New open source software for condition reports

Until now, when you wanted to comment or make a note on one image to
generate an accurate condition report you had to scroll under the
image and add a caption. Next, you had to specify which part of the
image you are referring to and finally type the information or use
Photoshop. This process makes it difficult  to identify very
specific parts on an image and forces the conservator to scroll back
and forward between the image and the caption or in Photoshop,
destroy the image with drawings and text.

When we designed Speaking Image, we had a different scope for future
clients on our mind, but Amaya Mendizabal reviewed an early version
of the software and he immediately suggested that we should get in
contact. She believed it was a must have tool for any museum and
conservation specialists that wanted to create collaborative and
comprehensive condition reports of artistic works.

At this point, we added some exclusive features and presented the
software to several museums here in Spain. We were impressed with
the expectations that Speaking Image had created in conservators.

Speaking Image is a web application that allows us to upload high
resolution images, work on them adding information over specific
areas of the image and interact with other users through standard
social methods.

These are the main features that Speaking Image has to offer:

    Browse through high resolution images zooming in and out
    focusing on different areas of the image.

    Select and comment on specific parts of an image using several
    drawing tools such as:

        Polygonal drawing: you can draw squares, circles, ovals,
        lines or any custom shape to define an object such as a path
        on a hiking route or even more specific details such as
        anchors and meeting points.

        Once you have specified an area you can add a popup with any
        kind of commentaries in rich text format and or add points
        of interest (similar to Google's POI).

        Articles: Speaking Image features a Wiki system that not
        only allows you to add notes over the images, it also allows
        you to write full articles and organize them using a method
        similar to Wikipedia's (by author, by topic, etc).

To illustrate all these features you can think of a painting where
the conservators can point specific places; they can make a note
about a particular point about the procedures for restoration or
condition and even create a full-featured article. Conservators can
even create articles containing several images.

Speaking Image lets you upload very high-resolution images; the
administrator of the service has full control over the maximum size
allowed. You can also take measurements over the photograph with a
proper scale. Another interesting feature is the ability to create
groups of images where different users can upload their files and
collaborate adding notes and shapes. With this feature several
groups of conservators can potentially work together from different
locations across the world.

Speaking Image collaboration features allows you set very specific
permissions on your images, so that only users within a certain
group can edit the image, grant this permission only to selected
users or even lock the file so that only the owner can make edits to
it.

Speaking Image features up to 9 layers of information per file,
following the example of the  painting range, you could add a layer
with specific conservation procedures, another one with historic
info, another one with other specific info, etc.

Considering the technical aspects, Speaking Image runs on a server
that hosts a website (internet or intranet). that way any user with
an Internet connection or in a LAN will be able to access the
information or even upload files on the road.

Speaking Image is an Open Source product, therefore its price starts
at zero. Apart from the tools mentioned above, we could add a
different set of features on demand. Any specific feature that
conservators or museums might need can be added; all these extra
features will have a reasonable additional cost depending on the
level of customization and the modifications made to the default
installation.

Speaking Image is currently in development and it will be available
within a few weeks. If you would like to preview it and try for
yourself you can check the beta version where we are performing
tests before its public release, Speaking Image beta is available
on:

    <URL:http://www.speakingimage.org>.

We are also available to answer any question about this software.

Carlos Burges
2mdc
C/ MatC-as Turrion, 24, 1
Madrid 28043
+34 673 34 47 47
+34 91 759 00 24
Fax: +34 91 759 15 18


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 24:18
               Distributed: Thursday, September 30, 2010
                       Message Id: cdl-24-18-003
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