WebDAV is Fast. Upload Multimedia is Faster.

You may have followed the "standard" SDL Tridion content creation process:

1. Get media by saving image(s) to your computer
2. Upload media by creating Multimedia component(s) in Tridion, optionally using WebDAV to copy and paste or click-and-drag the media into Windows Explorer folders
3. Create content, using media by first creating your content component then linking to the above multimedia component as needed.

If you've been spoiled by how easy it is to use images in blogs, email, and social media, you might wonder if there's a faster way. Yes, there is.

Enter Upload Multimedia

Though this option might seem confusing to long-time Tridion authors, it's rather ingenious.

If WebDAV is the Windows user's answer to creating content in a familiar environment for Windows users, then Upload Multimedia is the CME user's answer to creating content in a familiar environment for Tridion users. In other words, why switch context to create a multimedia component when you can do it from the CME.

Upload Multimedia could have a sexier name like "Quick Create" or "Lazy Image Loader" because of the following features. From a folder in Tridion, a user can choose Upload Multimedia to:

• Select a binary, optionally entering a url in the open dialogue's filename box
• Tridion will then create a multimedia component in the current folder, matching the folder's linked schema or the Default Multimedia Schema (set in the publication's content configuration section)
• The new component's name will match the binary's file name, minus the extension, if it doesn't already exist in the folder

Like WebDAV, mandatory metadata fields prevent this from working smoothly. Unlike WebDAV, however, it won't override same-named files; Upload Multimedia creates copies with a suffixed number in brackets instead of updating same-named items (e.g. myimage[1]).

Similar to the Simple Content Update Instructions, use the Select Item pop-up as a "mini-CME" to create items you need, when you need them, as seen below.

Sometimes adding an image is an after-thought or a last-minute nice-to-have...

Select the Image option and we're ready to Browse to a multimedia component...

Hmm, I want something that's not in Tridion yet.
We can use Upload Multimedia Component to save time.

Select an image or even enter a url.
Either will create an uploaded multimedia component.

We end up right back to where we started.
Optionally set advanced settings and press Ok.

Creating items from the mini-CME works when you've minimized localization and have your authors create and link to content in the same publication.

All that's left is to optionally organize the images. This is where Where Used and the fact Tridion folders don't necessarily map to presentation server-side paths make it easy.

WebDAV is fast. Upload Multimedia is faster. External Content Libraries (ECL) will be fastest.

Still not fast enough for you? Check out Albert's Batch Image Uploader (includes a hidden drag-and-drop from desktop to browser option) for the PowerTools or wait for the ECL feature in Tridion 2013 (see the Community Webinar by Bart on ECL).