Commons:Graphics village pump/January 2010

Link to image rather than image - Meadows Frisky Logo

I can't figure out why this is only showing a link to the image rather than the image itself? Mighty Antar (talk) 13:48, 30 January 2010 (UTC)

It's because the SVG makes a reference to an external file on your local hard drive file:///C:/Users/M%20Parker/Pictures/Frisky/Logo1.bmp. Don't feel like re-uploading with the <image tag removed, because the copyright status seems unclear... -- AnonMoos (talk) 15:05, 30 January 2010 (UTC)

New SVG upload doesn't change file

I'm trying to upload a newer version of File:USMinimumWage.svg. Nothing happened, and so I tried to upload the file again. The second revision suddenly appeared correctly, however the file I just uploaded remained identical to the older version. I tried reverting back to the second version, and now both revisions I just uploaded appeared correctly, however the newest version was identical to the oldest one! What in the world is going on? Guy0307 (talk) 05:26, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

When the image display is not updated right after you upload a new version of a file, it's usually a caching problem (where the caching can occur in various places between and including the Wikimedia servers and your computer's local hard drive). There are various tricks that can be tried, like adding "?action=purge" to the URL, and clearing your browser's cache. I see Kansas as blue when I follow the above link... AnonMoos (talk) 07:21, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

Problem with SVGs

Several months ago I posted a question on SVG files where the font makes the text go all weird. (Here's the link). I've also checked the archives and found many similar problems although there hasn't been a workaround or anything. Can anyone help?

I'm using Inkscape, and the file concerned is File:Hong_Kong_Railway_Future_Route_Map_en.svg.--Leolisa1997 (talk) 10:43, 11 January 2010 (UTC)

The only somewhat general fix seems to be rendering text to vector paths. For another location for complaints, see meta:Talk:SVG_fonts ; however, really serious bug fix requests are supposed to go on http://bugzilla.wikimedia.org/ ... AnonMoos (talk) 15:36, 11 January 2010 (UTC)

Here is what I see on my Windows Vista: both the 10 August 2009 and the 11 January 2011 versions appear mostly correct in Opera 10.10 at all zoom sizes (there is a very minor error at the smallest zoom). However I had set my Opera preferences to set normal text to Times New Roman, which it correctly displays. When I change Opera's preferences to Lucida Sans, the font renders too wide. With Arial SVGs render better but still slightly too wide. Arial narrow rendered too narrow!

The same happens with Firefox 3.5.7: with Firefox preferences for Fonts/Advanced set as "Fonts for Western" Proportional:Sans Serif and Serif:Arial, the SVG files render mostly correct. If I change Firefox preferences to Proportional:Serif then it renders badly.

Regardless of browser or browser font settings, the PNG delivered by mediawiki is wrong and appears to use a Sans Serif font that is too large and so overflows whatever boxes it appears in.

Inkscape tells me all the text is "Sans" with various pixel sizes: 29.26px for the top header, 10.42px for the legend and 9.74px for the town names and bottom text. When I changed all the text to paths, the file size nearly tripled, so that is a poor workaround.::

However, I have just seen advice at meta:Talk:SVG fonts#Non-supported font with fewest problems to try Deja Sans: I will now try that and report back here. -84user (talk) 17:28, 11 January 2010 (UTC)

I have just installed Deja Sans font and now Inkscape is able to use it as an alternative to the non-compatible fonts. Leolisa1997, I tried to change the fonts in your uploaded SVG files, but only managed the top header and some legend text and town text because some appear to be already paths, for example "Legend" down to "Light Rail" and various rectangular areas. Can you check your original SVG and somehow return them to normal font text objects? Otherwise the only solution left is to convert all the remaining text to paths, which greatly increases file size. -84user (talk) 17:49, 11 January 2010 (UTC)

I understand the text problem, so I think it's better if I change the original SVG in Inkscape otherwise the text goes all messy, since some of the text is in one text box while others are in individual text boxes. Will try Deja Sans font soon, when my Inkscape runs again.Leolisa1997 (talk) 10:53, 22 January 2010 (UTC)

Request for a logo

Wikimedia UK, the UK chapter, is organising an event called Britan Loves Wikipedia. Britain Loves Wikipedia is a cultural event bring organised in partnership between Wikimedia UK, the Collections Trust and the MLA (Museums, Libraries, Archives Partnership) starting on January 31 which will encourage members of the public to visit certain participating museums around the UK and photograph certain exhibits and make those photos available for use on Wikipedia, and other projects, through Wikimedia Commons. There will then be various prizes given out based on the pictures people produce. For this event, we need a logo. While we are getting quotes to have a professionally produced logo made, we would much prefer one produced by a member of the community. The community has produced excellent logos in the past and we are sure it will be able to provide us with one that is just as professional looking as what we could get by paying an enormous amount for it. If you would like to have a go, the brief is as follows:

• The logo must include the words ‘Britain Loves Wikipedia’
• The logo does not necessarily need to feature the Wikipedia globe
• The logo must work in black and white and colour
• The logo must not be year-specific

Unfortunately we have very limited time so deadlines for this project are as follows:

• Expression of Interest (and, ideally, a first draft of your idea or ideas) - 12:00 midday UTC Thursday, January 21 2010
• Final Logo 23:59 UTC Sunday, January 24 2010

We understand that that doesn't give you much time, and we're sorry we didn't organise this sooner. Hopefully a few people can knock something up in that time! If you want to have a go, please let us know here. Thanks!

-- The Wikimedia UK Board

Posted by Seddon (talk) (WMUK Director) @ 15:40, 20 January 2010 (UTC)

New Canon DSLR

I'm learning a new DSLR camera and wondering about these pictures. What settings could have been changed to make them suitable for COM:QI?...

• 
  Too light? Background too bright? Too far away?
• 
  Too dark?
• 
  Too little contrast?
• 
  Too much backlight?
• 
  Too blurry when you zoom in?

Thanks for any suggestions. Wknight94 ^talk 01:22, 23 January 2010 (UTC)

Don't want to discourage you, but these are more technical camera/photography/hardware questions than image questions as such... AnonMoos (talk) 02:54, 23 January 2010 (UTC)

So, where's the forum on better Wikiphotography? Jim.henderson (talk) 05:08, 23 January 2010 (UTC)

Well, someone may come along here and answer your questions (in spite of what I said), but your questions are not really specific to Commons or Wikipedia, so you may have better luck at a general photography forum website, or at a forum devoted to your particular make of camera... AnonMoos (talk) 14:56, 23 January 2010 (UTC)

Something tells me I'd find out if I just brought them to COM:QI. Maybe I'll do that then. Wknight94 ^talk 15:16, 23 January 2010 (UTC)

Commons:Photography critiques is probably the best forum. A few general comments, though:

• The main issue seems to be that you have both underexposure and overexposure in the same shot, indicating an insufficient dynamic range. Nikon has a system for effectively boosting dynamic range, called Active D-Lighting. If Canon has something similar, consider using it. Otherwise, use raw mode for situations like these.
• You used spot metering for several of the shots with light problems. Spot metering is fine, but a bit tricky to get right. If you're not comfortable with it, get more practice or use something like matrix metering, which is usually simpler.
• Try to find angles where you're not shooting against the light, as in the first shot. Consumer grade zoom lenses in particular are very prone to chromatic aberrations in these situations. For when you don't have a choice of angles, get to know your lens and learn which focal lengths are most likely to cause problems.
• Flashes are not just for making indoor party photos look like morgue shots. Get a good flash with a high guide number and use it to lighten up dark areas in high-contrast outdoors situations.
• Get a circular polarizer filter. It'll tame harsh daylight and cut down on glare from water and foliage. It might have made the sky in the first shot blue rather than mint green.

Good luck! —LX (talk, contribs) 16:41, 23 January 2010 (UTC)

Okay, great tips for me to research! Thank you! Wknight94 ^talk 03:15, 24 January 2010 (UTC)