The Image Archive is the complete container and management system to maintain and manage your images and the information relating to them. The Image Archive is pretty much the whole Image Management System. It consists two main parts:
The Image Vault - This contains the images and associated metadata.
The user space - This contains the components accessible to the user but is still managed by the archive.
The Workspace - Where images may be edited and viewed
The Picture Catalogue - Where images may be viewed in their native format.
The WWW Catalogue - Where images may be view in a picture format only (viewable by a web browser).
The Image Vault
The Image Vault is the main component and it is where all the images and these associated metadata is stored securely. Images are kept safe in the Vault and only copies are passed to the user area. see The Image Vault.
The User Space
The Users Space is where the contents of the Vault is published and where users can interact with the Vault without accessing its contents directly using the workspace.
The User space is divided into four folders.
The Status folder
The Workspace
The Workspace is where images are checked out. Providing a controlled area in a formal format allows the management of exclusive check-outs in an affective way. This can also be used to view the complete image collection contained in the Vault. However possibly a better way would be to us one of the Catalogues. see The Workspace.
The Picture Catalogue
The Picture Catalogue is provided as a place where a reflection of the contents of the Vault can be made. This can be part or the complete contents of the Vault in their native format.
The Images in the Vault cannot be viewed directly as this would invalidated the integrity of the Vault. Images inside the Vault can not be accessed not even for viewing.
This Catalogue an optional component that contains a copy of all the images in the Vault and thus can be used to view the contents of the vault without compromising the vault.
much of its function can be configured in the Workspace.
The WWW Catalogue
The WWW Catalogue is provided to be a web viewable version of the collection of images contained in the Vault. To be web viewable all the images must be converted to a picture format.
Image formats
Native format means the format of the image is unchanged for viewing, so RAW images make not be directly viewable.
Picture format means directly viewable on a web page i.e. GIF, JPG, PNG or WebP. if the image is RAW it will need to be converted to one of the web formats PNG is a good choice.