This new interface is designed to combine both browsing and searching into one application. Allowing quick and easy refining of results.
For example you can run a keyword search, and then narrow the result set further by using the selections in the left hand sidebar. These give you a preview of now many images match each filter. Simply click the filter name to narrow your search.
Once you select a filter it will appear in the filter bar along the top - this shows you the filters you currently have active.
If you get too few results, can disable any of the filters so it no longer applies to the visible images. Just use the tickbox in the filter to disable it.
There is no need even to search first, can just browse the extensive collection using the filter lists.
Other options including viewing your filtered results on a map or expand the available details shown - use the drop-down top right to select a different display method.
Once you have used the application for a bit, please fill out our Feedback form - Thank you!
Why did you make this?
As an experiment to find a better way to find images in the Geograph Archive. General 'keyword' searches, or 'near X location' searches, do work well to find images. But as the number of images in the database increases, the number of images these simple searches return increases too. For example a simple search for "beach" returns fourty seven thousand images! Far to many to be able to look though.
So this interface introduces the concept of filters. Filters allow you to further restrict the images, such as by location, date, or type of image. The possible filters are presented in list format, with number of images in each, for easy and quick access. When there are many, its possible to search to find the exact one looking for.
- Remember this is definitly a work in progress. Lots of useful features haven't been implemented yet.
Where can I find more detailed manual?
Sorry, its not ready yet. We will update this question when it is! (iI the meantime please try the Tour)
Whats the difference between red X and tickbox on filters?
The red X completely forgets about the filter, whereas the tickbox allows you to temporally disable a filter. A disabled filter has no effect on the results, but remains in the list so it can be quick reenabled later! This is useful to make quick comparisons
What does 'Sample by' do?
These special filters apply a deduplication routine to the matching images. For example selecting "contributor" as a sample by will mean the results will contain at most only a few images from each contributor. These are most useful when a resultset tends to be dominated by one particular attribute. Using this filter allows you to cut down on the similar images, and get a diverse range of results.
Why can I search placenames in the 'Near' box, and/or the attribute lists?
Both of these search by location, but in a slightly different way. In the sidebar attribute lists, each photo is allocated to one single place. Many photos all around the location will be allocated to that place. However we are using a certain gazetteer of placenames, and it might not match what you expect. For this reason we have the Near box as well. Here can enter a wider range of placenames (and postcodes/grid-references), and search images within a configurable radious, making it more powerful.
Why can I only see a limited number of pages of results?
The search engine powering this interface, can provides access to the first 1000 results of any given search. However remember this interface provides powerful filtering capablities, so rather than blindly flicking though page after page of results, narrow your criteria to view specific sub-sections at a time. TIP: Use the back button, if you add a filter that narrows your results too much; this will remove the filter, so can try again.
What does the 'Grab Link' function do?
This automatically fetches a nice short url to the current view. Short urls are useful to send by email or twitter etc, as they are less likly to get broken (which tends to happen with long urls).
What does the 'History' window do?
When you select a filter, remove a filter or change the search terms, or even choose a different display mode, the state is saved into the history list. This allows you to quickly go back to a previous point. (for example if you've applied too many filters, and not getting any images)
The headings in the left sidebar, show various attributes of the images matching the current active filters.
Under each heading is a list of the top 10 most used attributes, click the 'more' link to expand a particular group to see more details. Can also use the Search link to jump quicker to a particular filter. Can click a filter in the search results the same way as in the sidebar listing.
When you hover your mouse over a filter name, will also see a 'exclude' link, use these Negative filters to remove images of that type from the results area. (see the filters tab above for more)
Finally can click the group heading to collapse the whole group if you are not interested in seeing results for the particular group.
There are two types of filters, ones selected from the Attribute Lists and ones entered manually as Keywords search terms. Can either enter keywords which match against all textual fields of images. Or can enter a placename/grid reference/postcode in the Location box to only get images near that location. (once entered can choose how big a circle to search)
Click the small X in the search boxes to remove that that filter
The filter bar along the top of the content area - below the keywords search box - shows your currently active filters. One in green or red affect the images displayed.
Filter Key:
Positive: Only images matching all Positive filters will be shown
Negative: No images matching Nagative filters will be shown
Disabled: This filter has no effect on the search results.
Click on the filter itself to toggle Positive/Negative. This changes if it includes or excludes images from the results.
Click on the small tickbox to toggle Active/Disabled. A disabled filter doesnt apply, they are however useful to keep in the list so can be quickly reenabled later, to reapply filter (a sort of save for later.
However can also click the red X symbol to completely remove a particular filter.
The map display mode, shows thumbnails matching the current filters.
Click a small thumbnail to get a bigger version of the image.
Drag and zoom the map to explore other areas, as you zoom in more images will automatically load
Once you have zoomed the map will get an automatic "Map Extents" filter, which means only results matching the current map view are shown in the Attribute Lists and on the map.
Remove the "Map Extents" filter by clicking its X and the map will go back to showing the coverage of the images matching the other filters
Click the map to get a circle. Or if you have searched using the "Location" filter, will already have a circle centered on the location.
How to use Circle:
hover your mouse over the circle to get toggles to appear
drag the center toggle to move the circle
drag a edge toggle to resize the circle
use the back arrow to undo a bad resize
click inside the circle to recenter and zoom the map on the circle
Remove the circle by clicking the X in the Near search box
This is a specialist display mode, that allows filtering and sorting by date all in one function.
Just drag the toggle on the slider, to vary the central date. The images will automatically refresh to show images taken closest to that date.
Of course when in timeslider mode can use the various filters to refine what images are available. The slider bar automatically scales to show the date range of the images matching the current filter.
Can still use the Taken Years Attribute to restrict images to a smaller time period.
Use the filters, search and sorting options, and your recent history will be
shown here. Use the back button to move back down the list, - or use a Go
button
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would be a good time to enable it.
Start your search, by entering term(s) above; or or .
This interface has been tested mostly in Google Chrome browser, and Mozilla Firefox. Others will probably work, but not sure how well (however it is known there are a few major issues with Internet Explorer).