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Creating a Multimedia Component in Content Manager Explorer

You can create a Multimedia Component by uploading a local or network file to the Content Manager.

Before you begin

The following restrictions apply to editing a Multimedia Component:
  • You must have Component Management rights and Write permissions for the Folder.
  • If included in a Publication BluePrint, you must either edit the parent item or create a localized copy.

About this task

The typical reason for creating Multimedia Components is to upload various types of binary content to the Content Manager system so that it can be easily managed and reused. You can upload a large number of different binary file types, although the specific types that are available to you depend on how your organization has set up the system. For a list of the supported file types, refer to the related topic on multimedia file types.

In addition to uploading multimedia content to store it in the Content Manager database, it is also possible to reference external content. This can be very useful when you need to use very large files, which can cause technical issues if you try to upload them, such as database timeouts and size limitations. This option is an older method of referencing an external resource. The preferred method is to access and use external content from predefined external content libraries (or mount points) that have been set up by your organization. For more information on how to do this, refer to the related topic on external content.

Procedure

  1. Access the Content Manager Explorer website.
  2. Navigate to the Publication and Folder in which you want to create the Multimedia Component.
  3. On the Create tab of the ribbon, click New Component (down arrow) > New Multimedia Component.
  4. In the top part of the New Component window, enter the following:
    Name
    The name by which the Multimedia Component is identified internally in Tridion Sites.
    The name must be unique within the Folder. In a BluePrint, this naming constraint extends to any Parent or Child Publications in the BluePrint.
    Schema
    A Multimedia Schema defines the file types that the Multimedia Component can contain as well as metadata and workflow.
  5. Under Resource Type, select either Uploaded or External and complete the corresponding steps.
    OptionDescription
    UploadedSelect this option to upload a local or network file, and then complete the following steps:
    1. Click the Upload button.
    2. Locate and select the file you want to upload, and click Open.
    3. (Optional) To apply some basic editing to the image, click Edit. Use the editing options, such as Crop and Resize, to adjust the image to your needs, and click Finish Editing to save the changes and return to the main window. (Note that edits made to an image are complete only when you save the Multimedia Component.)
    External (old method)Select this option to reference an external resource from within a Multimedia Component. As mentioned earlier in this topic, there is a newer and preferred method for external references, and we discourage continued use of this option. If you still need to use it, then complete the following steps:
    1. Select the Multimedia Type. The options available from the list depend on the schema that has been selected.
    2. In the URL box, enter the URL address of the external resource you want to reference.
  6. If a Metadata tab appears (dependent on the schema), select the tab and add metadata information. You must enter all required metadata fields before you can save the Multimedia Component.
  7. Click Save and Close.
  8. Depending on the item's schema, Content Manager Explorer may prompt you to add the item to a Bundle so that it can enter a workflow. You can choose to skip this step, but until you add it to a Bundle, your changes will not be checked in.

Results

You have created a Multimedia Component, which you can use directly on a Page or as a Component link within another Component.