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WebCT Faculty Tip Sheets

Image Database

Image Database allows you to create databases of images for your students. The following table describes the default fields for each image database and the suggested content. When you create an image database, you enter the content for each field. The only mandatory field is the Filename field.

To add the Image Database tool to your course:

  1. From the Control Panel, select Add Page or Tool.
  2. In the Course Content Tools column, click Image Database . The Add Image Database screen appears.
  3. In the Enter a title for this item text box, enter the title as you want it to appear below the icon.
  4. Under Decide where to show the link to this item, select where you want the link to be displayed.
  5. Click Add. Image Database is added to your course.

Creating an image database:

  1. Use Manage Files to upload the image files that you want to include in the database. For instructions on uploading files, please refer to the Upload a File tip sheet.
  2. Click the Image Database icon. The Image Database screen appears.
  3. Under Options, click Add image database. The Add Image Database appears.
  4. In the Title text box, enter a title for the database, and click Add. The Image Database screen appears displaying the new database.
  5. Click the database. The Image Database screen appears.
  6. Under Options, click Add image. The Add Image screen appears.
  7. In the Keywords text box, enter some text to describe the image. When students search the image database, they are searching the keywords.
  8. To specify the creator of the image, in the Creator text box, enter their name.
  9. In the Filename text box, enter the path and filename of the image file, or to select the file, click Browse.
  10. To give the image a title, in the Title text box, enter a title.
  11. To provide a brief description of the image, in the Description text box, enter a caption that students see when they view the image.
  12. To add a thumbnail of the image to the database, in the Thumbnail text box, enter the path and filename of a thumbnail image, or to select the file, click Browse. Note: If you add a .gif or a .jpg image, the image database automatically creates a thumbnail when you click Add in step 14 .
  13. Click Add. The Database screen appears displaying the new image in the Image List.
  14. To add more images to the database, repeat steps 7 through 14.

To edit an image record:

  1. Click the Image Database icon. The Image Database screen appears.
  2. Under Available databases, select the image database that contains the image record that you want to edit.
  3. Under Options, click Edit. The Database screen appears displaying the Image List for that database.
  4. Click the image record you want to edit . The Edit Record screen appears.
  5. Edit the fields.
    • To change the image:
      1. Click New Image. The New Image screen appears.
      2. In the Filename text box, enter a new path and filename, or to select a file, click Browse.
      3. If desired, select Regenerate thumbnail and click Update. The Edit Record screen appears.
    • To change the thumbnail:
      1. Click New Thumbnail. The New Thumbnail screen appears.
      2. In the Filename text box, enter a new path and filename, or to select a file, click Browse.
      3. Click Update. The Edit Record screen appears.
  6. Click Update. The Database screen appears, and the Image List is updated.

To delete an image record:

  1. Click the Image Database icon. The Image Database screen appears.
  2. Under Image Database, click the image database that contains the image that you want to delete. The Database screen appears.
  3. From the Image List, select the image you want to delete.
  4. Under Options, click Delete. A warning message appears.
  5. Click OK. The Database screen refreshes and the Image List is updated.

To add a column to an image database:

  1. Click the Image Database icon. The Image Database screen appears.
  2. Under Available databases, click the image database to which you want to add a column. The Database screen appears.
  3. Under Organize, click Manage columns. The Columns screen appears.
  4. By default, the new column will appear as the last column on the right in the Columns table, or you can specify where you want the new column to appear.
    • To accept the default placement of the new column, go to the next step.
    • To specify where you want the new column to appear, in the Select row, select a column in the Columns table before you go to the next step; the new column will appear on its left.
  5. Under Organize, click Add column. The Add Column screen appears.
  6. In the Column label text box, enter a label for the new column. Do not include spaces.
  7. From the Column type drop-down list, select one of the following:
    • Alphanumeric
    • Numeric
    • Text
  8. Click Add. The Columns screen appears and the column is added.

To edit a column in an image database:

  1. Click the Image Database icon. The Image Database screen appears.
  2. Under Available databases, click the image database that contains the column that you want to edit. The Database screen appears.
  3. In the Image List, under the column heading of the column that you want to edit, click Edit. The Column Editor screen appears.
  4. Edit the column entries.
  5. Click Update. The Database screen appears and the column text is updated.

To delete a column in an image database:

  1. Click the Image Database icon. The Image Database screen appears.
  2. Under Available databases, click the image database that contains the column that you want to delete. The Database screen appears.
  3. Under Organize, click Manage columns. The Columns screen appears.
  4. In the Select row, select each column that you want to delete.
  5. Under Organize, click Delete columns. A warning message appears.
  6. Click OK. The Columns screen refreshes and the table is updated.

To sort by column in an image database:

An image database can be sorted by a column. For example, you can sort the image records so they appear in alphabetical order according to image title.

  1. Click the Image Database icon. The Image Database screen appears.
  2. Under Image Database, click the image database that you want to sort by column. The Database screen appears.
  3. In the Image List, click the column heading that you want to use to sort the image records. The Database screen refreshes, the selected column now displays a sort icon next to the column heading, and the column entries appear in bolded text.

To reorganize columns:

  1. Click the Image Database icon. The Image Database screen appears.
  2. Under Image Database, click the image database that contains the columns that you want to reorganize. The Database screen appears.
  3. Under Organize, click Manage columns. The Columns screen appears.
  4. In the Select row, select the column that you want to move.
  5. Under Organize, select the direction and distance of the move, and click Go. The column is moved to the new location.

To hide columns:

If you have a large number of columns in an image database, it may become difficult to edit and view all columns at once. You can hide a column to make editing and viewing easier. Note: Hiding a column does not hide the column in Student View. To prevent a column from being visible to your students, see Releasing image fields.

  1. Click the Image Database icon. The Image Database screen appears.
  2. Under Image Database, click the image database that contains the column that you want to hide. The Database screen appears.
  3. Under Organize, click Manage columns. The Columns screen appears.
  4. In the Select row, select each column that you want to hide.
  5. Under Options, from the Hide columns drop-down list, select Yes and click Go. The Columns table refreshes displaying updated Hidden indicators for the selected columns.

To edit a column label:

You may edit the label of any non-reserved column in an image database. A non-reserved column is one you have added to the database. Reserved columns include:

  • Keywords
  • Creator
  • Filename
  • Title
  • Description
  • Thumbnail
  1. Click the Image Database icon. The Image Database screen appears.
  2. Click the image database that contains the column label you want to edit. The Database screen appears.
  3. Under Organize, click Manage columns. The Columns screen appears.
  4. In the Select row, select the column label you want to edit.
  5. Under Options, in the Change label text box, enter the new label, and click Go. The Label is updated.

To delete an image database:

  1. Click the Image Database icon. The Image Database screen appears.
  2. Under Image Database, select the image database that you want to delete.
  3. Under Options, click Delete. A warning message appears.
  4. Click OK. A final warning message appears.
  5. Click OK. The Image Database screen refreshes and the database is deleted.

To rename an image database:

  1. Click the Image Database icon. The Image Database screen appears.
  2. Under Image Database, select the image database that you want to rename.
  3. Under Options, click Rename. The Rename Image Database screen appears.
  4. In the New title text box, enter the new name.
  5. Click Update. The Image Database screen appears and the database is renamed.

To removing image fields from student view:

By default, students can view all fields in the database. You can remove a field from student view temporarily or permanently.

  1. From the Course Menu , click Image Database . The Image Database screen appears.
  2. Under Image Database , c lick the image database that contains the columns that you want to remove from student view. The Database screen appears displaying the Image List for that database.
  3. Under Organize , click Manage columns . The Columns screen appears.
  4. In the Select row, select each column that you want to remove from student view.
  5. Under Options, from the Release columns drop-down list, select No, and click Go . The Columns table refreshes displaying updated Released indicators for the selected columns.

To release image fields to student view:

  1. Click the Image Database icon. The Image Database screen appears.
  2. Under Image Database, click the image database that contains the columns that you want to release to students. The Database screen appears displaying the Image List for that database.
  3. Under Organize, click Manage columns. The Columns screen appears.
  4. In the Select row, select each column that you want to release to student view.
  5. Under Options, from the Release columns drop-down list, select Yes, and click Go . The Columns table refreshes displaying updated Released indicators for the selected columns.
 
CRC Help Support for WebCT Designers is available through the Computing Resource Center. To contact a Help Desk representative, please call 702.895.0777 or email crchelp@ccmail.nevada.edu. Support is available Monday through Friday 8:00AM - 5:00PM PST. WebCT training and instructional design support are available through the Teaching and Learning Center.

Last Updated: December 6, 2004
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