Message-Id: <199706052249.PAA46722@dns.ccit.arizona.edu> Date: Fri, 6 Jun 1997 08:56:00 +1000 From: Jennifer Brasher <mailto:J.Brasher@INS.GU.EDU.AU> Subject: Re: database construction To: mailto:IMAGELIB@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
A summary Maureen Burns collated last year for Cumulus from VRA Listserv might assist. Jennifer>X-Sender: mailto:maburns@e4e.oac.uci.edu
>Mime-Version: 1.0
>Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 10:53:24 -0800
>Reply-To: Visual Resources Association <mailto:VRA-L@UAFSYSB.UARK.EDU>
>Sender: Visual Resources Association <mailto:VRA-L@UAFSYSB.UARK.EDU>
>From: Maureen Burns <mailto:maburns@UCI.EDU>
>Subject: Cumulus Summary/Sun Inquiry
>To: Multiple recipients of list VRA-L <mailto:VRA-L@UAFSYSB.UARK.EDU>
>
>Sincere thanks to everyone who replied to my Cumulus inquiry - the
>information that you provided was very helpful and is summarized below. I am
>very grateful for you timely responses.
>
>I have another similar question if anyone has the time or the inclination to
>respond. I am meeting with one of the computer people on campus this week to
>discuss Sun systems. I gather that this is a Unix system with relatively
>inexpensive workstations. I will be happy to summarize replies to the list
>and let you all know more after our meeting if you are interested. Thank you
>in advance.
>
>Cumulus is a network image database product designed and marketed by Canto
>Software Inc. which is a German company with offices in San Francisco (phone
>415-905-0300, fax 415-905-0315, email mailto:sales@cantosoftware.com, web address
>www.canto-software.com/). It appears that support questions are emailed to
>Germany and general inquiries to San Francisco. According to a short macWEEK
>article from 10-21-96, version 3.0 will be ready for shipping at the end of
>October; the basic desktop version costs $99.95, the 5-client network
>version $1,995, the 20-client package $4,995 (the web page does not have
>these updated prices or much info on the 3.0 version yet). Apparently,
>Cumulus is both a database tool and an image browser; information can be
>catalogued about thousands of multimedia files in a searchable database that
>can be shared over a network. AppleScript automates the database functions
>and it can be linked to Filemaker. Apparently their biggest markets are in
>publishing and communications, stock photography and graphic design.They are
>developing UNIX and Windows versions, but they are not yet available.
>
>The 3.0 update is supposed to provide the following:
>1. mulitple thumbnail sizes;
>2. a new compression algorithm using the JPEG standard;
>3. Cumulus Internet Image Server which searches for and downloads
>catalogued images;
>4. automatic insertion of text from Adobe Illustrator and Acrobat files
>into the Cumulus notes field for searching;
>5. logs images that are copied or previewed and by whom;
>6. support UserLand Frontier scripting as well as AppleScript;
>7. searches all databases automatically.
>
>Many nice features were mentioned by the respondents. The client/server
>architecture is easy on network traffic. The searches are fast and indexed
>on every word in the notes field. Apparently there are three enterable
>fields: keyword, notes, and image name (file type and color-mode are
>gathered automatically). A flexible keyword structure can be set up
>hierarchically. It handles a wide range of file formats. Images can be
>stored online or offline and the location is recorded. It is easy to set-up,
>learn, and teach with drag and drop features. The HTML export feature is
>very nice as well as the ability to launch many related programs. It has the
>look and feel of a real thesaurus with related terms and preferences to
>insure unique keywords. The potential to import controlled vocabulary is
>there though it might be difficult to do.
>
>Some of the drawbacks were also mentioned. It is a necessity ot have a
>Mac-based server (at this time, UNIX and Windows in progress) thought the
>clients can be non-Mac machines. Apparently, you can't mark and display; it
>is not possible to create database sets of selected images from searches.
>There are a limited number of fields. It is not SQL compliant. The manuals
>are minimal and the documentation thin though it is supposedly very
>intuitive and easy to use. The user can manipulate the stored images which
>could get a little scary. It seems to lack the data gathering/cataloguing
>potential the the VR community is used to and it may not have enough of the
>specific features needed for slide collections. It does not offer MARC-like
>cataloguing options. There is a lack of flexibility in the way it displays
>thumbnails.
>
>In summary, it certainly looks like an interesting product in the commercial
>realm that it would be nice to have demonstrated at the NY new technologies
>roundup (?) though you can download a demo version from the web page too. It
>is on the list of "Image Browsers" that Susan Jane Williams sent to the
>listserv in preparation for the "Data Migration" workshop as well suggesting
>that it will be discussed there. The highest profile user of the program to
>date is the Disney archives and both Adina and Paul seem very fond of it for
>their purposes (only two other repsondents mentioned that they are actually
>using it).The colleagues who contacted me and specifically mentioned that
>they are available to answer additional questions are Paul Andersen at
mailto:>paul_andersen@online.disney.com and Chris Orr (though this is a secondhand >offer via the Imagelib listerserv) at mailto:chriso@bc.aw.com. I hope that you find
>this of some use. Please feel free to contact me if I can provide additional
>information.
> Best wishes,
> Maureen
>Maureen Burns, Senior Curator
>Visual Resources Collection
>University of California, Irvine
>104 Studio Four
>Irvine, CA 92697-2785
mailto:>MABURNS@UCI.EDU >Voice (714) 824-8027
>Fax (714) 824-2450
>
VIEWS EXPRESSED MAY BE PERSONAL,NOT NECESSARILY UNIVERSITY POLICY. ******************************************************************************
Jennifer Brasher `` ` ` ` EMAIL: mailto:J.Brasher@ins.gu.edu.au QCA Library Slides/ Digital Images `` ` ` VOICE: +61 (07) 3875 3132
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