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Bringing in Objects

Submitted by Steel Rat on Tue, 06/27/2006 - 9:48am.

I want to start bringing in all the object images from my other gallery site, Free Image Archive , but I don't necessarily want to re-create the 50 odd categories I have there.

Do you all think all those categories are necessary? Keep in mind that not all the images have adequate descriptions or keywords, so sometimes the category is the only way they'll be found where expected.

If I do bring in all the categories, and can't do so in an automated way, it will take a looong time.

Steel Rat
RPGMapShare.com admin


‹ Additional custom fields Adding descriptions/comments to images we upload. ›
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Hylas
Hylas's picture
 Posted: Tue, 06/27/2006 – 2:48pm
I like the way that the Free Image Archive is arranged.  It is easy to find objects and you dont have to search through a million items to get to the ones you want.

On the other hand you could just come up with key terms that one would attach to the files they upload, maybe a drop down that has the list so that you choose one or two or however many drop downs you think are needed.

So I post a building.  I choose Structure under the first pull down.  The next pull down is Fantasy.  And maybe the last pull down is the author of the image incase you find someone who is making items that fits your concept you can seek out items they have made.  Then when I do my search I have the option of searching for the term "building" which will find it because that is part of the name of the image.  Or I can use the pull downs to choose all Buildings/Fantasy/Hylas and narrow down the search.

I would expect that with the images you have and if you make it easy to search and display the images there will be mountains of new images showing up.

Hylas

Steel Rat
Steel Rat's picture
 Posted: Tue, 06/27/2006 – 3:46pm

The search capability is already here, not in the form of drop downs, but just being able to enter something like structure fantasy hylas, would get you what you need, provided the terms were put into the keywords, description, etc.

 I'm thinking at this point of just sticking with high-level categories, such as Structures, Plants, Animals, People, Creatures (Meaning not people and not normal animals), Vehicles, Aircraft, Spacecraft, Weapons and Armor, Effects, Natural Cover, Misc Objects.

How does that sound? So all Fantasy, Sci-fi, and modern vehicles would be in the same album, but  could be separated by keywords. Or I could add the drop downs for classification when uploaded (is that what you meant?) using the custom fields. But again, those custom fields can't be forced, so it would be up to the people adding objects to be dilligent enough to do so. 

Steel Rat
RPGMapShare.com admin



Hylas
Hylas's picture
 Posted: Tue, 06/27/2006 – 4:29pm
Yes that is what I meant.  Classification dropdowns, that would ensure that searches had some criteria to look for.  And if you made it a mandatory thing for those who are posting to choose one or all of the catagories that would ensure that it would get done.  For me if you make it easy, it will get done.  This would also create a formula for the pieces that are posted so that searching would be easy.

The drop downs for the person posting would establish the criteria and if the person who is searching for an image is wanting to narrow down the search then they can choose the same drop down options that would allow them to look for a specific object.  So if I search for building with out a drop down it gives me all the buildings.  But if im looking for specifically fantasy buildings i could choose the dropdown for building and the one for fantasy and bam I am where I want to be.

There is a million ways to do it, 
Hylas

Steel Rat
Steel Rat's picture
 Posted: Tue, 06/27/2006 – 4:44pm

I need to be able to do it within the framework we have here.

Again, I can't make the custom fields mandatory on uploaded files, just don't have that kind of access.

I also can't add drop-downs for the search capability here, at least I don't think I can. I'll have to look into it.

Are you proposing no classification other than the drop-downs or keywords? Meaning no separate albums for the major types of objects? 

Steel Rat
RPGMapShare.com admin



Hylas
Hylas's picture
 Posted: Tue, 06/27/2006 – 4:56pm
I offer it up for a suggestion becaue if when you post something you choose the drop downs they would be assosiated with those search terms.  It would be an easy way to keep from going through the long process of setting it up for all the catagories.  Everything gets a word assosiated with it based on the drop downs.  Building/CityLevel/Fantasy/Hylas

Then if i search for any of those terms ill get a large catagory of items.  But as I refine my search then ill get the more narrowed down search.

If you give the dropdowns to the poster of the object then they can do their part to pick each catagory.  If you can make it a mandatory thing when posting by making it so that each catagory of drop down must be chosen then that is best because then you can factor in the catagories in the search you give the user of the image.  Then if you can give the searcher the option of doing a search or choosing the drop downs to narrow the search down.  

If they want 

Building/CityLevel/Fantasy 

then it will list all of the images that meet that criteria. 

I'm suggesting this with out knowing what the capabilities of the site are.  Making the catagories already defined like on Free Image Database is awesome but if possible this will save you time now and in the future you would not have to put the item in the catagory that would always be defined by the drop downs the poster chooses.  Less upkeep we would hope.

Hylas

Steel Rat
Steel Rat's picture
 Posted: Tue, 06/27/2006 – 5:08pm

Lol, been trying to tell you the capabilities. I can add the drop downs in the gallery section when editing an image, but I can't make them mandatory, nor can I force them to even be seen without some heavy template manipulation and coding, which means killing my upgradeability of the gallery software.

And it doesn't look like i can add drop downs for searching with Drupal or Gallery2. 

So, I think I'm  stuck with making all the categories, or just the high level ones as I mentioned, and try to encourage people to add relevant keywords, or make use of the image drop-downs.

 And, assuming I add three or four sets of drop-downs in the Gallery >Edit Item, what specifically would you expect to see in the drop downs? Keeping in mind they will not be dynamic, meaning selecting one will not auto-populate the next.

I'm thinking something similar to the high-level categories for the first one (Structures, vehicles, animals, people, creatures),  then the genre for the second (Fantasy, Modern, Sci-Fi, Historic, Generic), what else?

Steel Rat
RPGMapShare.com admin



Steel Rat
Steel Rat's picture
 Posted: Tue, 06/27/2006 – 6:06pm

The other problem is that the drop-downs aren't specific to an album.  They would be visible for any kind of upload, map or object. 

So, I think I'm going to have to stick with the categories, separate albums. 

Steel Rat
RPGMapShare.com admin



Hylas
Hylas's picture
 Posted: Tue, 06/27/2006 – 6:24pm
That sounds good too....

:) 

Hylas