New RCE: embed images from folder view

[Nancy_Webb_CCSF]

The new rich content editor has many great features. I would like an improvement to how images are chosen from course or user files in the Add menu.  Can we add the ability to see images organized by folder? While we can see files by folder by using "All" as the Type, it makes a link to the image rather than embedding it.  "All" also creates links when selecting documents and media. 

Current Workflow Problem:  Embedding files with the Type "Image" involves choosing from a list displaying up to 50 images at a time, and requires scrolling to the bottom to click the Load more button to see more. This creates a difficult workflow for courses with a large number of images, particularly because you have to start over for every embedded image, scroll down, load more, scroll down, load more, multiple times. Then there is a wait time for each lot of images to load.

Use cases: Being able to select the desired folder will work well for courses that have hundreds of images (art courses for one); that have images organized by topic for quizzes; are in departmental courses where multiple people are creating content. 

One solution would be a checkbox to display the images by folder.  This will benefit when embedding documents and media as well.  It could say "folder view", "display by folder" or some other text.

Inspired by this idea and comments, folder organization will work well in conjunction with pinning the sidebar: https://community.canvaslms.com/ideas/15792-new-rce-pin-the-sidebar" modifiedtitle="true" title="New...

[debra_russell]

Hi Nancy,

I totally agree with you about this. My colleagues and I were just discussing this problem. I like the tick box option too. 

Ideally I would prefer the the window to remain available rather than closing after adding an image.

Thanks Debra

[rway3]

I also agree with this. In the previous version of the RCE, you could scroll to a folder in a course to select images to embed them in a page. In the new version, we've lost that functionality. See the video for a better explanation. You can still insert images in a page, just not by browsing to a folder in the course.

[jcrozier2]

I wholeheartedly disagree with the comment - that it has a lot of great features.  I find the WHOLE new format of the RCE to be horribly designed.  I also find the new images loading also AWFUL.    When trying to swap out an image it will not load it and leave it in the area where it was originally placed.  In fact, the work around the Canvas gave me was to close out my windows and re-open them (yea thanks for making extra work for me).  That means if I have an image that is flush right while written content is flush left and parallel to the image - replacing it either leaves a HUGE blank gap with content above or below but not immediately across.  If you want - I can provide images.  But this was a function of the old that worked perfectly - so now I find it broken. 

I want to know exactly who tested these items before they rolled them out?  Because there is no way it was a working teacher with limited time.

Now to your point of being able to get the files... when you go beyond the uploaded images in the icons - that are only organized by the latest image you uploaded (yea that is okay to have a new image you upload immediately available but I rarely need that... what I need is access to my FILES. I have images organized in a files folder and within that - other files folders.  SO NOW when I try to go into those files - even though you are in the IMAGE icon upload tool it reverts it to thinking you are uploading a LINK and the image file only embeds as a LINK.  TOTALLY USELESS.  So.  Your ONLY choice to upload ANY image is to scroll and load more load more of all those icons of images - instead of being able to go into your files.

Lastly, it was nice that when you did upload a new image you could in that moment change the size - add the alt text and be done with it.  These are ALL extra steps.

It should NOT revert to thinking it is all of a sudden a LINK FILE instead of an image.

There are three different issues -

1. when you upload the image it does not maintain the format of the page
2. when you upload the image the ONLY want to get it as an image is through the icons list (by date of upload)
3. when you try to embed an image from your FILES it converts it to a link and does not recognize it as an image

[Nancy_Webb_CCSF]

 @rway3 ‌ - thanks so much for your video!  Perhaps soon we won't need this idea any more, or it can be marked complete. I believe this is going to be fixed, because embedding an image choosing All (which displays your folders) now works in Beta.  Do you have access to the Beta environment?  Currently in our production site, it only inserts a link to the image. Your video prompted me to test this all again.

By choosing All rather than Images as the source in Beta, after choosing Insert/course images, the image is embedded by default.  Making it a link is a choice in the image Options.  That's a good solution.  It appears to understand now if a file is an image and embed it by default, even if you choose to insert a document. I don't see that this will be in the July Canvas release, but maybe it will come soon.  I hope somebody in the know will inform us. The HTML code is a bit different if you use the All - Folder view method, so perhaps they are working on improvements.  It works with PNGs and JPGs, all I've tested so far.

(After finding the image in your folders, you do have to click the image link rather than dragging the image into your course, which still inserts a small thumbnail.) 

Can you or somebody try it in Beta and let me know if it works for you too?

[debra_russell]

No Judy it certainly wasn't designed by someone who edits pages regularly.

[rway3]

Nancy, I tried it in Beta, and the admins have the old RCE turned on so it works fine of course. Older RCE: 

Just for comparison for those who don't have access to Beta, this is the new RCE:

[Nancy_Webb_CCSF]

Raleigh, thanks for trying.  Is turning on RCE enhancements available in your Beta's Feature Options? You probably already tried this, bu just in case.  Go to course Settings/Feature Options and see if the choice is there.  We have it available in our school, but they might not have made it available as a choice in yours.

[rway3]

Nancy, yes. I was able to turn on the REC enhancements in the beta and it worked! There's hope! Thanks! I checked in actual course (not beta) for RCE enhancements, and you can't change the setting. 

[Nancy_Webb_CCSF]

That's so great, thanks Raleigh.  Clearly they are working on this, and when it makes it to Production I will remove this idea, or maybe someone at Instructure will mark it as complete.

[Nancy_Webb_CCSF]

Hi  @rway3  and all, our Production Canvas now recognizes images when you choose All as the location.  This gives you access to your entire folder structure, course and user files, and will insert an embedded image, not just a link (although you can choose to make it a link if you prefer).  They fixed it! 

We no longer need this idea, thanks much Instructure team.  Can somebody with authority mark this as fixed?  That was very fast.