Editing Dragon Age Wiki:Image guidelines

{{Guideline|DA:IMAGE}}
{{Policies}}

All users are encouraged to follow these '''image guidelines''' regarding the use of images.

== Uploading images ==
Before hitting the Upload button, make sure you've done the following:

# The image is related to Dragon Age but is not fan art.
# If the image file on your computer has a meaningless name like "12345.jpg", use the "Destination filename" box to write in a clear, descriptive title that will make it easy for viewers to know what the image depicts.
# Use the "Summary" box to write a brief summary of what the image depicts and where you discovered it (if applicable).
# Use the "Summary" box to add appropriate categories (see [[:Category:Images]] for available image categories).
# Click on the licensing box and select the appropriate license.
# Now you're ready to upload!

If you forget to add the summary, license, or category before you upload, it's not too late. Once you've uploaded it an edit button will appear next to the image title. Hit the edit button and use wikitext to add whatever you might have missed. However, images can only be renamed by admins, so it's important to get that right before you upload. 

{{Note|Be aware that files without a license may be deleted to avoid [[wikipedia:Fair use|Fair Use]] violations.}}

== General rules ==
* Avoid taking a picture with the user interface on, unless it is to prove a point. Press "V" on your keyboard to hide it before taking a screenshot.
* Please make sure that images have high resolution and reasonably illustrate the subject in question.
* If you find a page where there are more images than there is text, consider removing less informative pictures, or making a gallery. If you have the option, consider uploading your file in PNG format.

=== Reuploading pictures ===
Unless there is a significant problem with a picture (such as poor resolution or lighting), we encourage people not to change pictures. This is because there can be many different opinions about what looks good which can lead to multiple changes with no improvement. Essentially, when it comes to pictures, "if it ain't broke don't fix it".

* Before uploading an image please check to make sure it doesn't already exist in the wiki.
* If it does, but you believe your version is better, click on the "Upload a new version of this file" option in the file's page, below the file history.
* If it is a different picture, upload your image as a completely different file instead, by using [[Special:Upload]].

== Article images ==
* Images should be of good quality. You may tag the file with {{t|cleanup}}, or tag the article where the picture is used with {{t|pictures wanted}}
* Images should never include parts of the UI (HUD, crosshair) unless the purpose of the given image is to illustrate the UI itself.
* Images should have a descriptive name related to their purpose (similar name of a weapon if the image is for that weapon etc.)
* Images considered "Fan Art" should not be added to articles.
* Images should preferably be of an unmodded game. 
* Article images violating any of these rules are subjected for deletion.

== User page images ==
* Only 10 user page images are allowed per user. If you wish to free up your "image slots", you need to mark your old images with the <nowiki>{{delete}}</nowiki> tag.
* The user page images you have uploaded should be categorized under the "[[:Category:User images|User images]]" category in order to avoid confusion with images used in articles.
* Any image used in your signature is considered a user page image.
* Fan art is allowed on a user's personal talk page, but only if created by the user themselves or with explicit permission of the original artist (e.g. commissioned art).

== Forum, blog, and talk page images ==
* Any image used on a discussion page must be related to the topic of the forum, blog, or talk page.
* Forum and talk page images violating any of these rules are subjected for deletion.

== Character infobox pictures ==
Since the images used in infoboxes are particularly important, they should be chosen to '''best represent the subject of the article'''. In case of non-player characters, portraits centered on the face are generally preferred over full-body snapshots. Wherever possible, infobox images should be taken from cutscenes, as they generally provide higher quality images and a tighter focus on a character's face. However, if a cutscene only provides a poor quality image, an image that comes from an alternate source is perfectly acceptable.

If an article subject's appearance changes significantly between installments of the ''Dragon Age'' series, the infobox should include all versions. This is done via [[w:c:community:Thread:935527|infobox galleries]], which place individual images in named tabs within the infobox (see, for example, the infoboxes for [[Leliana]], [[Morrigan]], [[Zevran Arainai]], and [[Delilah Howe]]). Tabs should be listed in chronological order and named after the respective installment. However, if a subject's appearance in an installment is conditional, i.e. depends on player choice in the previous games, no picture from that installment should be added to the infobox.

Following boilerplate can be used as template:

<pre><nowiki>
|image           = <gallery>
Imagename1.jpg|Origins
Imagename1a.jpg|Awakening
Imagename2.jpg|Dragon Age II
Imagename3.jpg|Inquisition
</gallery>
</nowiki></pre>

== Player character ==
Apart from pages dedicated to central characters (such as [[Hawke]] and [[the Warden]]) and images officially released by [[BioWare]], '''the wiki does not use images of individual player characters'''. However, there are exceptions to when they can be featured, such as showing an armor or weapon.

=== Hawke's family ===
In ''Dragon Age II'', Hawke's family may appear differently depending on the player character's appearance. Pictures for [[Bethany]], [[Carver]], [[Leandra]] and [[Gamlen]] should be portrayed with their default presets to avoid confusion and to keep it consistent.

== Item sets ==
It is extremely difficult to take a picture of an armor set without taking the player character's face on it, as some of them are restricted to them. As such, a player character can be featured when taking pictures for showing the armor.

For item sets in ''Dragon Age II'', the default Hawke is best used. On the issue on female versus male, this is going to be at the discretion of the uploader. If a customized character is used, it should ideally be replaced with the male or female default Hawke.

== Equipment images ==
To help with consistency, the wiki has several guidelines about how armor and weapon images should be composed.

{{Note|As the equipment guidelines were implemented after the release of the first two ''Dragon Age'' games, existing weapon images are not expected to adhere to this standard.}}
*'''Gloves:''' As there can be differences between the left and right gloves, glove images should show a front and side view of both the left and right gloves. See [[:File:DA2 Alchemist's Protective Handguards - medium gloves (act 1).jpg|Alchemist's Protective Handguards]] for an example.

*'''Weapons:''' Weapon images should be taken from within the inventory or crafting menu and the image should be as close as possible to show detail. Any additional details (such as the pommel) can be added as an insert. See [[:File:Dragon's Breath.png|Dragon' Breath]] for an example. 

== Galleries ==
Images which cannot be used elsewhere in the article can be featured in a "Gallery" section on the article. Generally an article should have no more than 12 images in its gallery.

'''There should not be multiple images to prove the same point'''. For example, the article on [[Sebastian Vael]] previously displayed several pictures of him attacking enemies in a similar stance. However, only one or two pictures suffice. Even though some of these images were released by BioWare, it does not mean they should all be used on the wiki.

'''Concept art''' should generally be featured in the gallery.

== "Blank" images ==
In some cases, images taken with the game's screenshot feature may not be uploaded properly: it will appear as a white thumbnail. You may have to use a third-party software to take the picture, or resave the image with a third-party software such as Photoshop or GIMP.

== Deletion of images ==
If a picture is not used at all for a lengthy period of time (more than one month), [[DA:ADMIN|administrators]] may delete the picture for maintenance.

==See also==
*[[User blog:D-day/Taking better screenshots|Taking better screenshots]]

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