User:Bexor/Helping Out

Overview
I added this page to keep track of things I am interested in helping with. Hopefully if anyone reads this they will find the links or information contained herein helpful too.

I am most interested in upgrading screen captured images that are currently on GuildWiki. I know my way around Photoshop and understand different file types, so if you need help with image projects, please leave a note on my talk page. :)

Tips and hints

 * Be consistant.
 * When you create an article, you can use the following template to avoid retyping the page name multiple times: . This is especially useful when naming the main image to be included on the page. It avoids naming discrepancies between articles and their corresponding images.


 * Understand wiki code.
 * Did you know a space will automatically be generated into an underscore? Once you edit a few things you'll begin to understand the way everything works. :)


 * Sign your comments on talk pages!
 * Just add the following to the end of your comment: . There is no need to sign articles, as credit will be kept in the page history.


 * Research.
 * Read the help guides and familiarise yourself with templates and other helpful tools.


 * Preview your edits.
 * Make sure everything looks the way it ought to before you press "Save page".


 * Minor edit.
 * If you edit your user page or talk page (or anyone else's for that matter), remember to select "This is a minor edit" before you save the page. This helps to reduce the number of edits on the recent changes page.


 * Ask for help.
 * Most users are willing to help if you have a question you can't find the answer to. Let me know if you have a problem - maybe I can help. And there is a list of admins you can contact if need be.

Image capturing tips

 * Remember when screen capturing monsters and NPCs to not have the creature selected. This will eliminate the unsightly health bar and target ring.
 * When you take pictures of fine details, it is often best to have Post Process effects turned off.
 * Crop the image to focus solely on the subject.
 * If you are using Photoshop, use the "Save for web" function (ctrl + alt + shift + s). Jpgs saved using this option are often better compressed and smaller in size than just using "Save as".
 * Use lower case in file extensions, i.e. .jpg rather than .JPG
 * Use the same name as the article (for instance the image corresponding to an article called "Mister_Fisher" should be named "Mister_Fisher.jpg").
 * While the following is not a rule, it is something many of my fellow image junkies here hope to have as a norm. If you are taking a picture of a weapon, travel to the Battle Isles and zone into Isle of the Nameless (though Kryta may work as well). Head out to the beach and take your clothes off, making sure the only item you hold is the one required for the image. I find the northern beach has the best lighting unless the weapon has fine details that may be blurred out by high light reflections. This should produce an image of this quality: Image:Dunshek's Purifier.jpg. Note that because the character isn't wearing armor, the view of the weapon is unobscured and the relatively solid background makes it easier to see. Plus the light isn't particularly tinted so the weapon colour is uncontaminated. Credits to User:Aratak for this technique.

Common mistakes
These are some of the common mistakes I see users making (new and old - and I am guilty of some of them too).
 * Not knowing where their article belongs. For instance articles that should be under your namespace (i.e. recommendations on how to do certain things). Learn about categories and browse around to learn the way things are done.
 * Not using formatting templates. They are there for a reason! This means articles that have one paragraph of vague information with no subheadings or images.
 * Not adding a stub. So not adding the template to let people know the article isn't complete or needs checking.
 * Misnaming images. I've done this one! Make sure your images match the page name (so "Victo's_Axe.jpg" instead of "Victosaxe.JPG")or if they depict something else (like a location map) they are descriptive ("Victo_Location.jpg"). And remember if you have a better image that it's fine to overwrite the existing one, using the same filename.
 * Uploading weapon images that show more of the users character (and zomg FOW/15k armor) than the weapon itself. The article is about the weapon, not your character. You can put a picture of them on your talk page.
 * Images of monsters and NPCs with the target ring/health bar above their head. Target yourself before you take a screenie.

Don't feel discouraged
When my first mistake was pointed out to me I felt embarassed and didn't want to edit again for fear of messing anything else up. Don't give up! Everyone makes mistakes. Every shy newbie that messes up has the potential to become a real bonafide wiki-slave if they just keep at it.

Images
If you would like to help with an article, please check Special:Wantedpages for a list of articles that are needed, or Category:Stubs to see the list complete of currently incomplete articles.

Images that need improvement

 * Throne of Secrets
 * Image:Keeper_of_Armor.jpg (health bar and target ring)
 * Image:Keeper_of_Arms.jpg (health bar and target ring)
 * Image:Keeper_of_Shadows.jpg (health bar and target ring)
 * Image:Keeper of Steel.jpg (health bar and target ring)
 * Image:Keeper of the Elements.jpg (health bar and target ring)
 * Image:Keeper of Nature.jpg (health bar and target ring)
 * Image:Keeper of Light.jpg (health bar and target ring)
 * Image:Keeper of Bone.jpg (health bar and target ring)
 * Image:Keeper of Spirits.jpg (health bar and target ring)
 * Image:Keeper of Illusion.jpg (health bar and target ring)
 * Image:Keeper of the Scythe.jpg (health bar and target ring)
 * Image:Keeper of the Spear.jpg (health bar and target ring)
 * Image:Volatiss.jpg (health bar and target ring)

Articles
If you would like to help with an article, please check Special:Wantedpages for a list of articles that are needed, or Category:Stubs to see the list complete of currently incomplete articles.

Personal

 * Finish progress bar in sandbox