking a screenshot of an NPC, try not to just go for a straight-on shot. Move a bit to one side or the other. It looks more natural than having them staring directly forwards, and for Argonians and Khajiits, it avoids the *ahem* inappropriate positioning of their tails...
• Try to avoid bright lights such as fires or candles in the background of NPC or item shots. They will make the picture of the thing you're trying to shoot much darker.

When taking screenshots in game there are several useful Console commands that can allow you to take much better screenshots:

[edit] Morrowind

• TM (toggle menus): This turns off all floating menus on the screen. The one thing it doesn't get is the crosshairs in the center. For that, you need to go into the Options menu, under "Prefs" and turn it off.
• TGM (toggle god mode): If you are taking screenshots of enemies, this gives you much more time to take a shot without worrying about your character dying while you're doing it.
• TFOW (toggle fog of war): This removes the black fog covering un-explored areas on your map. This is useful for taking screenshots of your map screen.
• TCL (toggle clipping): This allows you to walk through walls and into the air to get camera angles you otherwise couldn't.
• changeWeather: When taking exterior screenshots, you probably want the weather to be nice and sunny. In order to use this, you need to use the following format: changeWeather "Bitter Coast Region" 0, replacing "Bitter Coast Region" with the name of the cell you're currently in.
• TAI (toggle AI): This turns off/on the behavior of all objects in the world. Creatures and people just stay around and move with the last animation they got. This is great for moving through the world looking for good shots since it allows you to capture still shots of creatures that would normally be attacking you. However, creatures look slightly boring this way. Note that scripted events still operate in this mode.

[edit] Oblivion

• tm (toggle menu): This removes all the extras shown on the screen, such as your crosshair, and the health/magicka/fatigue meters, your current weapon and spell, etc.
  • Note: the windows cursor can still show up in screenshots when the menu is toggled off, even though you can not see it on the screen. You can prevent this from happening while in you are in console mode. If you move your mouse at this point, you will see the windows cursor: move it to the far right or bottom of the screen so it is not visible. Proceed to enter tm, leave console mode, and take your screenshot.
• tfc (toggle freeflying camera): This allows you full control over the position of the camera. Now the w/s/a/d keys will move the camera; your character does not move. If you want to take pictures of your character, you probably want to be in third-person view (otherwise all you will see of your character are your arms).
  • Note: When the freeflying camera is toggled on whilst loading a new game, the game remembers the last camera position instead of centering it on your newly loaded character. This can be used to an advantage in scenes where timing is critical. First set up your camera position, and then load a savegame from right before the scene you want to capture starts.
• tgm (toggle god mode): If you are taking screenshots of enemies, this gives you much more time to take a shot without worrying about your character dying while you're doing it. If you in addition add a powerful light spell (i.e., in Oblivion addspell A9829 to add the Daylight spell), you can then cast the spell no matter what your character's available magicka or skill mastery levels are.
• fw 38eee (force weather clear): If you are taking an outside screenshot, change the weather to be a bright, sunny day, thus providing the best possible lighting conditions.
• tai (toggle AI): Completely freezes the selected character. Use this if your target is a very active character (i.e. it moves around a lot) and you want to position your camera in a right position (e.g. to get good lighting).
  • Note: When in position, quickly toggle AI on, close console, open and toggle AI off again. This will usually give the target character the time to look you in the eyes (i.e. camera), providing opportunity for a better portrait.
• tdetect (toggle AI detection): This will prevent other characters from detecting you by sight or hearing. This is useful in cases where there are enemies around and you don't want them to start chasing after you. Characters will still detect you if you activate them.
• moveto 14 (move to player): Use this to teleport the selected character (or any other object) to your current position. This will allow you to easily place objects where you want to. 14 is the player's FormID.
  • Note: Characters who's AI has been disabled with tai will not teleport until their AI has been toggled on again.
• disable: This will disable the selected object, technically removing it from the game (but it can still be re-enabled with enable). This command is very useful to get rid of undesired objects (especially characters) in your camera view.

[edit] Naming Images

There are no official rules about how to name your image, and images have been loaded using many different naming standards. The recommended naming format is: <Game>-<Category>-<name>.jpg

• Start the image name with a two letter prefix summarizing the game
  • AR for Arena
  • DF for Daggerfall
  • BS for Battlespire
  • RG for Redguard
  • MW for Morrowind
  • TR for Tribunal
  • BM for Bloodmoon
  • SK for Shadowkey (?)
  • OB for Oblivion
  • SI for Shivering Isles
• Follow the prefix with a category
  • NPC
  • Map
  • Creature
  • Quest
  • Place
  • Img
• Finish the name with a description of the image, capitalize the first letter of each word and leave out any spaces.

Examples of images following this naming format are Image:OB-Map-WellspringCave.jpg, Image:MW-Creature-CenturionSpider.jpg.

Avoid cryptic names that only you will understand; spell out words that do not have standard abbreviations. Other editors will find it much easier to use the image if they can figure out what it is from the name alone.

If you make a mistake naming your image, there is no way to rename it. The only option is to upload an image using a new name, and request deletion of the original image. Be sure to fix any links that were made using the original file name.

[edit] Improving Screenshots

Please, do not upload bmp files (as result from a screenshot). The format is not supported by web browsers, and the files are very large in size. Before uploading, you must use graphics software such as Photoshop or GIMP to convert the bmp files to a more web-friendly format; jpg is recommended for screenshots. While you are converting the file, you should also consider editing the file. For example, crop out any unnecessary parts of the image or brighten it up and enhance the contrast.

• If you are using The Gimp or Photoshop, it is useful to open a histogram window to judge the overall color quality of the picture. For uploading to the web it should look like a medium steep hill that has its peak in the horizontal middle (or a bit to the right).
• You can use image-tools like gamma-correction or color-levels to brighten up the picture (move the hill to the right).
• Finally a simple contrast tool is useful to broaden the hill, so that it covers most of the horizontal area (at least 3/5).

In general, files can be uploaded at their original resolution. Images up to 1024x768 resolution are acceptable. The wiki will automatically create smaller versions of the file for use on most wiki pages, but the original full-size image will be available for any readers who want to see all the details.

[edit] Acceptable Image Formats

• GIF: Ideal for small graphics with few colors. Limited alpha capability for transparencies. Downside is they don't scale well.
• JPG: Better for larger images. No transparency at all. Best format for screenshots and other larger images.
• PNG: Best alpha, but note that they will not work properly in all browsers. IE6, for example, does not support PNGs with alpha. (Though IE7 does.) These can be resized as well, unlike GIFs.

Other image formats are not widely supported by web browsers. BMP in particular is not a good format: BMP files are much larger than other formats, and will not be displayed on any wiki pages.

[edit] Uploading Images

Once you have an appropriate image, the next step in adding it to the wiki is uploading it. At the bottom of the left-hand menu on any wiki page, under "toolbox", is a link "Upload File". Clicking that link will pull up a window where you can browse to find the file you wish to upload. Fill in the remaining entries on the page:

• Destination Filename: Provide an appropriate wiki name for the file
• Summary: Enter enough information so that other people can identify the image. Be sure to include which game it is from.
• Licensing: Choose one of the options in the drop down menu. For screenshots, use "Graphic taken from the Elder Scrolls series" (esimage). If in doubt, select "I don't know the license"; the license information can be added later.

Hit Upload File and you're done.

If you are uploading a large number of images (for example, a set of icons), you will probably find it most convenient to use your browser's back button to return to the upload page, and just modify the page as necessary for the next file.

If you made a mistake in the summary or licensing of the image, these can be modified from the "Image:" page by clicking edit. This will pull up a standard wiki edit window. If you forgot to include a license, you can add:
== Licensing ==
{{esimage}}
to the end of this edit window (this is for a screenshot license; for other licenses replace "esimage" by the appropriate license template).

Note that UESP is not a general image-hosting server. Any non-UESP images that are uploaded will be deleted on sight.

[edit] Replacing Images

Any image can be replaced; use the link "Upload a new version of this file" on the image page. In general this is only appropriate if your new image is of significantly better quality than the existing image.

A previous problem with thumbnails not being updated when you replace an image appears to have now been fixed; see Thumbnails for information on how to fix any bad thumbnails that still exist.

Note that replacing images does not add to your edit count.

[edit] Thumbnails

On wiki pages, most images (especially larger images such as screenshots) will be shown as thumbnails. These are reduced resolution versions of the image that are automatically created by the wiki (not just scaled-down versions created by the browser after the fact). Therefore, when readers pull up a page with multiple images on it, they are not forced to download the full, high-resolution versions (which would be very inconvenient for users with slow connections). Only users who request individual images by clicking on them will see the full version.

See Adding Images to Pages for information on how to insert smaller-scale versions of images. If you are using a slow connection, and wish to make the images you download even smaller, see Viewing Images

There have been a couple of problems with thumbnails, in particular that thumbnails were not being updated when an image was modified. Hopefully the problems have now been fixed, but bad versions of thumbnails may still exist. If you notice a bad thumbnail (i.e., for whatever reason the thumbnail does not look like the full-sized version of the image), the thumbnails can be regenerated by purging the image. To purge an image, click on "edit" on the image's page, then in the URL replace "edit" by "purge" and hit enter.

[edit] Adding Images to Pages

To add an image to a page, you need to use the [[Image:]] tag. At its most basic, this mean inserting the text:
[[Image:filename.jpg]]
where you would replace "filename.jpg" with whatever name you chose for your file when uploading it. This will insert the image right into the line of text. So, for example [[Image:Daedric O.png]] produces a full-size image that becomes part of the paragraph. (In all of the examples in this section, bold text is used to emphasize the commands used to produce any displayed images.)

For any other images other than icons, you probably do not want to include the full size image on the wiki page. In general, images such as screenshots should be shown at sizes of 150px to 300px in size. 150px is usually appropriate if there are multiple images on a page; 300px is more common if there is a single important image.

The simplest way to change the size of an image is to add the desired width to the Image tag. So [[Image:Daedric O.png|10px]] produces . Note that you are only allowed to reduce the size of an image, not enlarge it. Also, the images shown so far have been inline images that are placed in the middle of a line of text. More commonly, you will want your image shown at the side of the page, with the rest of the text wrapping around it. That is accomplished by adding a position to the Image tag. For example, [[Image:Daedric O.png|right]] would place the image to the right of the paragraph.

You can also specify the height of an image rather than the width, but this is more difficult. You must first specify a width that you are sure will be higher than it should be, then follow it by an 'x' and the desired value for the height. E.g.: [[Image:Daedric O.png|500x20px]] produces . The '500' value in this case is arbitrary, and can be any number that is higher than the resulting width will be. Using this syntax, you can specify both the maximum width and height for a whole set of images in order to standardize a set of images with varying aspect ratios. (Useful when used in a template, for example, when the shape of the images used with the template are are not all the same.)

However, this simple command is only appropriate for icons and small images, because it does not actually create a thumbnail version of the image. For any larger image, you want to specify "|thumb" or "|thumbnail" in order to ensure that the wiki generates a reduced-size version of the image. For example, [[Image:Azuras Star.jpg|thumb|100px]] produces the image at the right.

In general the "|100px" part of the command is not needed when doing thumbnails; the thumbnail will default to the reader's preferred thumbnail size (180 px for readers who have not set a preference).

Thumbnail images are by default positioned on the right hand side of the page, as evident with the example in the previous paragraph. If you want the image at the top of the paragraph, you would put the Image tag at the start of the paragraph. Thumbnails always default to the right side of the page. If you want a thumbnail to appear on the left or in the middle, use the following format: [[Image:Azuras Star.jpg|left|thumb]]. Replace "|left" with "|center" or "|centre" to place it in the middle. (Sometimes you will see a thumbnail with the "|right" command specified. This does not actually do anything, as thumbnails are always on the right unless told otherwise.) One final placement option is "|none" which overrides the default right-alignment and places the thumbnail at that location without "floating" the image or wrapping text around it.

Subsequent paragraphs will continue to wrap around the image that you have inserted. Often, this is what is desired. At other times, the wrapping can become somewhat messy. In particular, if you insert multiple images and they overlap you may not end up with the desired effect. To force the rest of the page to start below the image you have inserted, you can insert the code {{NewLine}}.

It is generally recommended that you provide a description of your image. This is accomplished by adding the description to the end of your tag. So the complete version of the image command, used to create the image shown at the left hand side of this paragraph, is: [[Image:Azuras Star.jpg|left|thumb|The Daedric artifact Azura's Star]]. (Note that if you do not include the "|thumb" in this command, you will not see the caption; the text will only be shown if you hover over the image.)

When you are adding images it is highly recommended that you use the Show preview button before saving the page. This is in general good practice when editing wiki pages, but becomes more important when you start adding more complicated commands such as images.

With the latest wiki software upgrade a new set of vertical alignment options have become available:

• "|baseline":
• "|sub":
• "|super":
• "|top":
• "|text-top":
• "|middle":
• "|bottom":
• "|text-bottom":

See also: Wikimedia's page on images

[edit] Multiple Thumbnails

Using multiple thumbnails is a simple matter of writing them one after another. They will appear in the order written, from the outside in, in either the left or right directions.

An example of right-aligned multiple thumbs.

You can also have thumbs on either side by making some "left" and the others not. In either case, they will go from the outside in.

[edit]

There are some pages that include templates that automatically insert images with all of the correct formatting. In particular, quest pages have been set up with a "Quest Header" template that provides a standard look for the summary information on each quest page. In these "Quest Header" templates, you do not need to provide a complete [[Image:]] tag. Instead you can just add "|Image=filename.jpg" and "|ImgDesc=A description of the image". See Escape From Prison for an example.

[edit] Linkable Images

Creating a link from an image is slightly more complicated, but the site has a special template to make it easier. The format is as follows:

{{Navimg|xsize=WIDTH|ysize=HEIGHT|image=FILENAME|link=DESTINATION|title=ALT}}

The WIDTH and HEIGHT parameters are NOT optional - you will need to specify them in order for the linkable image to appear. You can also use these to reduce (but not expand) the size of the image. The FILENAME parameter is the whole name of the image, including file extension. The DESTINATION parameter is the link - including namespace. You do not need to use [[]] symbols around the text as you would in normal links. The ALT parameter is the alternate-text that shows up in the tooltip when you roll your mouse over the image.

Example:

{{Navimg|xsize=64|ysize=64|image=O-Burden.gif|link=Oblivion:Burden|title=Burden}}

   

[edit] Viewing Images

If you have a wiki account, you can specify preferences for the image sizes on wiki pages; this is particularly useful if you have a slow web connection. Under "my preferences" (at the top of the page) under "Files" you will see the following options:

The first option limits the size of images shown when you pull up an Image page, i.e., if you were to follow this link: Image:Azuras Star.jpg. Any images larger than the specified size will be automatically thumbnailed. If you want to see the full-size image, you must then click on the image itself, and it will then download the image alone into the browser window. The second option, "Thumbnail size" provides the default size for thumbnails on all other wiki pages; any thumbnails without a specified size, or with a size larger than your preference, will be reduced to your specified size.

[edit] Additional Help

If you have questions which are not covered on this page, feel free to ask one of our site's resident Artists for more hands-on assistance.

[edit] External Links

• The GIMP – A free, open-sourced image editor for those without the budget to purchase a professional package like Photoshop.
• Paint.NET - A free .Net based image editor for Windows XP or Vista.