Key Features

iBase are specialists in complete solutions for image management software and the storage, organisation and retrieval of media files of all types. We have powerful image and digital asset management solutions suitable for a broad range of sectors, including heritage, culture, academic, corporate, scientific and commercial image library requirements. The iBase approach and database model enables just about any requirement to be met, from the simplest to the most advanced.

A good looking web front end is of course essential, but even the best looking system quickly loses its appeal if the functionality and ease of use don't match the expectations of visitors. Your design requirements can be applied to iBase Net, and just as importantly you can also be sure of creating a system in which your images or other digital assets are organised, structured, catalogued and indexed in way that will enable straightforward and intuitive searching - your users will quickly and easily find exactly what they want. Take a look at our own demonstration picture library and you'll see what we mean.

iBase Systems - which have been in continuous development and enhancement since 1993 - not only include all of the standard features you would expect to see in any image management product, but also incorporate a range of sophisticated tools and characteristics uniquely combined to make what we believe to be one of the most accessible, flexible and powerful media asset management database system available.

Index

  1. Customized metadata structure
  2. Supported file formats
  3. Metadata for different types of things
  4. Data entry forms, wizard and editor
  5. Adding and editing data with user configurable workspaces
  6. Embedded HTML
  7. Adding images or other digital assets to the system
  8. Image management and editing
  9. Keyword / Tag / Subject hierarchy
  10. Relationships
  11. Data searching
  12. Demonstration picture library
  13. Web or intranet image library - standard features
  14. Web or intranet image library - optional features
  15. Web or intranet image library - request or order images
  16. Digital asset management
  17. iBase guidance, assistance and support

1. Customized metadata structure
You start with a clean sheet, nothing is imposed. Choosing field types for text; number; logical yes/no; date; and memo - you build the metadata structure that you want, with as many fields as you need and pick-lists as required to validate input and ensure data integrity. The field labels (aliases) seen by users are entirely customizable.

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2. Supported file formats
The following file types are supported by iBase Manager and iBase Net.

  • TIFF
  • JPEG
  • GIF
  • PNG
  • PSD
  • PDF
  • Audio formats
  • Video formats
  • Microsoft office document files
  • PDFs
  • Any other file with a standard MIME type

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3. Metadata for different types of things
Whilst it is often possible to apply the same metadata structure and field labels to a variety of item types, such as an oil painting, a photograph, pottery etc..., there will be occasions when such an approach is insufficiently flexible. There may simply be just too many differences between some of your types for the viable use of the same metadata fields for each, especially if you need to describe each item in considerable depth.

For example, trying to use the same metadata structure for in-depth cataloguing of both scenic water colours and textile machinery might prove too challenging.

iBase deals with the requirement for in-depth cataloguing - or for that matter any other circumstance where a number of individual and unique metadata fields are needed within the overall database - by enabling, within a single overall database, the creation of a unique set of fields and labels for each type of item that requires it.

Having said all this, if only summary metadata is being written there is usually no need to cater for different item types with their own unique sets of metadata fields. It may be possible to use a single database structure and field labels that will work for just about any type of item. For example, the label 'Creator' can be used for an artist's name, or the name of the manufacturer of an item, or a photographer's name, and so on.

As a general principle we recommend keeping things as simple as possible without compromising your objectives.

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4. Data entry forms
Data entry forms can be created in iBase Manager, and are fully customisable for position and size of field entry spaces, field labels, font size and colour, background colours etc...

There's a wizard to help you create data entry forms, and an editor to modify them with.

Here's an illustration of the data form editor in use for the iBase demonstration picture library database.



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And here's the same completed data entry form as it appears to iBase Manager users who are involved in cataloguing and indexing the iBase demonstration picture library.

As many data entry forms can be created as are required. If there are a lot of fields it can often be helpful to group them in a way to suit a particular stage of the cataloguing process, or perhaps just to collect together the more commonly used ones. Multiple tabs can be created on the data entry form, and are often a convenient way to manage large numbers of fields. This form has one tab, called Main.

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5. Adding and editing data with user configurable workspaces

User configurable workspaces which can be set up and saved by each individual user.

A workspace in iBase Manager means the arrangement, on the user's screen, of the various views and windows available for images, metadata, tags and so on. As many workspaces as are required may be created in iBase Manager and saved for each user.

Here is a workspace - used on a wide screen - that employs the image viewer, image tracker magnifier, keyword assignment, data viewing and editing form, and a gallery of thumbnail images.

Data creation and editing options available and configurable by administrators, or general users as required, include -

  • Display of whichever fields are required on the data entry form, per individual user
  • Create as many tabs as are required on the data entry form, enabling fields to be conveniently grouped to suit a workflow process or individual operator's tasks
  • Label catalogue fields as required
  • Re-arrange catalogue fields
  • Default field values can be set
  • Entire records can be duplicated with a couple of clicks

  • Add / edit data in a spreadsheet style grid - sometimes it can be convenient to add, edit or view data in a data sheet form, much like a spreadsheet, and iBase Manager can present the data in this way as shown here



  • Automatically assign images or other digital assets to existing data
  • Batch edit metadata
  • Global find and replace
  • Create drop-down pick-lists
  • Support for thesauri (with broader and narrower terms)
  • Terminology validation
  • Validation of dates and numbers
  • Import existing metadata in standard delimited formats
  • Import existing metadata in XML formats
  • Export of metadata in standard delimited formats
  • Read IPTC metadata from within the image file
  • Read EXIF metadata from within the image file
  • Read XMP data
  • Write IPTC metadata into image file
  • Edit EXIF metadata
  • Write XMP data
  • An audit trail of who did what and when

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6. Embedded HTML
Embedded HTML can be included in data fields for any purpose. In this screen shot you'll see the HTML for a link to Google maps specifically for the image portrayed by the record. This appears as an ordinary link on iBase Net.












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7. Adding images or other digital assets to the system
There are many ways in which images or other digital assets be added to the database -

  • Drag and drop from a local or networked drive
  • Automatically monitor local and networked drives and memory devices for new images
  • Directly from a scanner, camera or any other TWAIN compatible device






When images are added -
  • Additional appended records can be created, or existing images or other digital assets can be overwritten
  • Images can be automatically assigned to existing data using specified fields or relationships

  • Thumbnail and preview images are automatically created
  • Any number of surrogate images of any size can be created automatically, according to the import policy used
  • Import policies determine the behaviour of the import and the characteristics of any surrogates required. As many import polices can be set up and saved as are required. Here is one example.










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8. Image management and editing
A number of image editing features are available -
  • Format - JPG, PNG, BMP, TIFF
  • Intensity - of brightness, contrast and Gamma settings. Gamma is the measure of the contrast-brightness of the midtone values produced by a device such as a computer monitor or in a photographic image, and the value of each pixel in the image can be adjusted
  • Colour - individually adjust Red, Green, Blue, Hue and Saturation
  • Process - stretch contrast, negate, greyscale, histogram equalisation
  • Filtering - sharpen, sharpen more, soften, soften more, edges, emboss, outline, lithograph
  • Transforms - mirror, flip, shear horizontal by degrees, shear vertical by degrees and rotate by degrees
  • Cropping

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9. Keyword / Tag / Subject hierarchy
Keywords - which might also be called tags, subjects, categories etc... - can be created and nested, with as many nested sub-levels as required.

Here's a section of the subject hierarchy in iBase Manager used for the iBase demonstration picture library.

Exactly the same hierarchy will be seen on the iBase demonstration picture library.




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10. Relationships
Relationships can be created between items - for example a parent / child to associate related images to a master record, maybe for multiple aspects of a single 3D object, pages of a book, and so on.

Here's an example of multiple aspects of a 3D object.

There's a single master image which is the one that will be seen when a search returns the item on iBase Net, with additional views of the same object being available as related items.

Another way in which relationships can be used is to create collections of records which can be seen with a single click on the website. Each record can belong to as many collections as are required, and there is no limit to the number of collections that can be created.

For example, this shows in iBase Manager that an image in the demonstration picture library belongs to two collections, named 'Views of iBase's home town of Ilkley' and 'Pictures of trains - some old, some new'.



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These collections, which may be called whatever is required, e.g. exhibitions, highlights, best sellers etc... can be grouped together on iBase Net like this, and clicking one of the thumbs will return all of the images in the collection.

In iBase Manager you can also view the relationship the other way around, seeing which images are part of a collection. For example, in iBase Manager here is the view of the collection named 'Pictures of trains - some old, some new' showing which images it contains.

And on iBase Net, the same part of this relationship can be seen here, which presents a summary of what the collection is about, and a Related Items section with a link to the images or items it contains.

There are many other ways in which the powerful relationship building capability of the iBase database model can be used.

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11. Data searching
A wide range of data searching facilities are available, on the left is a view of the search menu options in iBase Manager...

...and on the right the detail of the data search option showing that searches can be conducted on any available field, with Boolean operators for maximum flexibility.

The typical data search features of iBase Net can be seen at these links - subjects, indexes and advanced.

There are also Show All and Quick search facilities. Boolean operators can be used for Quick Search, as described in the search help page of the demonstration picture library.

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12. Demonstration picture library
The demonstration picture library is a fully functional iBase Net system illustrating the key features of Net 5, iBase Media Services' web and intranet digital media library system. All of the images and other digital assets presented on the site have been catalogued with iBase Manager, and published to the site with iBase Publish.

Searching for images couldn't be easier.

  • Quick search - enter your search word or phrase and hit Go.
  • Keyword / subject search - use the Subjects or Index buttons to see the keywords available and click the one you want.
  • Collections search - to help you we have grouped together images of similar topic or interest. Use the Collections button to see the available collections and click a thumbnail to see all of the images in the collection.
  • Refine your search - after every search there is an option to refine the search within the set already found.
  • Search history - use the search history button to see your previous searches. Click one to search again.

See the demonstration picture library here.

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13. Web or intranet image library - standard features

  • Web browser-based end-user interface
  • Publish as a dynamic searchable web catalogue
  • Publish static gallery images to web
  • Whatever external links and text pages required can be added
  • Quick search
  • Search by categories / indexes / tags/ thesaurus
  • Search by collection / exhibition
  • Refine any search to 'search within a search'
  • Advanced search using any required field from the database
  • Use Boolean operators when searching
  • User can set the search return gallery to 'Thumbs' with mimimal text, or 'List' with additional text
  • User can set the search return gallery to any number of items
  • Zoom to a maximum size image set by the administrator
  • On the reference view display the subjects / keywords / tags associated with the record
  • On the reference view show links to any specifically related items, such as similar images or multiple views of the same object

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14. Web or intranet image library - optional features

  • Home page images selected at random from an administrator controlled selection
  • Populate the home page with some of your collections or exhibitions
  • Save search returns as 'private' so that no one else can see them, or as 'public' so that anyone can see them
  • Control access based on roles or profiles
  • Control access based on individual usernames and passwords
  • Visible watermarking - text or graphic - can be applied to all or any of the surrogate images displayed. The size, transparency and position of a watermark on the image are globally configurable
  • Email images from system
  • Send feedback on selected images by email

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15. Web or intranet image library - request or order images

  • Save selections and request copies via email
  • Download images, watermarked or not, at a size determined by the system administrator
  • Order images
  • Pay for images online or by other arrangement
  • Authorise fulfilment of ordered images by direct download, or despatch on disc

16. Digital asset management
Digital asset management is usually associated with an organisation's internal requirements, and quite often deployed in the first instance as a means of keeping track of and managing large numbers of digital assets - images, video and audio clips, Powerpoint files, PDFs etc... - that are spread around offices and disparate geographic locations.

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Boston Massachusetts use their iBase Quartet system mainly in this way, keeping tight control of 150,000 or so files. However, you can log in as a guest which will enable you to search and view images that WHOI administrators have set to be available to the general public.

Try some searches - the keyword search usefully provides details of what can be found. There are also simple, advanced and history searches available.

Click on a thumb - see the image metadata and other features available to you, including searching within results, viewing higher resolutions where available, and comparing images side by side.

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17. iBase guidance, assistance and support
Whilst iBase Manager can be delivered without a database and without any pre-configuration so that users can set it up entirely on their own, there is much to recommend accepting our offer to work with you in designing a database and configuring Manager to your exact requirements.

The design, development and delivery of image / media asset management systems is, after all, the only thing we do. Thus we have a great deal of experience to contribute to your project.

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