Third Light Hints and Tips
The following hints and tips are designed to help new users of IMS, or existing users who would like to make the most of the latest features. Each tip is designed to give you a small, self-contained explanation of a particular feature. If you have any queries or feedback, please fee free to drop a note through to support.
We also have an RSS feed of these tips, to which you can subscribe here 
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Publishing Files
"Publishing" a file means it is hosted on IMS as a fixed URL, which can be used to include the file on other pages such as intranet sites, web pages or in email campaigns.
Publishing is enabled on IMS Appliances and Virtual Appliances. It is offered as an option during the Download Wizard. If the file is selected for publishing, then instead of downloading the file to your computer, a URL is allocated to the file and it is then hosted by IMS. Published files are in the size and format chosen during the Download Wizard, and can be set to expire after a period of time, if required. For more details, see the online documentation.
IMS provides a complete set of reports on all published files in the Tools -> Published Files menu. To view a published file, click in the list to find the file and use the edit icon on the right to open the editor. Each time the file is loaded your IMS server will record the additional hit and update graphs as well as other internal auditing logs. The screenshot below shows the reporting interface for an active published file.
Using publishing allows IMS to be an effective central media server on your network, and also offers an integration route for other web projects such as Content Management Systems. If you are interested in using publishing, drop a note to support@thirdlight.com and we will be happy to help you get started.
Added Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:00:00 +0000
Adobe Bridge Plugin for IMS
Working with important media in IMS is now even more convenient, using the Third Light plugin for Adobe Creative Suite.
After installing the plugin, Adobe Bridge can connect to an IMS server and browse through your IMS library. The Bridge plugin allows files to be quickly located using the standard Bridge user interface, and downloaded to your graphics workstation with a simple click.
- Completely free, available for all versions of IMS
- Works with Adobe Bridge CS4 and above on Windows, Mac OS X
- Connects to your IMS site with your authenticated user account (username, password)
- Provides a browsable tree structure for your IMS library
- Downloads preview thumbnails and preview images
- Meta data is displayed in the Bridge meta data panel (eg. Adobe XMP, IPTC data)
- Double-clicking on a file transfers it to your desktop.
For screenshots and instructions on how to install the plugin, please click here.
Added Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:57:06 +0000
Saving and sharing lightboxes
Lightboxes are a tool designed for conveniently collecting files together, without having to make new copies. A lightbox can be a useful way of gathering together suitable images for projects: simply add the files and use the lightbox like a personal folder for that project. It's easy to download or tag all the images at once if they are in the same lightbox, too.
To make your work easier, IMS also provides features to share your lightbox with other users, or to have multiple lightboxes. This means you can work on more than one set of files at once, and pass your lightboxes to other users for their input.
To send your lightbox to another user, click on the downward arrow above the lightbox, and select 'Save/Share Lightbox'. Using the form, type in the name of the user and click 'Share'.
IMS lets you share lightboxes with many users or groups, to save time. On the IMS Appliance you can also invite new users to view your lightbox by entering their email address.
For more details on how this feature works, click here.
Added Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:33:28 +0100
User Registration Forms
IMS provides a feature allowing prospective users to complete a form and register themselves on your site. If enabled, users can sign themselves up to have an account, choose their own password, and receive a fully functional account immediately (or have their request deferred pending approval).
The registration forms are configured in the Configuration -> Registration Forms menu.
When configuring the registration forms, the full range of web browser input types is available. For example, text boxes, pull-down menus, checkboxes and radio buttons can be used to create a specific set of responses, or allow free text answers to your registration questions (eg. "Sign up for our newsletter?" might be a checkbox). It is also possible to make fields compulsory in the registration process.
To change the new user default settings, first go to the Users & Events -> Manage Users & Groups page, and click "Initial options for automatic sign-up users". Use this page to edit the settings you would like to apply to newly registered users. Use the "Initial permissions for automatic sign-up users" to allocate a default set of permissions to automatically signed-up users.
Once at least one user has signed up, you can review the reporting functions via the Reporting -> Registration Data menu. A feature also exists to export the information via CSV, so that it may be reviewed and analysed in a spreadsheet.
Added Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:56:08 +0100
Adding customised fields to the search engine
IMS supports a wide range of popular tags, such as caption, keyword, copyright and so on. Depending on your particular collection of files, you might need other fields. For example, if you are creating a collection of photos of buildings around Cambridge University, you may wish to have a "College" and a "Construction Date". How does IMS support these additional, custom data fields?
IMS allows the common fields to be extended with your own personal meta data. First, open the Configuration menu and select "Custom Metadata". Click on the green plus icon to add a new field, and type in a description (we used 'College Name' on the first field, and 'Construction Date' on the second). IMS will let you choose what kind of information is being stored, so by selecting the date option IMS will ensure that all construction dates are in a date format.
After adding new meta data you can see these fields when viewing files, and the search engine and Smart Folders will also allow you to search against them. This makes it easy to search for a particular college by its name, or by its construction date for example.
IMS meta data is, of course, Adobe XMP compatible, so when you create new fields they will also be visible in tools like PhotoShop.
This functionality is only available on IMS Appliances and Virtual Servers
Added Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:45:32 +0000
User Groups
IMS includes the flexibility to create individual user accounts, each with their own settings and permissions, but in some situations it may save time to group users together.
On the user management pages in the admin console, there is a tab labelled "Groups" which allows you to create templates for common settings and permissions and save them as named groups. From this page it is possible to add users to the group.
When a user is placed in a group, they still have their own personal identity (such as username and password) but all permissions and other settings (such as their download options or controls on uploads) are derived from the group. When the group settings are changed, this changes the settings of all of the members of the group.
Using groups can save a great deal of time and configuration effort. For example, if all of your marketing department accesses the same images with the same level of permissions, then placing the user accounts of all members of the marketing department in a group will be much easier and more consistent than configuring each user account individually.
If a user is removed from a group, all of their settings become independent again (and the user can then be placed in a different group if required).
Added Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:55:35 +0000
GPS mapping
Many new digital SLRs and camera phones such as the Apple iPhone are equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver. This means that every image captured includes the latitude and longitude (and sometimes altitude) of the camera at the instant the picture was taken.
When the location is known, you may simply click on a link and see a satellite map of the area - IMS detects the data automatically.
If you would like to test this feature but do not have a GPS camera, you can use this test image: click to download.
Another way to geo-tag images involves using a standalone GPS receiver. If the clock in your camera is correct, then a log of your location can be combined with your photos using the time to connect the two separate records. An example of a commercial tool to achieve this is RoboGeo.
Added Tue, 02 Sep 2008 16:51:47 +0100
Download Requests
This function is available on IMS Corporate Appliances, and is the counterpart to the Upload Approvals concept discussed in July 2008's tip.
IMS provides the option to use a controlled process for approving or declining downloads. This system is used instead of providing downloads freely to users. It works by opening a dialogue between the user and administrators, allowing manual intervention prior to a download taking place. The most common reasons for doing so are to ensure that the best materials are used, without taking risks with copyright or duplication.
Download Approvals start with a user's lightbox. To use the system effectively, simply edit the user's options to ensure that the lightbox feature is on (User Options panel), that the viewing mode is set to Image Library Mode (Display Options panel) and that other download methods are switched off (Download Options panel). On the Download Options page for the user, simply check the box labelled "Enable download requests".
When the user places images in their lightbox, a button is displayed within the lightbox labelled "Request Download". By clicking this button, a short form will appear which allows the user to supply a text message that will be sent to the administrators of the site. Administrators can review and approve, edit or decline requests using the Tools -> Request Manager menu option.
At each stage any changes or decisions made are emailed, providing a convenient notification about the progress of the request. A green 'special folder' icon on the user's IMS index page also indicates approved or declined requests.
Added Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:39:28 +0100
Upload Approvals
This function is available on IMS Corporate Appliances.
The Upload Approvals feature of IMS provides administrators with the ability to specify criteria that an uploaded file must pass before it is accepted into the library. It is designed to be used in conjunction with the Browser Upload Tool.
There are two modes: Automatic Approvals and Manual Approvals.
In Automatic Approvals Mode, after uploading a set of files with the upload tool, items that do not pass the criteria will be presented back to the user with a description of what they need to change. The user then has 24 hours to make the necessary changes as items that do not meet the requirements will be deleted after this time.
Alternatively, in Manual Approvals mode, uploads are held in a hidden holding folder, and administrators are alerted by email. The pending files can be visually inspected and edited by the administrators and either approved or deleted manually. An administrator will be alerted to any new upload sets that need review via an alert box underneath the menu on the left hand side of the screen. When clicking the link within the alert box they will be presented with a screen from where albums can be selected for review.
Upload Approval settings are configured from the Upload Options tab of the Edit User Page:
Users & Events -> Manage Users -> Edit User -> Upload Options
Added Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:11:29 +0100
Signature Photos
IMS supports a very flexible front page layout, designed to help you offer anything from just a login box, through to a slideshow of your best photos and links to individual galleries.
Note: You must be using the latest templates to use these features.
An example front page layout is shown in the screenshot for this article, below. To achieve this layout, here is a list of steps:
- Create a new Collection in your admin console called "Signature Photos".
- Tip: You can create a collection by saving your current lightbox - just look for the button labelled "Save as Collection". Normally, this is the most effective way to work.
- Open the Configuration -> Site Options page, and click on the "Front Page Options" tab.
- In the pull-down box labelled "Show signature photos on front page", select the Collection you just created. This activates the collection on your front page.
Now, log out and you will see IMS has rearranged your front page to include a cross-fading slideshow of the images in your Signature Photos collection. The pictures will be watermarked.
Added Fri, 02 May 2008 17:07:19 +0100
Using price plans, licence plans and subvendors
When a product or file is purchased from an IMS site, there are three main pieces of information which are stored with the order and could affect the price, the products sold or the way the profit is accounted:
- Price plan
For prints, the price plan determines which products are available, and at what cost. Since multiple price plans can be configured, this is a way to offer discounts, or vary prices from customer to customer.
- Licence plan
For licenced downloads, the choice of licences available is determined by the licence plan. This is normally used to ensure that only relevant licences are sold, and typically varies by sector or geography.
- Subvendor
Subvendors are used to optionally group the sale under an account with other sales (usually in order to calculate commissions). IMS can also calculate profitability in this way.
Price Plans, Licence Plans and Subvendor settings start as "default", which means they are not set to any specific option. However, they can be changed by either changing the user preferences for your users, or by changing the album preferences for the pictures.
To assign settings to an album, login with your admin account and click the edit icon for the album. Open the 'e-Commerce Options' tab to reveal checkboxes and pull-down settings. This also applies to Smart Folders and Collections.
To assign settings to a user, login with your admin account and select the Users & Events -> Manage Users page. Click on the user, then open the 'e-Commerce Options' tab to reveal checkboxes and pull-down settings. This also applies to Events.
Tip: Normally, price plans and licence plans will be set for users, while subvendors will be set for albums. This is because prices tend to vary by user, but the commission paid (subvendors) is usually determined by the pictures, not the buyers. It is therefore simplest to assign subvendors to albums.
If both a user and an album have any of these options - price plan, licence plan or subvendor set - then the user option takes priority. This is described visually in the diagram (click to enlarge).
Added Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:15:19 +0100
Controlled Vocabulary tools
This function is available in the IMS Corporate versions only, but if you have a subscription site you may contact sales to discuss adding this feature to your site.
When keywording images, a problem which can arise is the potential for inconsistency in the keywords used. For example, one member of staff may enter a word such as "theatre" while another would use the word "drama". This means that when searches are performed, there is a greater chance of missed results.
With these issues in mind, IMS can optionally enforce a specific dictionary of known keywords, which can be configured from the Tools -> Controlled Vocab menu. The vocabulary can be pre-populated (using a button on the page) from the existing set of keywords on your site. You can also create a vocabulary on this page from scratch, for subsequent use. This is the most formal option, as it forces all keywords to comply with the established vocabulary.
To activate the controlled vocabulary, it is necessary to switch on the feature using the Tools -> Site Options page. Please be aware that the Controlled Vocabulary feature is switched off by default.
Once the Site Option is activated, IMS will alert administrators and users interactively when keywording images - via the Picture Editor - if an unknown keyword is entered. Administrators can choose to extend the Controlled Vocabulary if this happens, while normal users must remove unknown keywords which are not in the prescribed vocabulary.
Added Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:04:57 +0000
Reviewing recent searches
IMS keeps a record of recent searches performed, which can be used to help inform future keywording activities.
To review recent searches, open the Reporting -> Recent Searches page. A form at the top of the page allows the list of searches to be refined; by default, for instance, administrators' searches are not displayed. Simply adjust the search form to retrieve only the information you would like to see.
The search can be refined to only list general searches or advanced searches, and can be restricted by time, up to 12 months. The most useful information on busy sites is to filter the report to show unsuccessful searches - that is, searches which returned no results (marked with a red cross).
Added Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:01:02 +0000
Using Feeds with Smart Folders
RSS and Atom are both technical terms referring to ways of sharing content in a widely accepted, interchangeable format. You will often see feeds represented by this icon: 
Atom feeds are supported in popular feed readers (RSS readers) such as IE7, Safari, Firefox, Google
Reader and Bloglines.
IMS allows Atom feeds to be created for Smart Folders. To do this, click on the checkbox labeled "Provide a feed for this folder" when you create or edit a Smart Folder.
Attaching a feed to a Smart Folder makes it publicly accessible, much like an album that has been made available for public search. Anyone who knows the URL of the feed can subscribe to that feed and can click through to see the pictures in the Smart Folder.
Using feeds provides a convenient way to keep in touch with clients. For example, IMS feeds can:
- Make it easy for your clients to receive recent photo updates for topics they are interested in, by establishing a Smart Folder for the topic (indexed on keywords or captions) and sending them the feed URL
- Publicise your IMS by creating a Smart Folder of signature images and sending the feed URL to prospective clients
- For a multi-day event allow the event managers to automatically add your recent photos to their site by including your feed
- Easily display your photos in Web sites such as Facebook, iGoogle (personalised Google home pages) or Microsoft's live.com, all of which can integrate feed data into their site and so display your thumbnails in a widget.
Added Sat, 20 Jun 2009 15:29:19 +0100
Expiring images
This function is available in the IMS Corporate versions only, but if you have a subscription site you may contact sales to discuss adding this feature to your site.
In IMS, an 'Expired' image is one which has passed a particular, pre-configured date and can no longer be downloaded. The download options for the image are greyed out, and the expiry information is prominently displayed in the Picture Console and on thumbnail pages.
The main reason for setting an expiry date on an image is to prevent accidental use after a permit or licence for the picture has lapsed.
To set an expiry date, open the Picture Editor for the file in question (click the pen and paper icon, meaning Edit, to the right of the picture). Then go to the 'Other Actions' tab to set the expiry date.
Administrators can change the expiry date, or remove it, for instance if a licence is renewed.
To set the expiry date for more than one file at a time, use the checkboxes and the edit button in toolbox on any album, smart folder, collection or search results page.
Added Wed, 12 Mar 2008 11:51:55 +0000
Technical support
Support is available by opening the Help menu and selecting "Email Support". If you need to send an attachment, you can also email support@thirdlight.com. We operate a ticket system which allows us to help you more efficiently. Our support hours are 9am - 5.30pm Monday to Friday. Telephone support is available for Corporate Appliance customers, in addition to our email support service.
When you send a technical support query, don't forget to describe how to reproduce any problems you want to discuss (it saves us asking you for this and holding you up). A screengrab is always very much appreciated.
Added Tue, 11 Mar 2008 18:02:41 +0000
Smart Folders
Smart Folders group pictures together automatically and adapt to new pictures or changes to your keywords. For example, IMS can maintain a folder which contains pictures that are related to a keyword, or contain a particular phrase in the caption. IMS can also group pictures by their date, filename or - better still - a combination of different conditions.
Anything that IMS can do with a search can be stored as a permanent collection of pictures in a Smart Folder. Smart Folders automatically update when keywords or captions change, or new images are uploaded. An interesting Smart Folder to try out would be one that limits the results to pictures from the last 7 days, using the 'Age' clause for example.
To create a Smart Folder, look for the blue folders on the Manage Albums page (these are Smart Folders). Click the green plus icon labeled "Create Smart Folder". Alternatively, after any advanced search, click the button labeled "Save as Smart Folder".
Added Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:06:04 +0000