Image Mine: Storage and recovery

This is the case of Image Mine, a product developed by Imagine Products Inc., manufacturer of the renowned application The Executive Producer, designed for video logging work. Image Mine is made up of a series of modules that serve to manage video resources. This application comprises a storage system and a recovery system that runs on Windows. It enables digital representation and stores electronically in low resolution to reduce costs and increase corporate access. It also offers powerful cataloging features such as the option of automatic scene detection, a function that saves time and promotes consistent information in the description of analog and digital content with texts and images.

As it is a modular application it is composed of Image Log, Image Browse, Image Library and Image Track. It has the patented function for this Auto Capture Technology (ACT) application to detect changes in scenes.

It is an easy-to-use module with text writing capability and editing options. It includes a professional spelling driver as well as search and replace functions. It allows the change of fonts, adjustment of fields and review functions by means of a browser or the software for logging. The latter automatically records timecodes or allows users to enter and adjust this information manually. It allows you to select the catalogs for printing and print the log files in various formats, including storyboard, reports and tables. Image Mine exports files for scanning in the most popular non-linear editors.

The Image Mine module package allows you to do general searches via web or LAN search modules. Alternatively, the logging module offers a much wider range of search possibilities for detailed questions, sorting, sequences of editing results, construction of EDLs and print controls.

You can select the search fields. All results can be printed or sent via email in HTML format using the browser functions available. Question parameters about a specific clip can be saved for later uses.

It is the function that, by default, includes this application for the maintenance of the Image Mine database module. This Visual FoxPro application makes it possible to simply adjust fields, directly edit information, organize, and add or modify user profiles. To use this module it is necessary to have privileges of the administration level.

Database information is organized and cataloged when a log is sent to this module from Image Log. It assigns labels or barcodes to each of the new global recordings (videotapes) and this information is integrated into the database. This way, it doesn't take long to identify a separate file. The system creates three levels of organized information: global information (videotapes), non-global information (clips), and media objects. This structure offers great advantages such as the quick search of the level of tape information to the numerical cataloging of each recording. Separating text from media objects keeps database files in small sizes and easily backed up. Media objects are stored in their original formats and are independent of the database. This reduces the risk of corrupted information within the files.

This module is responsible for inventory management. It provides control options over traffic operations such as the physical output of a material from the archive, the entry of the same and the printing of labels. Within its functions it also offers historical reports of use and inventory reconciliation. Likewise, it offers the possibility of printing and reading labels with barcodes and the design of its own stamps for the marking of videotapes.