Image Database

Image Database is searchable electronic catalog or database which allows you to organize and list images by topics, modules, or categories. The Image Database will provide the student with important information such as image title, description, and thumbnail picture. Additional information can be provided such as creator of the image, filename, and keywords that will help students to search through the database for specific images. Before you and your students can use Image Database, you must add it to your course. See Add Page or Tool for instructions on how to add an Image Database to your course.

An Image Database can ultimately contain as many images as you would like. You can put all images in one database or create multiple databases.

Upload the image files that you want to include in the database. See How to set up WebDAV to drag and drop files from your desktop to your course. Or see Manage Files to upload files.

From the Homepage or the Course Menu select the Image Database link.

The Image Database page displays. Select Add image database button from Options

The Add Image Database page displays. Type desired database title in Title: field and click the Add button.

The new image database displays in the Available databases. Select the link to the new image database you just created.

The Image Database Screen displays. Select the Add Image button

The Add Image screen displays. Type in relevant keywords in the *Keywords field. Type the owner of the image in the Creator: field. Type the path and filename in the *Filename: field or click the browse button and find the file in the My-Files area. Type a relevant title for this image in the Title: field. Type in the image description in the Description: field. Type the path and filename of the image thumbnail in the Thumbnail: field or click the browse button and find the file in the My-Files area. Select the Add button.

Note: Creator, Title, Description and Thumbnail are not required fields and do not require an entry.

Note: If you use a .gif or .jpg the database will automatically create a thumbnail when you select add.

The Image Database page displays with the new image and information.

To add additional images to the database repeat the above steps.

back to the top

You may find that you have information about an image that needs to be edited. If you have text in one column that needs to be changed, see Columns/Edit. If you have additional image information that needs to be changed, follow the steps below.

From the Homepage or the Course Menu select the Image Database link.

The Available Database page displays. Select the link to the image database that contains the image you want to edit. The Image Database page displays. Select the radio button beside the image you would like to edit and select the Edit button.

The Edit Record page displays. To change the *Filename: field select the New Image button. The New Image Screen displays. Type the path and filename in the field or click the browse button and find the file in the My-Files area. Select the Regenerate thumbnail checkbox if you would like the image database to create a new thumbnail for you. Select the Update button.

The Edit Record page displays again with the new image filename in the *Filename: field. If you did not have the image database regenerate the thumbnail for you on the previous screen, select the New thumbnail button. The New Thumbnail page displays. Type the path and filename of the image thumbnail in the Thumbnail: field or click the browse button and find the file in the My-Files area. Select the Update button. The Edit Record page displays again with the new image filename in the Thumbnail: field. Type the corrected information in *Keywords field, Creator: field, Title: field, and/or Description: field. Select the Update button.

The Image Database page displays with the new image and/or information.

back to the top

You may find that you no longer want an image to be included in your image database. You can delete images from a image database but they must be deleted one at a time.

Caution: You will not be able to "undo" this process. The image and all the associated data in it will be lost forever if it is deleted. If you are unsure, make a backup of the course before removing the database. See Restoring and Resetting a WebCT course into CE 4.1 for assistance with making a backup of your course.

From the Homepage or the Course Menu select the Image Database link.

The Available Database page displays. Select the link to the image database that contains the image you want to edit. The Image Database page displays. Select the radio button beside the image you would like to delete and select the Delete button.

The Delete Image confirmation window displays. Select OK button.

The Image Database page displays without the deleted image. To delete additional images from the database repeat the above steps.

back to the top

Columns in an image database allow you to provide your students with information. The following section will assist you with managing the columns within an image database.

A. Add

If you find that the default columns are not adequate for describing your images, you can add a column.

From the Homepage or the Course Menu select the Image Database link.

The Available Database page displays. Select the link to the image database that you want to add a column. The Image Database page displays. Under the Organize Options select the Manage columns button.

The Columns page displays.

Select the Add column button from the Organize options.

The Add Column page displays. Type the label of the new column in the Column label: field. Select the column type (text, alphanumeric, numeric) from the Column type: dropdown list and select the Add button.

The Columns page displays again with the new column.

back to the top

B. Edit

You may find that a column in an image database needs to be edited.

From the Homepage or the Course Menu select the Image Database link.

The Available Database page displays. Select the link to the image database that has the column you would like to edit. The Image Database page displays. In the Image List, under the column heading of the column that you want to edit, click Edit.

The Column Editor screen appears. Type in the new column text. Select the Update button.

The Image Database page displays and the column text is updated.

back to the top

C. Delete

You may find that you no longer want a column in an image database. Columns can be deleted if you want them to be permanently removed. See Remove Image Fields from Student View to temporarily hide a column.

Caution: You will not be able to "undo" this process. The column and all the data in it will be lost forever if the column is deleted. If you are unsure, make a backup of the course before removing the database. See Restoring and Resetting a WebCT course into CE 4.1 for assistance with making a backup of your course.

From the Homepage or the Course Menu select the Image Database link.

The Available Database page displays. Select the link to the image database that contains the column you would like to delete. The Image Database page displays. Under the Organize Options select the Manage columns button.

The Columns page displays. Select the checkbox above the column that you wish to delete in the Select row and under organize, select the Delete columns button.

The delete confirmation window displays. Select the OK button.

The columns page displays again without the deleted column.

back to the top

D. Sort

An image database can be sorted by a column. For example, you can sort the image records so they appear in alphabetical order according to image title.

From the Homepage or the Course Menu select the Image Database link.

The Available Database page displays. Select the link to the image database that you want to sort by column. The Image Database page displays. In the Image List, click the column heading that you want to use to sort the image records.

The Database screen refreshes, the selected column now displays a sort icon next to the column heading , and the column entries appear in bolded text.

back to the top

E. Reorganize

The columns in an image database can be reorganized. For example, you may decide you would rather have the Filename be the first column to display in the image database.

From the Homepage or the Course Menu select the Image Database link.

The Available Database page displays. Select the link to the image database that contains the column(s) you would like to reorganize. The Image Database page displays. Under the Organize Options select the Manage columns button.

The Columns page displays. Select the checkbox above the first column that you wish to move in the Select row. Under Organize, select the direction and distance of the move, and click the Go button.

The column is moved to the new location. To move additional columns repeat the above steps.

back to the top

F. Hide

If you have a large number of columns in an image database, it may become difficult to edit and view all columns at once. You can hide a column to make editing and viewing easier.

Note: Hiding a column does not hide the column in Student View. To prevent a column from being visible to your students, see Remove Image Fields from Student View.

From the Homepage or the Course Menu select the Image Database link.

The Available Database page displays. Select the link to the image database that contains the column you would like to hide. The Image Database page displays. Under the Organize Options select the Manage columns button.

The Columns page displays. Select the checkbox above the column(s) that you wish to hide in the Select row. Under Options, select Yes from the Hide columns: dropdown and click Go.

The Columns table refreshes displaying updated Hidden indicators for the selected columns. The columns are no longer visible when viewing the Image Database page.

back to the top

G. Edit label

You may edit the label of any non-reserved column in an image database. A non-reserved column is one you have added to the database. Reserved columns include:

• Keywords
• Creator
• Filename
• Title
• Description
• Thumbnail

From the Homepage or the Course Menu select the Image Database link.

The Available Database page displays. Select the link to the image database that contains the column you would like to change the label. The Image Database page displays. Under the Organize Options select the Manage columns button.

The Columns page displays. In the Select row, select the checkbox above the column that you wish to change the label . Under Options, type the new label name in the Change label: field and click the Go button.

The label is updated.

back to the top

You may find that you no longer need a complete image database in your course.

Caution: You will not be able to "undo" this process. The image database and all the data in it will be lost forever if the database is deleted. If you are unsure, make a backup of the course before removing the database. See Restoring and Resetting a WebCT course into CE 4.1 for assistance with making a backup of your course.

From the Homepage or the Course Menu select the Image Database link.

The Available Database page displays. Select the radio button beside the image database that you want to delete. Under Options, select the Delete button.

The delete confirmation window displays. Select the OK button.

The Image Database screen refreshes and the database is deleted.

back to the top

You may find that you would like to change the name of the image database.

From the Homepage or the Course Menu select the Image Database link.

The Available Database page displays. Select the radio button beside the image database that you want to rename. Under options, select the Rename button.

The Rename Image Database page displays. Type in the New Database Name in the New Title: field and select the Update button.

The Image Database screen appears and the database is renamed.

back to the top

By default, students can view all fields in the database. You can remove a field from student view temporarily. To deleted a column permanently from the image database see Delete under Columns.

From the Homepage or the Course Menu select the Image Database link.

The Available Database page displays. Select the link to the image database that contains the column you would like to remove from student view. The Image Database page displays. Under the Organize Options select the Manage columns button.

The Columns page displays. In the Select row, select the checkbox above the column(s) that you wish to remove from student view. Under Options, select No from the Release Columns: dropdown list and click the Go button.

The Columns table refreshes displaying updated Released indicators for the selected columns. The students will no longer be able to view the column(s) data.

back to the top

You may want to release an image field to the student view after you have removed it.

From the Homepage or the Course Menu select the Image Database link.

The Available Database page displays. Select the link to the image database that contains the column you would like to release to student view. The Image Database page displays. Under the Organize Options select the Manage columns button.

The Columns page displays. In the Select row, select the checkbox above the column(s) that you wish to release to student view. Under Options, select Yes from the Release Columns: dropdown list and click the Go button.

The Columns table refreshes displaying updated Released indicators for the selected columns. The students can now view the column(s) data.

back to the top