User manual DIGITAL ARTS & SCIENCES IMAGEAXS 4 PRO FOR MACINTOSH

ImageAXS Pro IMAGEAXS PRO VERSION 4.0 FOR MACINTOSH USER'S GUIDE 1301 Marina Village Parkway Alameda, California 94501 USA (800) 449-6220 Sales · (510) 814-7200 Support (510) 814-6100 Fax http://www.dascorp.com ImageAXS Pro ImageAXSTM Pro 4.0 Macintosh Copyright © 1991-1999 by Digital Arts & Sciences and its licensor(s). All rights reserved. Use of copyright notice does not imply publication or disclosure. No part of the contents of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of Digital Arts & Sciences. Some imaging technology provided under license from AccuSoft Corporation. Portions copyright 1996 AccuSoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Sample images distributed with ImageAXS Pro and pictured in this manual are made available for non-commercial, personal use only. Copying or redistribution in any manner for personal or corporate gain is not permitted. Commercial publication or exploitation of these files is specifically prohibited. Use of this document and ImageAXS Pro is governed by a Software License Agreement that specifies their permitted and prohibited uses. This document contains confidential and proprietary information constituting valuable trade secrets. This document (or any porti-on thereof) may not be: (a) disclosed to third parties, (b) copied in any form, or (c) used for any unauthorized purpose. ImageAXS is a trademark of Digital Arts & Sciences. All other company and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. This technical data is provided with RESTRICTED RIGHTS. Use, duplication, or disclosure by the Government is subject to restrictions as set forth in subparagraph (c) (1) (ii) of the Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software clause at DFARS 252.227-7013, and in subparagraphs (a) through (d) of the Commercial Computer - Restricted Rights clause at FAR 52.227-19, and in similar clauses in the NASA FAR Supplement, when applicable. Contractor/Manufacturer is: Digital Arts & Sciences, 1301 Marina Village Parkway, Alameda, CA 94501. This Software media is warranted to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of 90 days from the date of shipment. DIGITAL ARTS & SCIENCES, ITS LICENSOR(S), AGENTS AND DISTRIBUTORS MAKE NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, REGARDING THE SOFTWARE. THEY DO NOT WARRANT, GUARANTEE OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS REGARDING THE USE OR THE RESULTS OF THE USE OF THE SOFTWARE IN TERMS OF ITS CORRECTNESS, ACCURACY, RELIABILITY, CURRENTNESS OR OTHERWISE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE RESULTS AND PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE IS ASSUMED BY YOU. BECAUSE THE EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES IS NOT PERMITTED BY SOME JURISDICTIONS, THE ABOVE EXCLUSION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. IN NO EVENT WILL DIGITAL ARTS & SCIENCES, ITS AGENTS, DISTRIBUTORS, LICENSOR(S), AND THEIR DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS (COLLECTIVELY DIGITAL ARTS & SCIENCES' LICENSOR) BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL OR INDIRECT DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION, AND THE LIKE) ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE SOFTWARE EVEN IF ANY ONE OR ALL HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. BECAUSE SOME JUSRISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. Digital Arts & Sciences', its licensors', agents', and distributors' liability to you for actual damages from any cause whatsoever, and regardless of the form of the action (whether in contract, tort (including negligence), product liabilty or otherwise), will be limited to $50. The detailed terms of the Limited Warranty and Disclaimer, and Limitations of Liability are set forth in the Software License Agreement enclosed with the Software. Printed January, 1999 ii ImageAXS Pro C CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 WHAT IS IMAGEAXSTM PRO? What Is ImageAXS Pro? 1-1 Key Concepts and Terms 1-1 Getting Help and Technical Support 1-4 CHAPTER 2 GETTING STARTED System Requirements 2-1 Installing ImageAXS Pro 2-1 Starting ImageAXS Pro 2-4 Where Do I Go From Here? 2-5 CHAPTER 3 VIEWING COLLECTIONS Opening and Closing Collections 3-1 Viewing Collections 3-2 Viewing Thumbnails 3-7 Changing Thumbnails View Options 3-9 Viewing Text Field Data 3-12 Changing Text List View Options 3-14 CHAPTER 4 VIEWING RECORDS AND SOURCE FILES Selecting Records 4-1 Viewing Info Sheets 4-2 Viewing Source Files 4-6 Viewing Images 4-7 Playing Movies, Animated GIFs, or Sounds Viewing 3D Files 4-11 Changing Source File View Options 4-11 4-10 CHAPTER 5 CREATING A NEW COLLECTION Creating a New Collection 5-1 Choosing a Collection Format 5-3 Editing Collection Formats 5-4 Choosing a Database Type 5-7 IMAGEAXS PRO MACINTOSH USER'S GUIDE i C CHAPTER 6 ADDING YOUR FILES TO A COLLECTION Overview: Adding Files to a Collection 6-1 Acquiring Individual Files 6-2 Acquiring All Files in a Folder 6-3 Acquiring From Removable Media 6-3 Acquiring From Digital Cameras or Scanners Acquiring From a Video Source 6-8 Acquiring From an Audio Source 6-14 Acquiring From Adobe Photoshop 6-15 Changing Options for Acquiring Files 6-16 6-6 CHAPTER 7 ENTERING FIELD DATA How Do I Use Data Fields? 7-1 Entering Data in an Individual Record 7-1 Entering the Same Data in Multiple Records Importing a Text Data File 7-4 7-3 CHAPTER 8 USING KEYWORDS TO DESCRIBE FILES How Do I Use Keywords? 8-1 Viewing and Managing Keywords 8-2 Creating Keyword Families 8-5 Importing Keywords From a Text File 8-6 Adding Keywords to Data Records 8-7 CHAPTER 9 CREATING PORTFOLIOS WITHIN COLLECTIONS What Is a Portfolio? 9-1 Creating a Portfolio 9-1 Saving and Renaming Portfolios Managing Portfolios 9-3 Managing Records in a Portfolio 9-2 9-4 CHAPTER 10 SEARCHING AND SORTING COLLECTIONS How Do I Search a Collection or Portfolio? 10-1 Keyword Searches 10-1 Searches Based on Field Data and/or Other Characteristics Using And/Or in Complex Searches 10-4 Sorting Collections and Portfolios 10-5 10-2 CHAPTER 11 MANAGING DATA RECORDS Creating New Records 11-1 Copying Records 11-1 Deleting Records 11-4 Updating Records 11-5 IMAGEAXS PRO MACINTOSH USER'S GUIDE ii C CHAPTER 12 MANAGING SOURCE FILES Managing Source Files in ImageAXS Pro 12-1 Editing Source Files 12-1 Selecting an Alternate Editing Application 12-3 Moving Source Files 12-4 Copying Source Files 12-4 Renaming a Source File 12-5 Deleting Source Files 12-6 CHAPTER 13 CREATING WEB PAGES Creating Web Pages in ImageAXS Pro 13-1 Choosing Page Types 13-4 Thumbnails Page Options 13-5 Full View Page Options 13-7 Adding Headers and Footers to Web Pages 13-9 Editing ImageAXS Pro Web Page Templates 13-11 CHAPTER 14 CREATING E-ZCARDS What Is an e-ZCard? 14-1 Creating an e-ZCard 14-1 Image Options 14-3 Caption and Title Options 14-5 Text Descriptions of e-ZCards 14-6 CHAPTER 15 EXPORTING DATA TO OTHER FORMATS Exporting Data Records 15-1 Exporting to a Character-Delimited Text File 15-1 Exporting to a CSV Text File 15-5 Exporting to Other Versions of ImageAXS Pro 15-6 CHAPTER 16 SLIDE SHOWS Displaying Slide Shows 16-1 Changing Slide Show Options 16-2 CHAPTER 17 CHAPTER 18 PRINTING Printing ImageAXS Pro Collections and Records 17-1 SCRIPTING AND RECORDING Scripting and Recording in ImageAXS Pro 18-1 IMAGEAXS PRO MACINTOSH USER'S GUIDE iii CHAPTER 1 WHAT IS IMAGEAXSTM PRO? ImageAXS Pro 1 1 WHAT IS IMAGEAXSTM PRO? IN THIS CHAPTER:1 What Is ImageAXS Pro? Key Concepts and Terms 1-1 1-1 1-4 Getting Help and Technical Support WHAT IS IMAGEAXS PRO? ImageAXS Pro lets you create visual databases to organize and manage the files on your computer -- especially image, movie, sound, and 3D files. The database files it creates (called collections) combine text information with thumbnail images of the original files, so you can see what you're describing, even if the files are on a CD-ROM, an Iomega Zip disk, or a networked drive that isn't currently connected to your computer. ImageAXS Pro offers several ways for you to view, search, and organize your collections. You can use ImageAXS Pro to organize your files from scratch, or by importing information to expand on a database you've already created. ImageAXS Pro also provides you with a variety of ways to share your multimedia files with others, including slide shows, Web pages, and mini-brochures (called e-ZCards) that can be opened without the help of any other program and are small enough to send by e-mail. KEY CONCEPTS AND TERMS The basic elements of how ImageAXS Pro works are defined briefly below. Becoming familiar with these terms will help you learn the program more quickly. SOURCE FILES A source file is any file on your computer (or a separate disk or storage device) that is catalogued in ImageAXS Pro. IMAGEAXS PRO MACINTOSH USER'S GUIDE 1-1 WHAT IS IMAGEAXSTM PRO? 1 The file is referred to as a source file because it is the source for the data record created by ImageAXS Pro. ACQUIRING Acquiring is the act of making an ImageAXS Pro data record for a source file. To use ImageAXS Pro to manage the files in a particular folder, for example, you would acquire all of the files in that folder (see Chapter 6, "Adding Your Files to a Collection"). COLLECTIONS Collections are the documents created by ImageAXS Pro. A collection contains a data record for each source file that you acquire (as well as blank records, if you create any). With ImageAXS Pro, you can create and open as many different collections as you want. NOTE Although the records in ImageAXS Pro collections describe your source files, they do not contain the files themselves. You can move or delete the collection without affecting the source files, and vice versa. ImageAXSTM Pro file icons In the Finder, ImageAXS Pro collections are represented by two files: one with a ".db" extension (containing text information), and the other with a ".blob" extension (containing thumbnail images). ImageAXS Pro cannot open a collection unless both of these files are in the same folder. (To remind you to keep them together, the ".db" and ".blob" file icons are two halves of an open notebook.) PORTFOLIOS Portfolios are subsets of collections -- for example, a collection of family photos might include separate portfolios for your children, your parents, your brothers and/or sisters, your in-laws, and so on. Placing records in a portfolio does not remove them from a collection, and any record in a collection may belong to several different portfolios. You can create a portfolio automatically by searching a collection, or manually by making a personal selection of records (for example, your favorite photos or best works of 3D art). IMAGEAXS PRO MACINTOSH USER'S GUIDE 1-2 WHAT IS IMAGEAXSTM PRO? 1 RECORDS An ImageAXS Pro data record contains information about a source file. A thumbnail image of the file and some basic data (such as the file size, and when it was created) are included in the record when you acquire the source file. You can add to each record by entering data in text fields and attaching keywords. THUMBNAILS A thumbnail is a smaller version (in both actual size and disk space required) of an image. When you acquire an image, movie, or 3D file, ImageAXS Pro includes a thumbnail version of the file in the data record. KEYWORDS Keywords are terms you choose that describe one or more source files in a collection. They may describe the literal content of a file (such as objects in a photo, or events in a video clip) or its subjective aspects (for example, adjectives like beautiful or intense). Unlike information in text fields, keywords do not have to conform to a category that applies to every file in a collection. You simply add them to the Keyword List for the collection, then attach them to one or more records as you see fit. Keywords are powerful search tools. If you add keywords extensively across a collection, you'll be able to find almost unlimited combinations of records instantly based on keyword searches. ImageAXS Pro lets you organize keywords into hierarchies (or families) so that one keyword may contain several related keywords. For example, the keyword "United States" might have child keywords for each of the 50 states; attaching a keyword for one of the states (such as "California") to a data record would attach the "United States" keyword as well. IMAGEAXS PRO MACINTOSH USER'S GUIDE 1-3 WHAT IS IMAGEAXSTM PRO? 1 VIEWS Views are different ways of displaying information about a collection and/or its records. ImageAXS Pro offers four different views, including two ways to look at all of the records in a collection: · · The Thumbnails View displays thumbnail images for each record in a collection. The Text List View displays the text field data (in a row-andcolumn table format) for each record in a collection. The other two views let you see information about individual records that you select: · · The Info Sheet View displays the thumbnail, text data, and keywords associated with a source file. The Source File View displays image or 3D files, or plays movie, sound, or animated GIF files. GETTING HELP AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT Because Digital Arts & Sciences is committed to helping you get the most out of ImageAXS Pro, we have provided several different options to assist you in learning how to use the program and resolving any problems that you encounter. BALLOON HELP Balloon Help button Virtually every menu item, button, and dialog box option in ImageAXS Pro includes Balloon Help, which provides a brief explanation of what that item, button, or option does. To see Balloon Help, click the Balloon Help button in any ImageAXS Pro window or choose Show Balloons from the Help menu, then point at the item for which you want to see information. IMAGEAXS PRO HELP ImageAXS Pro Help button ImageAXS Pro also includes extensive Apple Guide­based online help, with step-by-step instructions for accomplishing most of the tasks in the program. To open ImageAXS Pro Help, click the Help button in any ImageAXS Pro window or choose ImageAXS Pro Help from the Help menu. IMAGEAXS PRO MACINTOSH USER'S GUIDE 1-4 WHAT IS IMAGEAXSTM PRO? 1 IMAGEAXS PRO MACINTOSH USER'S GUIDE Use this manual for a broader narrative overview of how ImageAXS Pro works, and to see screen illustrations of the elements and features of the program. CUSTOMER SUPPORT Digital Arts & Sciences provides technical support for ImageAXS Pro users on the Internet, as well as by fax, telephone, or regular mail. For sales or upgrade information, product news, or answers to frequently asked questions, visit the Digital Arts & Sciences website at http://www.dascorp.com. NOTE You can access the Digital Arts & Sciences website while using ImageAXS Pro by selecting ImageAXS on the Web from the Help menu. For technical support via email, send your questions and comments to support@dascorp.com. If you wish to fax your questions or comments, call (510) 814-6100. Free telephone support is only available to customers who have returned an ImageAXS Pro registration card or registered over the Internet (to do this, select Register ImageAXS Pro from the Help menu). If you are a registered ImageAXS Pro user, call our customer support department at (510) 814-7200 (press 1 at the main menu when the phone is answered). Telephone support for registered ImageAXS Pro users is available Monday through Friday between 9:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M, Pacific time. IMAGEAXS PRO MACINTOSH USER'S GUIDE 1-5 CHAPTER 2 GETTING STARTED ImageAXS Pro 2 2 GETTING STARTED IN THIS CHAPTER: System Requirements Starting ImageAXS Pro 2-1 2-1 2-4 2-5 Installing ImageAXS Pro Where Do I Go From Here? SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS To use ImageAXS Pro, your Macintosh must have the following minimum characteristics: · · · · · A CD-ROM drive (for installation only) 68030 or faster processor (Power Macintosh recommended) System 7.5 or more recent operating system 10 MB of RAM available (more if you will be managing large files or collections) 20 MB of hard disk space available INSTALLING IMAGEAXS PRO You can install ImageAXS Pro on your Macintosh in just a few minutes. Follow these instructions: STEP 1 Insert the ImageAXS Pro CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive. A window showing the contents of the CD-ROM appears on the desktop. (If this window does not appear, doubleclick the CD-ROM icon.) Double-click the ImageAXS Pro Installer icon in the disc contents window. The ImageAXS Installer window appears. Click Continue. The ImageAXS Pro license agreement window appears. Read the license agreement, then click Agree. The Easy Install dialog box appears. STEP 2 STEP 3 STEP 4 NOTE If you click Disagree, the installation process will be cancelled. IMAGEAXS PRO MACINTOSH USER'S GUIDE 2-1 GETTING STARTED 2 The Easy Install option installs the ImageAXS Pro application, a sample collection, various plug-ins and system extensions, folders containing AppleScripts and Web page templates, and a ReadMe document into a folder that you create later during the installation. In addition, the Easy Install option installs QuickTime 3.0 in the Extensions folder of the System Folder on your startup drive, replacing any older version of QuickTime you may have. (QuickTime will not be installed if you have a newer version on your system.) STEP 5 Click Install to begin the Easy Install, or choose Custom Install from the pop-up menu in the upper left corner of the dialog box to select installation options. If you click Install, skip to Step 7. The Custom Install dialog box contains six options. Click the checkbox next to an option to include it in the installation. · ImageAXS Pro This option installs the ImageAXS Pro application, along with supporting system extensions, plug-ins, scripts, and Web page templates. Sample Collection This option installs a sample data file you can use to help learn the basic features of ImageAXS Pro before you create collections of your own. The sample image files on which the collection is based are on the CD-ROM, but will not be installed. You may wish to copy these image files manually from the CD-ROM to your hard drive. Navigation Services Support This option installs a system extension that lets ImageAXS Pro use Mac OS Navigation Services dialog boxes for opening and saving files on computers running a Mac OS 8.0 or 8.1 operating system. Do not install Navigation Services Support if you are using Mac OS 8.5 or a more recent operating system. Also, the ImageAXS Pro Web Templates folder may not appear in Navigation Services dialog boxes on computers using Mac OS 8.0 or 8.1. · · NOTE The Navigation Services Support feature can only be installed as an option in the Custom Install dialog box. It is not part of the Easy Install files. IMAGEAXS PRO MACINTOSH USER'S GUIDE 2-2 GETTING STARTED 2 · QuickTime This option installs QuickTime 3.0 in the Extensions folder of the System Folder on your startup drive. User's Guide This option copies the ImageAXS Pro Macintosh User's Guide (the manual you are currently reading) into the folder where you install ImageAXS Pro. · The User's Guide can only be installed as an option in the Custom Install dialog box. It is not part of the Easy Install files. NOTE · Contextual Menu Module If your Macintosh has a PowerPC processor, this option installs a system extension that includes an "Acquire in ImageAXS" command in the contextual menus that appear when you press and hold CTRL on your keyboard, then click documents in the Finder (see Chapter 6, "Adding Your Files to a Collection"). Sample Scripts This option installs a folder of sample AppleScripts for users with advanced scripting skills to use as building blocks in creating their own scripts. (For more information, see the Scripts ReadMe document in the folder where you installed ImageAXS Pro.) · NOTE The Sample Scripts can only be installed as an option in the Custom Install dialog box. They are not part of the Easy Install files. STEP 6 Select the custom installation options you want, then click Install. A standard file dialog box appears, prompting you to choose where you want to install the files you selected. Choose a name and location for the folder containing your ImageAXS Pro files. If you do not change the default settings, the installer creates a folder named ImageAXS Pro on your startup disk. Click Install to begin installing ImageAXS Pro. A progress window appears as the ImageAXS Pro files you selected are installed. STEP 7 STEP 8 NOTE To cancel the installation, press COMMAND-PERIOD (z-.) on your keyboard. In the dialog box that appears, click Reinstall to return to the Easy install window. Click Quit to close the installer application entirely. A dialog box appears when the ImageAXS Pro installation is complete, prompting you to quit or install files again. IMAGEAXS PRO MACINTOSH USER'S GUIDE 2-3 GETTING STARTED 2 STEP 9 Click Quit. If you chose to install the ImageAXS Pro application, the QuickTime 3.0 installation process will begin. Use this same procedure to install optional files at a later time if you do not include them when you first install ImageAXS Pro. INSTALLING PLUG-INS Some of the files installed with ImageAXS Pro are plug-ins that work with other programs. These files need to be moved into other folders on your Macintosh. In the folder where you installed ImageAXS Pro, each plug-in is stored in a subfolder whose name tells you where to move the file. NOTE In the Finder, open each ImageAXS Pro subfolder and drag the plug-in inside it to the appropriate folder. Do not drag the subfolders out of the ImageAXS Pro folder; if you do, the plug-ins will not work properly. · Drag item into Photoshop Plug-ins If you have Adobe Photoshop installed on your Macintosh (or other image-editing applications that can use Photoshop plug-ins), drag the IAXAcquire/Export file contained here into the Plug-ins folder inside the Photoshop folder. Drag item into Preferences, TWAIN If you have software for capturing images from TWAINcompatible scanners installed on your Macintosh, drag the Source Manager file contained here into the TWAIN folder inside the Preferences folder of your System Folder. Drag item into Quark XTension If you have Quark XPress installed on your Macintosh, drag the ImageAXS PictureDrop file contained here into the XTension folder inside the Quark XPress folder. · · STARTING IMAGEAXS PRO To start ImageAXS Pro, open the folder in the Finder where you installed the ImageAXS Pro files, then double-click the ImageAXS Pro application icon. If you are using ImageAXS Pro for the first time, you will see an empty window with the ImageAXS Pro menu bar at the top of the screen. (If you have used ImageAXS Pro before, any collections that were open when you last closed the program will automatically open.) ImageAXSTM Pro application icon IMAGEAXS PRO MACINTOSH USER'S GUIDE 2-4 GETTING STARTED 2 OPENING A COLLECTION To start working with ImageAXS Pro, you must open a collection. If you have not created any collections (for example, if you are using ImageAXS Pro for the first time), you can either create a new collection (see Chapter 5, "Creating a New Collection") or open the sample collection. Opening and viewing the sample collection is a good way to learn the basic features of ImageAXS Pro (see Chapter 3, "Viewing Collections"). To open the sample collection: STEP 1 Choose Open Collection from the File menu (z-O). A dialog box appears, prompting you to select a collection to open. In the dialog box, locate the folder where you installed ImageAXS Pro. Double-click the icon labeled Sample Collection.db. You can recognize collections by the ImageAXS Pro file icon and/or the ".db" extension at the end of the file name. STEP 2 STEP 3 ImageAXSTM Pro ".db" file icon You can also open the sample collection (or any other ImageAXS Pro collection) in the Finder by dragging and dropping the collection icon on the ImageAXS Pro application icon. To open the sample collection (or any other ImageAXS Pro collection) if you have closed it recently, highlight Open Recent Collections in the File menu, then select the collection from the submenu that appears. WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE? If you have opened the sample collection, go on to Chapter 3 ("Viewing Collections") and Chapter 4 ("Viewing Records and Source Files"), which explain how to view collections, data records, and source files. If you want to get started using ImageAXS Pro to organize and manage your files, skip ahead to Chapter 5 ("Creating a New Collection"). After creating a collection of your own, return to Chapters 3 and 4 to learn about the different ways to look at your new collection. IMAGEAXS PRO MACINTOSH USER'S GUIDE 2-5 CHAPTER 3 VIEWING COLLECTIONS ImageAXS Pro 3 3 VIEWING COLLECTIONS IN THIS CHAPTER: Opening and Closing Collections Viewing Collections Viewing Thumbnails 3-2 3-7 3-9 3-12 3-14 3-1 Changing Thumbnails View Options Viewing Text Field Data Changing Text List View Options OPENING AND CLOSING COLLECTIONS Collections are the documents created by ImageAXS Pro. They consist of data records for each file on your computer that is associated with the collection, plus a thumbnail image that represents each file. With ImageAXS Pro, you can create and open as many collections as you want. NOTE Although ImageAXS Pro collections describe the files on your computer and storage drives, they do not contain the files themselves. You can move or delete the collection without affecting the original files, and vice versa. In the Finder, ImageAXS Pro collections are represented by two files: one with a ".db" extension (containing text information), and the other with a ".blob" extension (containing thumbnail images). If you want to move or rename a collection, you must move or rename both files. OPENING A COLLECTION To open a collection that you have used recently, highlight Open Recent Collections in the File menu, then select the collection from the submenu that appears. If the collection you want is not on the list, follow the steps below. To open a collection: STEP 1 Choose Open Collection from the File menu (z-O). A dialog box prompts you to select a collection to open. IMAGEAXS PRO MACINTOSH USER'S GUIDE 3-1 VIEWING COLLECTIONS 3 In the dialog box, locate and select a collection. You can recognize collections by the ImageAXS Pro file icon and/or the ".db" extension at the end of the file name. Double-click the collection name, or highlight it and click Open. STEP 2 ImageAXS Pro ".db" file icon STEP 3 You can also open any ImageAXS Pro collection in the Finder by dragging and dropping the collection icon on the ImageAXS Pro application icon. If you have used ImageAXS Pro before, any collections that were open when you last quit the program will automatically open the next time you start the progam. NOTE CLOSING A COLLECTION When you close a collection, all windows related to the collection (including those for all records and portfolios, and the Keyword and Portfolio Lists) will close automatically. To close an open collection: · With any window of the collection active, select Close Collection from the File menu. VIEWING COLLECTIONS ImageAXS Pro gives you two main ways to look at all of the records in a collection -- the Thumbnails View and the Text List View. These views share many common interface elements, which are discussed below. IMAGEAXS PRO HELP AND BALLOON HELP Each ImageAXS Pro collection window has three buttons in the upper right corner. Click the button on the far right to open ImageAXS Pro Help, an Apple Guide help file that provides step-bystep instructions for accomplishing most of the tasks in the program. Click the middle button to show Balloon Help, which provides a brief explanation of virtually every menu item, button, and dialog box option in ImageAXS Pro. After opening Balloon Help, just point at any item in a window to see information about that item. Click the Balloon Help button again to turn Balloon Help off. ImageAXS Pro Help Balloon Help IMAGEAXS PRO MACINTOSH USER'S GUIDE 3-2 VIEWING COLLECTIONS 3 COLLECTION INFO In the upper right corner of any ImageAXS Pro collection window, click the leftmost button to open the Collection Info dialog box. NOTE If information has been entered in the Collection Info dialog box, the Collection Info button will display a solid "i" symbol. An empty or outlined "i" indicates that no information has been entered for the current collection. Collection Info Use the Collection Info dialog box to enter general information (up to 32,000 characters) about your collection, or to edit information that you have already entered. You can type this information, or paste text that you have copied from another program.) The lower left corner of the Collection Info dialog box displays where the collection is located in the Finder. Collection Info window To save any changes you make and close the Collection Info dialog box, click OK. To close the dialog box without saving your changes, click Cancel. IMAGEAXS PRO MACINTOSH USER'S GUIDE 3-3 VIEWING COLLECTIONS 3 USING THE BUTTON PANEL The button panel along the left side of ImageAXS Pro collection windows gives you quick access to the basic ways to view and organize your collections. To show or hide the button panel, do either of the following: · · Select Show Buttons (or Hide Buttons, if the button panel is shown) from the View menu Click the Show/Hide Buttons icon on the upper left corner of most ImageAXS Pro windows. Show/Hide Buttons Here is a brief summary of what each button in the button panel does (from top to bottom): THUMBNAILS VIEW Displays the thumbnail images for all data records in the collection. TEXT LIST VIEW Displays the field data for all data records in the collection. INFO SHEET VIEW Displays the thumbnail image, field data, and keywords for a selected data record. SOURCE FILE VIEW Opens a read-only version of the source file for a data record. KEYWORD LIST Displays a list of keywords you have created to describe records in the collection. PORTFOLIO LIST Displays a list of smaller groups of records that you have created within the collection. SEARCH Lets you find records that share field data, keywords, and/or other characteristics. SORT Lets you reorder all records in the collection based on fields that you select. OPEN SELECTION AS PORTFOLIO Creates a new portfolio window containing the records you have selected. IMAGEAXS PRO MACINTOSH USER'S GUIDE 3-4 VIEWING COLLECTIONS 3 FILE TYPE ICONS Image file icons The file type icon for a data record indicates the type of the source file and whether the source file is online. It appears to the left of the thumbnail caption for each record in the Thumbnails View, and at the left end of the data row for each record in the Text List View. The terms online and offline refer to whether ImageAXS Pro is able to find the source file for a record. For example, a source file located on a network drive that is not currently connected to your computer will be offline in ImageAXS Pro. Offline source files are indicated by a red "X" through the file type icon for the record. You cannot open the Source File View for records that are offline; in addition, you cannot copy, move, rename, delete, or edit the source files for these records. (For non-multimedia files, you will not be able to open the source file from within ImageAXS Pro.) For information on updating the location of offline source files, see "Updating Records" on page 11-5. Movie file icons Sound file icons 3D file icons Document file icons Application file icons File location pop-up window NOTE Click the file type icon to display the Finder location of the source file in a pop-up window. Select the file name from this pop-up window to open the source file in its original application, or select a disk or folder name to open that disk or folder in the Finder. CHANGING THE BACKGROUND COLOR ImageAXS Pro offers a choice of backgrounds, either of which is applied to all windows in the program. The default Dark Gray background, with text and buttons in light gray, is often preferred for viewing images. You may find the Light Gray background, with text and buttons in black, more useful for reading text information. Use the ImageAXS Pro Preferences dialog box to change the background color of all ImageAXS Pro windows at any time. IMAGEAXS PRO MACINTOSH USER'S GUIDE 3-5