Message-Id: <199612172121.PAA06480@library.wustl.edu> Date: Tue, 17 Dec 1996 15:12:38 -0600 From: "P. Bryan Heidorn" <mailto:heidorn@ALEXIA.LIS.UIUC.EDU> Subject: Re: FINDING IMAGES IN A DATABASE To: mailto:IMAGELIB@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
The last version of QBIC that I saw could accept freehand sketches as part of a query, it could also shrink wrap around an object that you circle and use the edges of the shrink wrap to search (I do not know if that is in the commercial version). One problem with the approach is that the images that you are searching need to have been indexed on nearly the same outline, that is someone had to have done the outlining during indexing. The technique they use is size and 2D orientation independent (well, almost) but would fail on 3D rotation. If memory serves, they do this by reducing sketches to a standard size and orientation. This is a a variant of a disproven vision theory of the 60's. No commercial product that I know of (or research system, for that matter) can deal with the 3D orientation problem. It might work for you depending on the details of your problem.As of 6 months ago Virage did not do real shape recognition but had some pretty powerful tools for "structure" and "composition" analysis that might help you depending on what your real needs are.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ P. Bryan Heidorn Graduate School of Library and Information Science mailto:pheidorn@uiuc.edu University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (V)217/ 244-7792 501 East Daniel St., Champaign, IL 61820-6212 (Fax)217/ 244-3302 http://alexia.lis.uiuc.edu/~heidorn
On Tue, 17 Dec 1996, Dlrc wrote:
> >
> > I've heard of something else (QBIS?) with a sketch pad facility (like
> > Adobe Illustrator) to draw irregular shapes or click on a shape within an
> > image to find. Has anyone else come across this and a supplier? I've done a
> > Web search in MetaCrawler and Yahoo under QBIS which may be a misnomer.
> > When I do a search doing image, serch, software I come up with 7 hits which
> > includes VIRAGE, other stuff less relevant. Any guidance appreciated!
> >
> > Jennifer QCA
>
> You could try QBIC (Query By Image Content), a form of pattern matching
> within databases. I'm not awar4e of any packages that may include this
> - I've only come across it as on-going research. Unfortunately I've no
> access to Web at the moment, but hope this is of some help.
>
> Paul Sawtell
> Digital Libraries Research Centre
> Southampton University mailto:dlrc@soton.ac.uk
>