Media Gallery

SatNavSaysStraightOn

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You may have noticed that the media gallery has been getting an overhaul recently.
In order to save space and stop repeated uploads of the same image, I have been working to make the media gallery more useable and whilst there are still some issues (including a rather inconvenient bug which has been reported, confirmed as a bug and we are awaiting a new release with it resolved in it) I am keen to start to make sure members use the media gallery rather than uploading directly into a thread.

I have matched the media gallery structure to the forum structure which a couple of exceptions (Restaurant Food Images and What did you eat or drink today?). Food as a category has gone - but the images remain and can be found under Miscellaneous Cooking Images.

How to use it? I will write up explicit instructions in the near future, but there are a few more pressing issues at the moment.

Basics: I anticipate it being used exactly the same way as the forum discussion structure is presently.

Currently you create a new thread when you want to post a recipe. So for the images, just go to exactly the same place you plan to make the thread but in the images structure, and make a new album with the same name for ease. This is most easily done by clicking on the Media link in the green toolbar, navigate to where you want to create your album and clicking the Create Album or Add Media button (this second option will ask you where you want to add media to). It will recognise when you are in a container that must have an album made in it, and tell you to name your new album (match it to your recipe or thread), and then add the images and name them as well (note that if you don't change the "Title" of each image, it will show by default as the "filename.jpg") and save. A quick and simple method of dealing with this is simply to give them the same title as the album/recipe and a numeral after to keep track of the order. I'll add some images on how to do this soon - I don't have any images to upload today, I've done them all, so I'll do some more tomorrow.
  • So if I was making a recipe that fell into the Bread Making, Baking and Cakes forum and was called "Recipe - Vegan Crumpet (3)", I would just go to the same Bread Making, Baking and Cakes images container and make an album with the same name "Recipe - Vegan Crumpet (3)". I would add my images at the same time as making the album and name them. I can tag them as well if I want to.
  • I would then go to the normal discussion forum called Bread Making, Baking and Cakes and start a new thread, calling it "Recipe - Vegan Crumpet (3)". I would write it up as normal except for one small change. Instead of uploading the images using the file upload button, I would use the Gallery Embed button which is next to the Link button on the toolbar above the text box. I would tell it I wanted my images and it would show me all of my latest images. I would just click on each one I need, where I want it to be shown and the image will link back to the media gallery each and every time you use that single image. So you could easily put it into 3 or 4 threads and only upload it the once. (This saves vital resources for CB and helps keep us where we are located at present.) It allows other members to view the EXIF information, and rate or comment on your image. It also means that you have all of your images in one place, (the Your Albums option will filter all of your albums anywhere in the media gallery - whether in the 'public gallery' or in your "personal albums" which I hope can be used for non-food related images such as the Your Photos thread, an equivalent of the café area.
If you want to add an image to an existing album and you created that album, just navigate directly to that album and you can upload images directly into that album from there. So if you have an album in "What did you eat or drink today?" navigate to your album, if you haven't then just go to the container. You'll see that I have 2 albums in that container "SNSSO's What Did I Cook Today?" and "SNSSO's Breakfast Shots" both of which I have named to indicate that they are mine for easy finding. Once in these albums, I will get an Upload Media button and my image(s) will go directly to that album.

I'll add some pictures tomorrow to make things clearer but the more you use it, the easier it becomes.

In time, file upload sizes (Mb) and dimensions (pixels x pixels) will be reduced for direct file uploads and higher quality, larger file sizes permitted only in the media gallery which will display in a thread at full size to reduce the number of images uploaded multiple times, so I would ask that you aim to get your head around it sooner rather than later please.
 
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