CONTENTdm Online Help - Using the Thumbnail Manager

When JPEG or TIFF files are added to projects, CONTENTdm generates scaled down versions or thumbnails of the image for use within projects and in search results lists. However, with some types of items, such as music, oral histories, or documents, it may be more useful to have thumbnail images that represent all oral histories or all documents within a collection.

Using the Thumbnail Manager you may create and edit associations between thumbnail images and one or more file types, or add your own representational images to the Thumbnail Manager. This way, whenever you add a specified file type to a project, a predefined thumbnail image is generated for that file type. For example, you can associate MPEG, QuickTime, and AVI files with your own custom thumbnail image that represents all video files or use the video thumbnail image provided in CONTENTdm.

The preset thumbnail icons and file extensions within the Thumbnail Manager may be edited, updated or deleted with the exception of the Default thumbnail image which may be edited but not deleted. The Thumbnail Manager provides preset thumbnail icons for the following file types:

Video mpg, mov, avi

Audio wma, mp3, wav

PDF pdf

URL url

Default any undefined file extension

Images added to the Thumbnail Manager must be saved in JPEG format and may not be greater than 160 pixels wide or 120 pixels high.

Changes made within the Thumbnail Manager apply to the current project. To replicate these changes in other projects you must repeat the operation.

Adding a thumbnail to the Thumbnail Manager

To add a thumbnail image to the Thumbnail Manager, follow the steps below:

From the Tools menu in the Acquisition Station, select Thumbnail Manager. The Thumbnail Manager opens.
Click Add. The Add Thumbnail dialog box opens.
In the Media Type text box, enter information about the types of media this thumbnail will be associated with. This information will not appear on your image, it is simply a user-defined title.
In the File Extensions text box, type any file extensions with which the image should be associated. Multiple file extensions must be separated by a comma. For example: wav, mp3, wmf. The same file extensions may not be used twice within the Thumbnail Manager.
Click Choose Thumbnail. The Open File dialog box appears.
Locate the thumbnail icon you want to add and click Open.
The new thumbnail image appears in the Add Thumbnail dialog box. Click OK. Click Close to exit the Thumbnail Manager. Now, whenever you add the specified file types to the project, the new thumbnail icon will always be used as a thumbnail representation for that file type. These changes will apply only to the current project.

Editing the Thumbnail Manager

Using the Thumbnail Manager, you can replace the thumbnail images for specified file types and add or edit file extensions associated with thumbnail images.

From the Tools menu in the Acquisition Station, select Thumbnail Manager. The Thumbnail Manager opens.
Highlight the thumbnail icon you wish to edit. Click Edit. The Edit Thumbnail dialog box opens.
Make changes directly in the Media Type or File Extensions text boxes or replace the existing image by clicking Choose Thumbnail.
Click OK to save your changes. These changes will be applied to all subsequent additions to the current project.

Deleting a Thumbnail Icon from the Thumbnail Manager

From the Tools menu in the Acquisition Station, select Thumbnail Manager. The Thumbnail Manager opens.
Highlight the thumbnail icon you wish to delete.
Click Delete. A dialog box asks you to confirm the deletion.
Click Yes.

Restoring a Deleted Thumbnail Icon to the Thumbnail Manager

If you delete one of the preset thumbnail icons from the Thumbnail Manager and want to restore the deleted icon, follow the steps below:

From the Tools menu in the Acquisition Station, select Thumbnail Manager. The Thumbnail Manager opens.
Click Add. The Add Thumbnail dialog box opens.
Click Choose Thumbnail. The Open File dialog box appears.
Locate the deleted thumbnail icon in the application directory. By default this location is C:\Program Files\DiMeMa\CONTENTdm Acquisition Station\icons.
Highlight the icon you want to restore and click Open.
The Add Thumbnail dialog box opens, displaying the selected icon. Add the media type and file extensions you want to associate with this icon and click OK. The deleted icon is now restored to your project.

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