I'll be as brief as possible, because I'm sure there is an answer that is both simple and obvious, but elusive to me:
How can I replace the default Image field widget with one that understands that I might want to use a server-based image?
Scenario:
I create a content type that uses and image field type. I want to use a widget that let's me browse server-stored images OR upload an image on my local machine. Alas, only the latter seems possible, not the former.
This seems like an abysmally poor design decision, since this seems to presume that all new content cannot possibly use existing images on the server (i cannot even manually enter a file path).
Since I am not a designer by trade, nor presume that I have more knowledge than the collective wisdom of hundreds of Drupal contributors, I can only assume that such a feature was deliberately left out. I also assume that such a feature can be re-added with a module, but modules like IMCE seem oriented to allowing browsing and selection of images in content sections, not in offering a replacement image field widget.
Comments
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sounds like you want to look at media.module however, you can't just replace the widget. A media asset field would need to be added to the content type. Such would hold true with any module I'd suspect, including but not limited to a custom module.