Aviary User Guide

Explore

How-to articles

What is an Index?

Last edited 72 days ago by Kevin Glick

In Aviary, an index is time-coded metadata (names, subjects, keywords, partial transcripts, locations, hyperlinks, etc.) that is attached to audiovisual media files, and references the places where they occur in the media file (timecode). In this way, an Aviary index is similar to an index typically found at the end of a book, which has similar references to the pages that such metadata can be found on. Rather than page number references, an Aviary Index includes timecode references.

The Data Model of an Index

Indexes can be either created in Aviary or imported into Aviary. No matter how they are created, all indexes are stored as data in two different database tables. Each index has a single database entry in the file_indexes table describing the index itself. Each index can have one-to-many time coded segments, with each stored as a separate entry in the file_index_points table.

⁠

Currently, an Aviary index can be very simple. It is only required that an index have a title, which is supplied during creation or import, and at least one segment with a supplied segment title.

In addition to title, Indexes contain can also include other metadata, including a descriptive note, language, access permissions, sort order compared to other indexes assigned to the same media file.

In addition to title, Index segments can also include other metadata, including start and end times, segment synopsis, partial transcript, GPS coordinates, GPS description, GPS zoom level, subjects, keywords, and hyperlinks.

How Indexes are created

Indexes can be created manually in the Aviary web interface by choosing the Create Index from the three dot menu on the index tab of the resource detail screen. For more info

Indexes can be imported one-at-a-time by choosing the Upload Another Index from the three dot menu on the index tab of the resource detail screen. Uploaded indexes must meet either the WebVTT Web Video Text Tracks format (

https://www.w3.org/TR/webvtt1/⁠

), or the the OHMS: Oral History Metadata Synchronizer schema (

https://www.avpreserve.com/nunncenter/ohms/ohms.xsd⁠

). For more information on the conceptual framework and theory of OHMS indexing, see: Indexing Interviews in OHMS: An Overview (

http://ohda.matrix.msu.edu/2014/11/indexing-interviews-in-ohms/⁠

Indexes can be imported in bulk. For more information on bulk importing see:

Add Transcripts and Indexes to a Resource#AddIndexesandTranscriptsasBulkImports⁠

⁠

Aviary file_index_points table mapping

Aviary file_index_points table mapping

Aviary Field Name

Database Field

OHMS XML Index Point Tag

WebVTT Cue Block Element

Segment Title

title

<title>

cue identifier

Segment Start Time

start_time

<time>

cue timing timestamp before the string "-->"

Segment End Time

end_time

cue timing timestamp after the string "-->"

Segment Duration

duration (end_time - start_time)

Segment Synopsis

synopsis

cue text payload

Partial Transcript

partial_script

<partial_transcript>

GPS Description

gps_description

<gps_text>

GPS Zoom Level

gps_zoom

<gps_zoom>

GPS Coordinates

gps_latitude, gps_longitude

<gps>

Hyperlink

hyper_link

Hyperlink Description

hyper_link_description

<hyperlink_text>

There are no rows in this table

⁠

Want to print your doc?
This is not the way.

Try clicking the ⋯ next to your doc name or using a keyboard shortcut (

CtrlP

) instead.