Learning Scalar: How to build non-linear, born-digital content on York's Scalar platform

Exercise: Getting Content Into Scalar

The Scalar 2 User's Guide has excellent, step-by-step instructions for creating pages and media:Use these pages to complete the following exercise.

Exercise

  1. In the Scalar dashboard window (click to open), select the "My Sandbox" book you created in the Create a Book exercise.
     
  2. Using the Working With Media chapter of the Scalar 2 User's Guide, import the following items by searching for their titles:|
     
    1. From the internet Archive:  Sounds in the Whakarewarewa Redwood Forest
    2. From YouTube: Rainforests 101 | National Geographic
    3. From another source on the Internet (a URL) -- copy and paste this link: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Boreal_Forest_and_Lake.jpg

  3. Go to the Creative Commons search tool (click the link to open it in a new window) and perform a search for "forest."
     
    1. Select any image that looks appealing to you, and click on it to bring up its information page
    2. Right-click on the image and save it to your device. Make note of the filename and download location.
    3. In the Information tab on the right of the Creative Commons page for the image, click on the link under "Source" and make note of the URL (web address) for the file.
    4. In the Reuse tab on the right of the same page, select the "Plain Text" option to get information on the source of the photo and the copyright licence. Copy this information (or write it down in detail) so that you can use it later.
       
  4. Using the Importing Your Own Media page from the Scalar 2 User's Guide, upload your saved image from Step 3 into your book:
     
    1. For the Title, you may use the original image name or provide your own descriptive title.
    2. Select the Metadata button. The default field set should be "Featured fields." Select the checkbox next to dcterms:source.
    3. Select the Field set drop down and choose Dublin Core. in the list that appears, select the checkboxes next to creator and license. Then click the Add fields button. You will be returned to the media import screen, where you will see that the selected fields now appear in the Metadata area.
    4. Here is where you will use the data you copied from the Creative Commons search tool:
      1. set dcterms:source to the URL/link to the file, e.g. https://www.flickr.com/photos/7914242@N07/7145632899
      2. set dcterms:creator to the name of the photographer/image creator, e.g. Wim Vandenbussche
      3. set dcterms:license to the Creative Commons license text, e.g. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/
    5. Click the Choose File button and select the image you downloaded from the Creative Commons search tool. Then click Upload.
       
  5. Using the Working with Content chapter of the Scalar 2 Users' Guide, create a page with the following properties:
     
    1. Title: Forest media
    2. Content: Some interesting forests from the Internet
    3. Layout: Image Header. Note that the description here says the page will be styled with a 'key image' as the header.
    4. Select the Styling tab, and choose Key Image. Select the drop-down menu and choose the forest picture you uploaded in Step 4.
    5. Click Save and view. Your new page will appear, with your downloaded image as a header.

Congratulations! You've now imported several pieces of media, including a file that you uploaded directly and populated with appropriate metadata. You've also created a simple page that uses one of your media items as a header.

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