Philip Greenspun illustration project/Requests

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Round 1
Request list

This is the page to make suggestions for requested illustrations. Please comment on each others' suggestions and see if resources exist already. Comments about significance or importance are also welcome. Mayflower search engine for Commons, Free Image Search Tool

• At this stage, illustration means diagram. Not photograph or map.
• Requests should be for a specific page (within a Wikimedia project) or concept.
• If the significance or importance of the topic is not obvious, please briefly explain it.
• Link to any existing free content images that could be adapted to fulfil the request.

Copy this and change it for your suggestion:

==Concept/[[w:Page]] (choose one)==
* '''Adaption/creation''' (choose one): (expand on concept)
* [provide links to any existing similar images] [link 2]
* Brief explanation of significance
* ~~~~

Suggestions

Action potential animation

• creation: the action potential is an important biological process that can best be explained using animation.
• examples of existing copyrighted animations: [1] [2]
• The Wikipedia article for action potential could use either an animated GIF or an OGG format video showing the relationship between ion channel activity and membrane potential.
• JWSurf 02:09, 5 November 2007 (UTC)

• • Good one, a challenge. :) --pfctdayelise 12:13, 5 November 2007 (UTC)
  • To be clearer: this is a good candidate because it is complex/difficult, meaning it is less likely to be created by a volunteer. The topic is a basic scientific process of relevance to any biology student worldwide. It could not be easily photographed, and no free content equivalent exists (AFAIK). pfctdayelise 12:57, 9 November 2007 (UTC)

Improve diagrams of bridge trusses

• creation/improvement/redo : The current diagramming for bridge truss types is spotty. There are some good ones and some marginal ones.
  • One example of a pretty important small truss, the King post truss: Image:King post truss.png ... A nice clean diagram that is attractive and easy on the eyes.
  • Another important one (for covered bridges, for example) the Town truss or lattice truss. Image:Town truss2.jpg... taken from the original patent, not as good.
  • And another example, for the Pratt truss: Image:Pratt truss.PNG... this drawing is yet a third style of diagram, much simpler than the first. It's servicable but not as attractive as the King post.
  • For more examples see Truss bridge ... there are a lot of truss types and the illustrations vary.
• Significance: Trusses are a basic thing to document in an encyclopedia. Our coverage is spotty and stylistically inconsistent. This is a pretty easy project (one or two days work ought to do it once the style was chosen) compared to the above animation of a complex biological system so it might be a good one to test out process and so forth. Or, it might be one that is not a good fit, so discussing why or why not might help define this overall project even if we reject this particular one.
• ++Lar: t/c 16:55, 8 November 2007 (UTC)

• • Doing a set of these may be a good one to use for newcomers as they are relatively simple to construct.
  • However the topic would be relatively lower on the 'importance' scale as they are specific to bridge construction only, and even then are only one type of bridge. (Comparing the interwiki links, Truss bridges has 3, whereas Action potential has 19.)
  • Another consideration is, could this topic be equally or even better illustrated by an actual photograph? That seems quite likely to me. (Although virtually everything benefits from an idealised illustration, some things can't really be photographed adequately)
  • Is that helpful? --pfctdayelise 12:54, 9 November 2007 (UTC)
    • Yep, very (but as the coord, I ask you is the suggestion helpful in the first place to drive thinking?). I floated this as a trial but I'd point out that I'm not convinced the articles are organized correctly in this area. Trusses have structural significance beyond just bridges (although most non bridge trusses, like floor trusses or stadium roof trusses, etc, tend to be simple) and the articles are a bit of a jumble. So the 3 interwikis may be due to underrecognition. I also agree that this is very easy and maybe someone could be persuaded to bang them out without needing to get a token monetary reward. I'm not sure pictures illustrate trusses as well as diagrams (as with many mechanical things, stripping away detail often clarifies what is important. Consider Image:TripleExpansionMed.jpg (a picture) vs. Image:Christopher_Columbus_whaleback_ccengine_crop.jpg (an engraving) vs. Image:Triple_expansion_engine_animation.gif (animated cutaway diagram) ... (all taken from w:Steam engine. That is an extreme example of course but it shows how much more clarity a diagram can bring. Also consider the single cylinder diagram with annotations a bit above it. But ya. The biology one above is much more important in the grand scheme of things. ++Lar: t/c 17:11, 14 November 2007 (UTC)

• • • • Yes, it was a helpful suggestion. :) pfctdayelise 13:40, 17 November 2007 (UTC)

Incarceration rates, totals, etc.

I would like some GIF image charts for use on articles such as w:Incarceration, etc.. I know people would use the GIF charts both on wikipedia and on websites outside wikipedia.

PNG images don't scale well on wikipedia or on other websites unless one wants to spend an inordinate amount of time tweaking every scaled PNG image. GIF images, on the other hand, scale well instantly with the simplest image editors. Such as IrfanView. See related discussion here.

I can make some HTML charts about incarceration rates by using wikicode. See

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Timeshifter/Sandbox
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Timeshifter/Sandbox5

I used http://www.uni-bonn.de/~manfear/html2wiki-tables.php to convert HTML charts I found on the web. I further tweaked them.

I guess I could take screen shots of the sandbox pages, or from my offline HTML pages, and crop some gif images from them.

But is there a more direct route with freeware to create GIF charts without first having to create HTML charts with wikicode or a web page editor? Please see also:

• http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Incarceration_rates_worldwide.gif
• http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:US_correctional_population_timeline.gif
• http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:USA._Prisoners_1995_to_2005.gif

There are related charts here:

• http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Criminal_justice_diagrams --Timeshifter 04:24, 14 November 2007 (UTC)

I discovered the following while searching for some easy graph creation tools:

Create A Graph. Free online graph creation tool at the website for the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) (located within the U.S. Department of Education and the Institute of Education Sciences). Bar charts, line charts, area charts, pie charts, and XY graphs. Choice of PDF, PNG, JPG, EMF, EPS, and SVG output. --Timeshifter 04:57, 15 November 2007 (UTC)

There is related discussion here. --Timeshifter 21:53, 15 November 2007 (UTC)

• I don't think charts/graphs are appropriate for this. As you have found there are many tools that make it easy to generate these types of images, where you just punch in numbers and select options and hit OK. They don't require creativity like schemas and identificational diagrams. --pfctdayelise 13:37, 17 November 2007 (UTC)

Metabolic Pathways

Improve the w:Wikipedia:Wikiproject_Metabolic_Pathways : translate in more languages, draw more reactions, etc. VIGNERON * ^discut. 12:29, 16 November 2007 (UTC)

• Which specific subjects or topics? It would be good for this wikiproject to figure out a priority list: which images should be the most important, the most necessary, the most needed? pfctdayelise 13:30, 17 November 2007 (UTC)

Map icons

We have to few free map icons in a acceptable quality. See commons:Simple map icons / commons:Category:Map icons. We could really need them for geographical services like Wikipedia-World. --Kolossos 14:53, 19 November 2007 (UTC)

I think these icons are too simple for the scope of this project. The biggest problem for these illustrations is what to depict not how to depict it. --seav 10:49, 21 November 2007 (UTC)

• Can you give more specific examples of what is needed? Is there a list?
• Is there a comparable existing resource (perhaps copyrighted) that can be used as a reference or comparison?
• Does the Open Clipart project not have anything acceptable?

--pfctdayelise 11:10, 21 November 2007 (UTC)

A comparable existing resource are e.g. the icons in Gogle Earth. They work with colors and transperancy. But they are also very commercial oriented (hotels, bars, shops, etc.). At http://openclipart.org I found nothing. I would prefer something in KDE-style.

The problem with the simplicity of one icon can be solved if an whole icon set would be estimated. I believe it's not so easy to make a simple small icon which is understandable in the whole world.

A list with necessary icons for the Wikipedia-World-Project can found at the end of info.php, there are train stations, churchs, castles, manor-houses,mountains, volcanos, monuments, companies, cemetery, zoo, caves and many more. --Kolossos 12:57, 25 November 2007 (UTC)

Protein synthesis translation animation

This is one of the hardest biological processes to explain in prose and a good animation is always enlightening. I've seen quite a few animations on the web, and even a live-action video simulation using people to represent the various components and RNAs, but they aren't free. --seav 10:57, 21 November 2007 (UTC)

• Can you link to the non-free animations etc for reference, please? This seems like a fairly complex thing. :) --pfctdayelise 11:33, 25 November 2007 (UTC)
• A non-free non-animation version could be: http://www.scq.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2006/08/protein-synthesis.gif en:User:Kjaergaard
• Here's an animated version. The website http://www.biostudio.com/ has lots of useful biology animations. -Rocket000 12:26, 27 November 2007 (UTC)

Musical instrument diagrams

We have a few great SVG diagrams of musical instruments, but there are many other instruments that could use one. Currently, we have a drum kit, a very nice trombone, a few relating to trumpets and a whole bunch about pianos (found here). Besides those, I haven't found anything worth using. We're surprisingly lacking in this area. I would love to see any new instrument diagrams, but specifically these are what I have in mind:

French horn (30 Wikipedias) - A couple good photos, no illustrations.

• What we have: Image:French horn back labelled.png, Image:French horn front labelled.png, Image:French horn mouthpiece.jpg
• That's about it.

Violin (63 Wikipedias) - Most are photographs. A cross-section view and a full view would be nice. Maybe a whole matching series?

• What we have: Image:Violinconsruction3.JPG, Image:Violin bout cross section.png, Image:Violinschnitt.png, Image:Violin made in about 1770-numbered.jpg, Image:Violin bow parts.jpg, Image:Violin peg strings.jpg
• The closest thing we have is Image:Table violon sous presse.svg

Bagpipe (34 Wikipedias) - Not too much here.

• What we have: Image:Annotated stand of great highland bagpipe.jpg, Image:Swedish bagpipes built by Alban Faust.jpg, Image:Asturian pipe soplete.jpg, Image:Asturian pipe.jpg, Image:Asturian pipe roncon.jpg

Guitar (64 Wikipedias) - For something this popular, I would think we would have something better. Detailed closeups of the headstock and neck are needed.

• What we have: Image:Détail tête guitare.jpg, Image:Acoustic guitar parts.png,Image:Guitaranatomy.jpg, Image:Elements guitare classique.png, Image:Classical Guitar est lang.jpg, Image:Guitar headstock angle.png
• Related SVGs: Image:Fingerboard scheme.svg, Image:Guitar neck.svg and some outlined headstock shapes

Bassoon (38 Wikipedias) - One poor quality SVG lacking in detail.

• What we have: Image:Fagott-Bassoon.svg, Image:Bassoon parts.jpg, Image:FoxBassoon.jpg, Image:Praetorius bassoons.jpg
• We don't even have many photographs of certain variations like the contrabassoon (I only found one).

These are just some suggestions, there's lots of other choices, like the upright bass, saxophone, or clarinet.

Maybe one or two of these could be US$15 ones since they're not too complicated. Possibly some good easy requests to start this off? Rocket000 05:01, 25 November 2007 (UTC)

• Definitely good suggestions, widely relevant, and thanks for the research. --pfctdayelise 11:31, 25 November 2007 (UTC)

Fire science diagrams

We're very lacking in this area currently, and I think this is a topic that lends itself well to illustration. For example, w:flashover, w:backdraft and w:firestorm. If I had to choose one, I think firestorm would be a priority because many major historical events (great city fires and aerial bombings) have involved firestorms.--Pharos 05:18, 25 November 2007 (UTC)

• Sounds good, are there non-free illustrations that you are aware of? pfctdayelise 11:32, 25 November 2007 (UTC)

Server diagram

Wikimedia-Servers 2006-05-09

The Server-diagram cold need an update because it is 1 1/2 years old and I would prefer an yearly update. --Kolossos 20:35, 25 November 2007 (UTC)

• Sorry but I don't think a diagram of the Wikimedia server configuration is that important. pfctdayelise 11:57, 26 November 2007 (UTC)

• Agreed, it may be interesting to some, but not very useful. Rocket000 12:31, 27 November 2007 (UTC)

I do think it's important, but it seems outside the scope of this project. :-) --Eloquence 10:59, 6 December 2007 (UTC)

Tree of Life

Commonly, w:evolution and w:phylogenetics are illustrated by a nice "tree of life"-illustration: E.g. [3] (it is not very pretty, but you'll get the general idea), with pictures of representative animals representing the different groups. Such an illustration would look good at the top of e.g. the evolution page compared to the primitive picture we have currently. en:User:Kjaergaard

A library of hydraulic symbols

• Creation: A library of hydraulic symbols. It would need to have at least 20-30 different basic symbols, in SVG format, done in such a way that they could easily be combined together (same size, with common elements in the same place etc; a number of symbols exists in a number of small variations and it would be senseless to have them all).
• For a list of symbols see [4].
• Hydraulic symbols are (obviously) very important in hydraulics, and each article on a hydraulic component should include information about its symbol(s). However, currently, the only hydraulic symbol I know of on any Wikimedia project is Image:Hydraulic accumulator (symbol).svg (there are also a few hydraulic circuits, like Image:Hydraulic circuits 300px.png). A library of hydraulic symbols would also make it easy to draw hydraulic circuits when they are needed, and make them more uniform. Outside of Wikimedia projects, such a library could find use in circuit drawing programs.
• Nikola 22:15, 3 December 2007 (UTC)

• • Quite a good idea, since they appear to be relatively simple the request could be for such a "set" of symbols that could then easily be mixed and matched to make whatever diagram was needed. pfctdayelise 13:12, 5 December 2007 (UTC)

Diagrams of vehicles

• 
  Tugboat
• 

• Creation of diagrams of main vehicle types, then of more precise vehicle types.
• The two example above illustrate what I mean : we need diagrams to explain the main parts of the vehicles. My main interest lies in ships, so I would imagine diagrams of main ship types : cargo ship, warship, fishing boat. Then of more precise types : container carrier, icebreaker, etc. A possible quality reference is Klaas van Dokkum, Ship knowledge : a modern encyclopedia, DOKMAR, Enkhuizen, Netherlands, 2005 (ISBN 9080633062), which has this kind of well-drawn diagrams. Not free though :-)
• Ideally diagrams should have natural colours, should be reviewed by people who know the differents vehicle types, and possibly should allow a small view inside the vehicle (if appropriate) to see key features (eg layout of seats in an airplane, engine and cargo in a ship, etc.)
• le Korrigan →bla 15:03, 5 December 2007 (UTC)

Translate useful tutorials

• The idea would be to translate some tutorials written by good graphists, which explain the steps used to crate a particular type of image. I know the map tutorials written by Sting have halped graphists from fr.wikipedia to crate wonderful maps by themselves, so providing tutorials has potentially an enormous effect.
• I can see so far the following tutorials :
  • By Al2 : commons:User:Al2#How to do illustrations of diagrams (and also [5]).
  • By Sting : fr:Utilisateur:Sting/Brouillon and all subpages : tutorials in French to create maps (topographic / bathymetric / political, both bitmaps and SVG). Very good quality and highly detailed (example).
  • Others ? To be completed :-)

le Korrigan →bla 15:03, 5 December 2007 (UTC)

Industrial revolution

• this key figure in the industrial revolution article could really stand to be redrawn. AaronSw 19:02, 6 December 2007 (UTC)