The last six weeks saw a host of usability improvements that will make your daily work more productive. We added discovery features like OCR, new filter capabilities, and some awesome selection tools. Productivity improvements include SFTP upload, bulk Folder/Collection moving, and new upload notifications. And we've enhanced security with file-based blocking and collection embargoes.
And just a reminder - the CI Hub launch discount runs until November 15th.
Automatic OCR of visible text in images
Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is one of the most mature and valuable Artificial Intelligence features. It can provide clues to content on images. And it's also useful for scans of articles, awards, and other ephemera. Making this information searchable can be a massive improvement in content discoverability. All OCR text is added to the file's metadata in MediaGraph and is factored into the general search.
Like all AI features, it's not foolproof, but it generally works well. It can even understand handwriting and gets better with each passing day.
OCR is now available for all uploaded images on all account levels.
Secure FTP (SFTP) uploads, including direct from camera
SFTP uploads are now possible in all upload pipelines - direct to folders, group contribution requests, Lightbox uploads, and ad hoc upload requests. SFTP is a little more technical than drag and drop in the web interface, but it has some advantages. SFTP software is handy for large uploads or uploads through a slow or unstable internet connection. The FTP software manages the uploads better than a web browser, can retry better, and can report failures due to loss of connection.
FTP also allows you to upload directly from FTP-enabled cameras, a huge workflow advantage for event coverage and social media feeds.
File-based visibility and download controls
Permissions in MediaGraph are governed mainly by the collection(s) a file is in and the group permissions attached to that collection. In addition, we have introduced file-based blocking for both visibility and download. This allows a content manager to prohibit the viewing or downloading of a particular file by all regular members and most admins.
The Block setting can be attached to specific Rights Packages so that you can prevent viewing or downloading of files with restricted rights.
https://vimeo.com/758902011
Collection embargo
You can now set an embargo date on your Collections. This keeps the Collection invisible to most viewers until the date and time of the embargo expires. In addition, this allows you to create Collections before an announcement and have them available at a predetermined time.
Selection improvements
We've added a lot of functionality to the selection tools in MediaGraph. These enhancements make it easier to find specific files contained in extensive Collections and to see the relationship between the files and the Collections. Here is a list of the enhancements:
• Maintain selected files when filtering or changing containers
• Toggle viewing between selected and unselected files
• Invert selection
• Undo Deselect
Taken as a whole, this provides a whole new workflow for making selections quickly and with confidence. Watch the video below to get a sense of the power of these features.
Containers can work as filters
You can now use any container as a filter when looking at a group of files. This lets you find precisely which files are in two different containers (e.g., two Collections or a Collection and a Lightbox, etc.). As with the selection improvements above, you probably need to see this in action to understand the power. Check out the video below.
Email notifications added to all upload pipelines
You can now add notifications to all upload pipelines. This can alert specific team members whenever a new file comes in through a contribution request.
Custom Download Statement
You can now set an account-wide statement shown whenever a user downloads files from the account. Notify the person downloading of general restrictions or other terms of use.
Custom Sort order for Subcollections in Table of Contents View
It's now possible to rearrange sub-collections in the Table of Contents view according to several criteria: alphabetical, create date, modification date, size of the collection, or custom order. This lets you decide which sub-collections are seen first by your account members. Use this to make relevant content more discoverable.
Bulk folder/collection moves
We have created several new ways to move Collections, Folders, and Lightboxes. This is particularly valuable for moving a large number of containers. Watch the video below to see how it works.