Creating a Static Image Library

Step 1: Set Up Your Directory Structure

Select a Starting Directory

The starting directory will contain the master index for all of your pictures. Each entry in the master index will correspond to a subdirectory off the starting directory.

Create Category Subdirectories off the Starting Directory

Create a subdirectory for each category that should appear in the master index. A subdirectory should be created for each keyword that will be used for individual images or image sets.

Note: It is not an absolute requirement to create a subdirectory for each keyword that will be used. If no subdirectory exists for a given keyword, that keyword will simply not appear in the master index.

Create Subdirectories off the Category Subdirectories

Within each category subdirectory, any number of subdirectories may be created to contain sets of related images.

The final directory structure should be as follows:

Starting Directory

Category Subdirectory #1
Set Subdirectory #1
Set Subdirectory #2
...
Category Subdirectory #2
Set Subdirectory #1
Set Subdirectory #2
...
Category Subdirectory #3
...

Subdirectories may be added later as needed.

Step 2: Move Files into Appropriate Directories

Move Image Files into Appropriate Subdirectories

Copy or move your image files (.JPG and .GIF) and corresponding text files (.TXT) into the appropriate subdirectories. Normally, no image files should appear in the starting directory. Image files should all appear in the most appropriate category subdirectory (or in a subdirectory off of it). If an image (or image set) would fit into multiple categories, you should move it into the subdirectory that it is most strongly associated with. You will be able to make that image (or image set) appear in the index of multiple categories by using keywords.

Create a "makeindx.bat" File in All Directories

A build script named "makeindx.bat" should appear in the starting directory and in every subdirectory. When this file is run, the system will build an index file ("index.htm") for the current directory. It will also build a slide file ("filename.htm") to encapsulate each image in the current directory and the text associated with it.

Once each directory has "makeindx.bat" in it, the directory can always be built by typing "makeindx" at the MS-DOS command line, or by double clicking on "makeindx.bat" from Windows Explorer.

Create a "makelink.bat" File in Category Subdirectories

A build script named "makelink.bat" should appear in every category subdirectory for which the subdirectory name is used as a keyword in HTML files. When this file is run, the system will build a file called "symlinks.txt" which contains references to all files in the system which contain the keyword. All files that appear in "symlinks.txt" will be added to the index for this category the next time "makeindx.bat" is run.

Once each category subdirectory has "makelink.bat" in it, the links can be updated by typing "makelink" at the MS-DOS command line, or by double clicking on "makelink.bat" from Windows Explorer.

Step 3: Set Up the Starting Directory

In the starting directory, create a "makeall.bat" file and an empty "index.db" file. Copy the "icons" directory from the distribution directory to the starting directory.

Step 4: Build all Indexes

Double click on the "makeall.bat" file in the starting directory to run it. After the "maketree" command finishes, you will have a complete HTML representation of your directory tree. If you open the file "index.htm" in the starting directory using a web browser, you will be able to view all of your images.

The system will automatically create new index files and slide files as necessary, or it will update existing files.

Step 5: Add Descriptions, Keywords, and Thumbnails

Add Descriptions and Keywords

You can use the "whdesc.exe" utility to modify titles, descriptions, keywords, and the order in which images or sets appear in an index. You can use this utility with any of the ".htm" files indexed by this system. To use it, simply right click on the ".htm" file or the image file, and select "HTML File Info" (from Windows Explorer). Then add or modify the fields in the dialog box that appears:

The Title is by default the name of the subdirectory of an index, or the name of an image file associated with a generated HTML file. It can be changed.

The Description will appear in the index which includes the HTML file. It is blank by default.

Keywords can be used to make an image or set appear in the index of multiple categories. The keyword list is a comma separated list of category names that the image or set should appear in. Images or sets always appear in the category in which they are physically located, but they will also appear in the index of categories which are named in their keyword list.

The Sort Order is a decimal integer which specifies the order in which images appear in an index and the order in which they are viewed sequentially. The default sort order is 50, and lower numbers will be displayed first. When the sort order of two images is the same, they will be sorted based on their titles.

Add Thumbnail Images

If you create an image called "thumb.jpg" or "thumb.gif" and place it in the subdirectory for an image set, that image will appear in the index which references that image set. The thumbnail images should be very small (100x66 is a good size), and it is recommended that a standard size be selected for all thumnail images in the system.

Step 6: Build all Indexes

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