Help:Editing manual: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 16:42, 25 September 2024

BG3Wiki is a collaborative, living project created and maintained by community volunteers. Don't be afraid to contribute – anyone can edit and contribute to BG3Wiki, no sign-up necessary! Proceed to Editing basics when you're ready.

Introduction to editing[edit | edit source]

Creating an account[edit | edit source]

Creating an account is an optional but recommended step. Once your account has a few edits, you won't need to solve CAPTCHA anymore. Editing using an account attributes wiki edits to your account. You can edit pages without an account, but your IP address will be publicly logged.

Sandboxes[edit | edit source]

Click Here to create your personal sandbox page. You can use this to learn how to edit, or simply to experiment. You are free to edit this page as much as you wish, it is disconnected from the rest of the wiki.

Join the Discord server[edit | edit source]

We recommend you join the bg3.wiki Discord to discuss wiki editing with other contributors. This is completely optional, but be aware many decisions are taken during live discussions, even though we recommend the use of the Discussion page for most content articles.

Policies and guidelines[edit | edit source]

BG3Wiki only has a few simple content rules. In addition to these, we also have an Editing policy and a Style manual, both with principles and practices that the wiki strives to adhere to. Reading these is not required to edit the wiki.

Editing policy: A set of guidelines and principles to follow when editing the wiki.
Style manual: The style and formatting guidelines for articles and files. If you're unsure about grammar, format or capitalisation, you can look it up here!
Verification: BG3Wiki relies on verification to ensure readers can know where in the game information on the wiki comes from.

Other namespaces[edit | edit source]

There are other types of pages that use different guidelines and principles than the rest of the wiki.

Guides[edit | edit source]

The Guide namespace is where users can create and edit guides on BG3Wiki.

To create a Guide, simply start an article name with Guide:. For example, Guide:How to use torches.

Modding[edit | edit source]

The Modding namespaces is all about modding, such as how to create and use mods.

To create a Modding page, simply start an article name with Modding:. For example, Modding:How to use mods.

Additional resources[edit | edit source]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{NavWiki}}
+{{PageSeo
-[[File:bg3wiki_help.png|thumb|right|Illithid wisdom sent you here...]]
+| image = bg3wiki_help.png
+| description = A brief guide on how to contribute to the Baldur's Gate 3 Community Wiki
-'''BG3Wiki''' is a community volunteer effort.
+}}
+{{NavWiki|help}}
-Everything here is written and maintained by fans of the game. Anyone can edit and contribute to BG3Wiki, no sign-up necessary!
+BG3Wiki is a collaborative, living project created and maintained by community volunteers.
+Don't be afraid to contribute – anyone can edit and contribute to BG3Wiki, no sign-up necessary! Proceed to [[Help:Editing basics|Editing basics]] when you're ready.
-This page will help you get started on contributing to the wiki. If you're interested in diving deeper into a particular topic, check out the various [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Contents MediaWiki help pages] available online.
+__NOTOC__
+== Introduction to editing ==
-An [[Help:Editing Policy|Editing Policy]] and a [[Help: Style Guide|Style Guide]] are also available. Reading any policies or guidelines is '''not required''' to edit BG3Wiki, but it may prove helpful.
+==== Creating an account ====
+[[Special:CreateAccount|Creating an account]] is an optional but recommended step. '''Once your account has a few edits, you won't need to solve CAPTCHA anymore.''' Editing using an account attributes wiki edits to your account. You can edit pages without an account, but your IP address will be publicly logged.
-== Creating an account ==
-[[Special:CreateAccount|Creating an account]] is an optional step that allows you to customize your wiki settings and attributes wiki edits to your account. You can edit pages without an account, but your IP address will be publicly logged.
-== Working with pages ==
-{{hatnote|See [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Contents MediaWiki Help:Contents] for overall MediaWiki help, or [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Formatting MediaWiki Help:Formatting] for detailed help with MediaWiki markup.}}
-=== First-time editors ===
-If you are anxious about editing a wiki for the first time, don't be. Contributions are always welcome, and you're encouraged to add any missing information. A wiki page is designed to be a malleable document that can easily be edited and corrected, and usually should be. Any mistakes can be corrected by another editor.
-If you want guidance on best practices, you may at any time consult the [[Help:Editing Policy|Editing Policy]] or the [[Help:Style Guide|Style Guide]], but this is not required to get started!
-If you are unsure about your edit for any reason, you can leave a relevant comment on the talk page, via the 'Discussion' tab at the top of any page you are editing, or ask for guidance in the wiki Discord server.
-=== Create a new page ===
-[[File:edit_visual_or_source.png|right|thumb|Visual Editor and Source Editor buttons]]
-[[File:switch_visual_or_source.png|right|thumb|Switching between editor types]]
-To create a new page, either click on a broken (red) link or use your browser to type the URL of a page that doesn't yet exist (for example, https://bg3.wiki/wiki/Some_Page_That_Does_Not_Exist). If you're not automatically taken to the editor, click either '''Edit''' (to open the Visual Editor) or '''Edit source''' (to open the Source Editor).
-* The Visual Editor is helpful for contributors who are new or not yet familiar with [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Formatting wiki markup], but it doesn't allow you to directly manipulate wiki markup.
-* The Source Editor is more powerful and flexible, but requires at least a basic understanding of wiki markup.
-=== Edit an existing page ===
-To edit an existing page, click either '''Edit''' (opens Visual Editor) or '''Edit source''' (opens Source Editor) above the page. Within either editor view, you can switch between the Visual Editor and the Source Editor at any time via the upper-right menu button.
-When you've finished editing, feel free to add a brief '''Summary''' of your changes and click the '''Save changes''' button!
-{{clear}}
-=== Page history ===
-Click the '''View history''' button above a page to see a history of edits performed on that page. Each line describes a revision of the page, including date/time, the contributor who made that edit, and (ideally) the reason for the edit. This can be helpful if you're not sure why an edit was made.
-Remember: The wiki is a living project, and wiki editing is a collaborative effort! Be prepared for your contributions to be tweaked, copyedited, or deleted.
-== Finding wiki content ==
-=== Bypassing google search ===
-See [[:Help:Searching for BG3Wiki]] for browser-specific instructions on how to more quickly and easily find wiki pages at any time.
-=== Using the search feature ===
-[[File:multimedia_search.png|right|thumb|Use the Multimedia option to search for images]]
-The built-in [[Special:Search|Search]] function is also very powerful. You can use it to find pages, images, categories, templates, and more.
-* By default, Search results will only include content pages.
-* Use the '''Multimedia''' option to search for images.
-* Use the '''Everything''' option for a quick-and-dirty way to look through all possible results for your search term.
-* Use the '''Advanced''' option to filter your search to specific [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Namespaces namespaces], like Category or Template.
-{{clear}}
-=== Categories ===
-[[File:category_example.png|right|thumb|Example of a Category]]
-'''[[Special:Categories|Category]]''' pages list all the pages within that Category.
-==== Browsing categories ====
-The '''Everything''' search option includes Categories in the search results. You can also find them on the [[Special:Categories]] page. Categories can prove useful when looking for a specific image or page, particularly when you don't know the exact name of the thing you're looking for.
-==== Adding a page to a category ====
-[[File:visual_editor_categories.png|right|thumb|Adding Categories in the Visual Editor]]
-Some templates will automatically add the correct category to the page it is used on. However, in some cases, you'll want to manually add pages to additional categories.
-To add a page to a category:
-* When using the Visual Editor, you can add a page to a category by clicking on the upper-right menu and selecting '''Categories'''. Start typing a category name in the provided box, and the editor will suggest autocomplete options for the category, if any exist.
-* When using the Source Editor, use the markup {{code|<nowiki>[[</nowiki>Category:<em>Name of category here</em><nowiki>]]</nowiki>}} at the bottom of the page. You can repeat this as many times as needed for additional Categories.
-{{clear}}
-=== How to upload files and images ===
+==== Sandboxes ====
-[[File:upload_file.png|right|thumb|Uploading a file]]
+[[Special:MyPage/Sandbox|Click Here]] to create your personal sandbox page. You can use this to learn how to edit, or simply to experiment. You are free to edit this page as much as you wish, it is disconnected from the rest of the wiki.
-You can upload an image from your computer using the [[Special:Upload|Upload File]] function from the left-hand navigation toolbar.
-Some guidelines to keep in mind when uploading images:
+==== Join the Discord server ====
-* '''Licensing:''' Follow the wiki's [[BG3Wiki: Copyrights|copyright policy]].
+We recommend you join the [https://discord.gg/EYNTAQXaNs bg3.wiki Discord] to discuss wiki editing with other contributors. This is completely optional, but be aware many decisions are taken during live discussions, even though we recommend the use of the Discussion page for most content articles.
-* Consult the [[Help:Style Guide#Media|Style Guide]] to ensure your images are of the correct format.
-* '''Compression:''' It's recommended to compress large files, both to conserve space and to improve page loading times for wiki readers.
-{{clear}}
-* '''Categories:''' Edit an image to add it to one or more categories. This can greatly help other contributors find the image in the future.
-====How to remove black backgrounds====
+== Policies and guidelines ==
-[[File:Removebg.webp|right|thumb|How to use Remove.bg website]]
+BG3Wiki only has a few simple [[bg3wiki:Content rules|content rules]]. In addition to these, we also have an Editing policy and a Style manual, both with principles and practices that the wiki strives to adhere to. Reading these is {{em|not required}} to edit the wiki.
-For [[:Template:CharacterInfo|statblocks]] sometimes it's necessary to upload a transparent screenshot of an in-game model.
+* [[bg3wiki:Editing policy|Editing policy]]: A set of guidelines and principles to follow when editing the wiki.
+* [[Help:Style manual|Style manual]]: The style and formatting guidelines for articles and files. If you're unsure about grammar, format or capitalisation, you can look it up here!
+* [[bg3wiki:Verification|Verification]]: BG3Wiki relies on verification to ensure readers can know where in the game information on the wiki comes from.
-If you don't know your way around Photoshop you can just use [https://www.remove.bg/ Remove.bg] website to do it for you for free. It scales the image down but it doesn't matter for infobox purposes.
+== Other namespaces ==
+There are other types of pages that use different guidelines and principles than the rest of the wiki.
-* Go to  [https://www.remove.bg/ Remove.bg].
+==== Guides ====
-* Upload the image with backround you need to remove (either by drag and dropping or simply Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V).
+{{hatnote|See also: [[Help:Guide namespace]]}}
-* Wait for result.
+The Guide namespace is where users can create and edit guides on BG3Wiki.
-* Click on the blue Download button.
-* Upload the image to the wiki and don't forget to rename it to {{InfoBlob|Character_name_Model.png}}
-If the result erased too much or not enough, you can Edit it on the website to Erase/Restore features.
+To create a Guide, simply start an article name with {{code|Guide:}}. For example, {{code|Guide:How to use torches}}.
-In the [[:Template:CharacterInfo]] you can add the Transparent Model images as the main image if it's a nameless [[:Category:Creatures|Creature]]. Otherwise, if it's a named character you'll need to fill in these attributes:
+==== Modding ====
+{{hatnote|See also: [[Modding:Modding resources]]}}
+The Modding namespaces is all about modding, such as how to create and use mods.
-{{InfoBlob|<nowiki>| alt-name = Model</nowiki><br>
+To create a Modding page, simply start an article name with {{code|Modding:}}. For example, {{code|Modding:How to use mods}}.
-<nowiki>| alt-image = [[File:Character_name_Model.png|200px]]</nowiki>}}
 == Additional resources ==
+* [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Contents MediaWiki help pages]
+* [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Formatting MediaWiki formatting]
-Check out the [[Help:Style Guide|Style Guide]] for more information on style guidelines followed by bg3.wiki.
-Join the [https://discord.gg/K6R89fSZuF BG3Wiki Discord] to discuss wiki editing with other bg3.wiki contributors! Or, if you prefer not to join the Discord, you can leave messages via the '''Discussion''' link at the top of any page (including any user's page, if you want to contact them).
-{{PageSeo
-| image = bg3wiki_help.png
-| description = A brief guide on how to contribute to the Baldur's Gate 3 Community Wiki
-}}
 [[Category:Wiki Help]]