Image Viewer
Page Contents
Using the Zoomify Viewer
You can only access this part of the website if you have an account and have logged in. Due to the extensive use of Java programming language throughout the website, some browsers do not function optimally when using the manuscript image viewer. Safari (Mac) is one browser in which the commenting tools lack some features. For Mac users we recommend the free browser, Firefox.
Registered users of the DIAMM website have access to very high quality images of the original manuscripts. Because of the size of these images, they are displayed using a special image viewer which ensures that they can be quickly downloaded. The image viewer offers a number of tools which allow you to zoom in to a very high level of detail, and navigate around the image. Please note that in order to use the Image Viewer your browser must have support for the Macromedia Flash player, version 6 or later. If you do not have the plugin installed, you will find instructions on how to obtain it from the Adobe website or your browser may give you an error message that directs you to the download page.
The following image illustrates what you might typically see when using the viewer. Please note that the appearance will vary very slightly depending on the type of computer (for example, Mac or PC) and the web browser you are using.
- The grey triangle can be clicked (PC users: using the left mouse button) and dragged to the right to increase the level of zoom. Moving to the right will zoom in to the image; moving to the left will zoom out.
- The plus and minus buttons offer a second way of controlling the level of zoom, but are easier to use for finer adjustments. Clicking the plus sign will zoom in to the image, clicking the minus sign zooms out.
- The arrows can be used to pan the image around. This is important when you have increased the zoom level since much of the image will run off the screen.
- Clicking this symbol will reset the image to the default level of zoom, i.e. completely zoomed out.
- This smaller representation of the manuscript image remains in the top left hand corner of the screen. When you have zoomed in, the portion of the overall image you are viewing is indicated on this part of the screen by a red box.
The next image shows what the Image Viewer looks like once the zoom level has been increased:
- The pointer appears when you move your mouse over the image. By clicking (PC users: using the left mouse button) and dragging the mouse, the image can be panned around freely to reveal parts of the image which are off the screen.
- The red box here represents the portion of the complete image visible. The box can be dragged around by clicking and dragging with the mouse to pan the main image.
In some browsers pressing the shift or alt/option keys, or right/left clicking with the mouse on the image will cause the image to zoom in or out. If you resize your window the area available to view the MS will increase. To maximize the viewing area, click on the small ‘close tab’ icon at the top left of the Tools Palette.
The text below the image is extremely important as it gives the copyright holder (if you wish to obtain a personal copy of the image, this is who you must contact) and, following the heading ‘Source’, the full information about the manuscript and the folio that you will need to cite in any reference to this page, or any request to the library for a copy. However, this is not simply static information:
- Clicking on the city name will open a new window that lists all the libraries and sources in that city
- Clicking on the library name will open a new window that is the library information page. At the top of the page you will see contact details for the library (if that is available), with a complete source list for the library given below (clicking on a manuscript shelf-mark in this list will open a window to the manuscript description page for that source.
- Clicking on the manuscript shelf mark will open the source description page
- Below the heading ‘Source’ you will see a number in square brackets preceded by the letter ‘s’. This is the source key number in the DIAMM database. You can cut and paste this number into the commenting tools attached to any image (see ‘Tools Palette’ below for further information) and this will create a live link to this manuscript.
- To the right of the source key number is another number in square brackets preceded by the letter ‘i’. This is the key number for the image, and if cut and pasted into a comment will create a live link to this image.
You can use this function to create a string of images linked to each other for e.g. teaching a course where you wish students to follow a trail of instructions from one image to the next, bypassing the browsing mechanism. This is also useful to direct other users to e.g. other sources for the same piece or music, instances of the same scribe in other manuscripts or pages of the same manuscript in other libraries. Alternatively you may simply use this to link between images in which you are interested.
The Tools Palette
To the right of the zoomable image you will see a Tools Palette with a number of button headings.
- Public Comments
- My Private Notes
- Other images I've commented on
- Transcriptions
- Catalogue Images
When you click on any of these buttons a content area appears below it, and the button becomes active. You can ‘open’ any or all of these buttons simultaneously.
Public Comments, My Private Notes and Transcriptions are interactive tools that allow you to enter content. Anything entered in Public Comments or Transcriptions will be visible to all other users of the website. Anything entered in Private Notes is only visible to you when you are logged in.
Public comments and Transcriptions are cumulative and cannot be edited once the content is submitted. Other users may add to these fields. The most recent entry appears at the top of the list. Your private notes can be edited or changed.
Other images I’ve commented on provides you with a list of links to your other comments. This facility can also allow you to create work lists or pick-lists. It shows only the images to which you have added private comments. To access your complete lists of comments use the My DIAMM link to see your personal page (only visible if logged in).
The Catalogue images button will show links to images of the original catalogue pages for the manuscript you are viewing. Clicking on a link will split the viewer window and show the catalogue page to the right. At the bottom of the second image you will find a link to close the new split window. And it works.
On certain images, a further button heading will appear at the top of the list:
This lists other versions of the image you are viewing, specifically ultra-violet imaging, or restored versions of the normal colour image. This button will only appear when these options are available. Clicking on any of the links in this tool will split your view screen into two, and bring the secondary image up beside the first one. Both images are zoomable.