metus

METUS LIBRARY
USERS MANUAL

Temporal Manual
For Metus Library v.3.5 (build 33)

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CHAPTER 1 - INSTALLATION

Metus Archive Server supports Microsoft Windows Server 2003 operating system.
Metus Process Server supports Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and Microsoft Windows XP
Pro operating system. Metus Library Client supports Microsoft Windows XP Pro, Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 and Microsoft Vista operating systems.
It is required to have database infrastructure for running the Metus Library Server. The
supported types of databases are Microsoft SQL Server 2000, Microsoft SQL Server 2005 and
Oracle.
Metus MAM system is protected by a dongle (the security key plugged to a USB port).
All the licenses for running the system (number of local clients, servers’ licenses and so on)
are coded on one dongle only. The dongle is red and its type is network. The driver needed to
be installed is HASP License Manager.
NOTE! See Appendix 1 attached to this manual.

1.1. Installation of the Operating System
1.1.1. For the machine where the SQL Server will be installed, minimum 100 GB of
disk space should be allocated for operating system (System disk)
1.1.2. All drivers should be installed properly.
1.1.3. For the server that MAS (Metus Archive server) will be installed, an IP address
should be given either manually or automatically.

1.2. Installation of the License Manager
1.2.1. Plug the dongle to a USB port and open the License Manager folder.
1.2.2. Execute the License Manager.exe file on PC that the dongle is plugged to.
1.2.3. On a third screen, during the installation, you will be asked to choose the working
type as Application or Service. Here you choose Service (nhsrvice.exe) and click next.
1.2.4. Ensure the option Install/Update is checked. Finish the installation without any
more changes.

1.3. Installation of the Microsoft SQL Server 2005
1.3.1. SQL Server may need Windows Installer 3.1 and DotNetFramework. Both setups
are in Requirements-folder in the CD supplied.
1.3.2. Start SQL 2005 Standard Installation by double‐clicking Setup.exe file.
1.3.3. In the End-User License Agreement window, accept the agreement, proceed with
Next and then start the installation by clicking Install.
1.3.4. Proceed with Next.
1.3.5. Proceed with Next in Microsoft SQL Server Installation Wizard screen.
1.3.6. After the System Configuration Check process, proceed with Next if
check is successful.
1.3.7. Installation will go on copying some files in screen below.
1.3.8. In Registration Information screen fill the Name and Company fields, and then
click Next.
1.3.9. In the window where you select the components to be installed, check at least
SQL Server Database Services, Analysis Services and Workstation Components boxes and
then click Next.
1.3.10. In the next window, you can install a default instance or you can specify a
named instance. We recommend you to choose Default Instance. If you choose a named
instance you will input sql server name in Metus as computer nameinstance name format.

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However, if you choose default instance then you will input sql server name in Metus as
computer name.
1.3.11. In Service Account selection screen, check Use the built‐in System account
option. Check all the options in the Start Services at the end of setup group and proceed with
Next.
1.3.12. In Authentication Mode screen, Mixed Mode must be checked. Type a password
for SA user. It is recommended to set a password you don’t forget as you will need it to create
project in Metus Library later. Please, note that in Metus Library you do not need to
connect SQL Server using SA user. You can use any predefined user. However, in that case
that user should have at least dbcreator permission. It is recommended to use SA user for
creating projects in Metus Library Client.
1.3.13. You must select the language in Collation Settings screen. Select the language
you want to use Metus Library in and uncheck all other boxes.
1.3.14. Proceed with Next and in last screen, start installation with Install button. The
Setup Progress may proceed a long time – just wait it.

1.4. Installation of Metus Archive Server (MAS)
MAS setup must be installed and running for archiving files. Follow the steps below for
the installation.
1.4.1. Before the installation .Net Framework 3.5 and VC++ 2005 Runtime must be
installed on your computer. Both setups are in the Requirements-folder in the supplied CD.
1.4.2. Execute the MAS.msi installation file involved in the CD on the computer you
will use as Archive Server and follow the instructions on screen.
1.4.3. On Service Login window, if your computer is connected to a workgroup, input
computer nameusername and if your computer is in a domain, input domain
nameusername in username field. In the password field, you must input the password for the
given username.
!!! The user entered into this field must have Administrator privileges!
1.4.4. Click OK on Service Login window to finish the installation

1.5 Installion of Metus Process Server
To make some process such as transcoding your video files to other formats and
creating proxy, MPS (Metus Process Server) must be installed on your system or on a
computer connected to the network.
1.5.1. Before the installation, .Net Framework 3.5 and VC++ 2005 Runtime must be
installed on your computer. Both setups are in Requirements-folder in the installation CD.
1.5.2. Execute Metus Process Server.msi file on the computer you will use as a Process
Server and follow the instructions on the screen.
1.5.3. In the Service Login window, if your computer is connected to a workgroup input
computer nameusername and if your computer is in a domain input domain nameusername
in username field. In password field, you must input the password for the given username.
The user entered in this field must have administrator privileges. Click OK to finish the
installation.

1.6. Installing of Metus Image Matching Server
For using image matching feature, the relevant server and matcher services must be
installed. Also assets must be indexed. Indexing is performed by MPS, and picture searching
and matching are performed by MIMS and MIM.
1.6.1. Before starting the installation be sure that .Net Framework 3.5 and VC++ 2005
Runtime are installed on your computer. Both setups are in Requirements folder in the CD.
1.6.2. Execute Metus Image Matching Server.msi file and follow the instructions.
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1.6.3. In the Service Login window, if your computer is connected to a workgroup, input
computer nameusername and if your computer is in a domain input domain
nameusername in username field. In password field, you must input the password for the
given username. The user entered this field must have Administrator privileges!
1.6.4. Click OK in the Service Login window to finish the installation.

1.7. Installing of Metus Image Matcher
This is the engine for making the image search. It is installed on the same machine
where the MIMS is installed. The installation is run through the Metus Image Matcher.msi
file. Run it and follow the instructions.

1.8. Installation of Metus Service Starter (MSS) – not compulsary
In case of MAS and MPS or any other Metus services stop for any reason, MSS Service
must be installed to start other services automatically.
1.8.1. Before installation, .Net Framework 3.5 must be installed on your computer.
1.8.2. Execute “MSS.msi” file in supplied CD on computer by double‐clicking and
follow the instructions.
1.9. Installation of Metus Library
1.9.1. DirectX 9, .NetFramework 3.5, and VC++ 2005 Runtime must be installed on
your computer. VC++ 2005 Runtime and .NetFramework 3.5 are supplied in the CD. The
installation of .Net Framework 3.5 will take a long time; just wait until it is completed.
1.9.2. Double‐click “Metus Library.msi” file and follow the instructions.
1.9.3. After the installation you will see a Metus Library shortcut icon on your desktop.
Run Metus Library by double‐clicking the icon.
1.9.4. A window asking username and password will appear. This window shows the
Windows account which you will use Metus Library with. Input windows log‐on user name
and password and check “Remember me” check-box.

1.10. Installation of Metus Online Web Server (MOL)
1.10.1. IIS 6.0 and .NET Framework 3.5 should be installed on the machine which
Metus Online web server will be installed onto.
1.10.2. Then double‐click InstallAspNet.bat file in Requirements-folder and follow the
instructions.
1.10.3. Double‐click MOL.msi and follow the instructions here.
1.10.4. Right-click on MOL folder located in “C:InetpubwwwrootMOL” and click
“Properties” to open Properties window. Remove the “Read Only” check to leave unchecked.
Click OK. Select “Apply changes to this folders, subfolders and files”.
1.10.5. Right click the MOL folder and click “Sharing and Security…” to open the
sharing and security window. On Security tab add everyone user and give full‐control
permissions. Installation of MOL finishes.

1.11. Sharing a Metus Archive Project in Metus Online.
1.11.1. Open a browser and type the following into the address bar:
“http://localhost/mol/a_main.aspx”. Metus Online Administration login page will open. Type
admin for the username and admin for the password to login.
1.11.2. From the menu at the left side of the page select Shared Projects. Select Add
New Project to share any archive project. Browse to the project *.map - file. The map file
must be placed in a shared folder.
1.11.3. Open a browser and type the following into the address bar: http://localhost/mol/
(the address that must be typed in the address bar, generally is: http://<Metus Online Server

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Name or IP >/mol/). A page with list of shared projects will open. Select the project you want
to log into.

NOTE! For a step-by-step installation (shortcuts included), please refer to Appendix 2 -
Installation Guider.

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CHAPTER 2: BASIC TERMS AND GENERAL INFORMATION

2.1 Asset
This is the object created from a file. The asset
doesn’t exist physically. It is a virtual object.
Different assets can be created from one file only.
The asset is created in the Metus Library
software by adding any media object (video file,
audio file, picture file, documents, tape cassettes,
books, etc.) and some attributes such as metadata,
category, proxy and storyboard related to this object.
The asset’s appearance in Metus Library is such as
in the picture shown here.
You can play the video files within an asset (double-click the camera sign). You can
create multiple asset versions from one file, rate it, etc.
- “S” defines if the file has a storyboard or not. When the letter “S” is highlighted, it
means that the file already has a storyboard.
The Storyboard is a sequence of pictures (frames), taken out from the video movie file.
This can be considered as the video summary presented in pictures. The specified frame can
be recreated each time depending to time range and scene changes. The frame also shows the
TC on which it is placed in the movie-timeline.
With the storyboard’s help, the user can get a previous knowledge of the video even
without viewing it. Also, if the file is not accessible, it is possible to have a general info about
its content. In another scenario, after long time not using the material and forgetting its
content, it can be reminded just by quick overview of this sequence.
- “P” specifies if the file has a proxy or not. Logically, the highlighted “P” means that
the file has a proxy.
The Proxy is
- a lower resolution copy of the master (original) file used in the project;
- it is created by the Metus Process Server in any format wanted (transcoded to);
- logically, the resulting file takes less storage space.
The proxy is used mostly in Server/Client-based workflows. It is used in order to avoid
bandwidth problems. And because it is faster, it is often used in workflows when tape library
archiving is used.
- “I” stays for Index. Indexed files are the ones which are created indexes by the MPS.
- “C” defines if the video file is cut (a clip). A clip is the part cut between the Master
In/Out points.
- “Thumbnail” is the main picture on the screen (here, the car). The thumbnail is
usually an explanatory picture taken from the video content and put as a general preview icon
of the asset.
Play On Site - In thumbnail mode, a video asset can be viewed by double clicking that
asset’s icon.

2.2. Bin
The bin can be considered as a virtual folder – in fact, it acts like a folder, as it is a
container for assets (referring to physical files) and subbins (subcontainers inside the upper
ones). The Windows operating system’s folder-logic is adopted.
We distinguish the following types of bins in Metus Library:

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- General Bin
A main container for another bins (no matter what types they are) and assets inside.
Absolutely behaving like a folder.
- Dynamic Bin
This is a bin type that monitors a folder in the network (the so called Watch folder) and
automatically creates assets (inside this bin) from the files existing in the watch folder.
From the bin’s Properties menu, the path to the Watch folder is given. Once files get
inside of it, Metus system automatically starts archiving them on the storage, viewing them in
the project as assets placed inside the dynamic bin.
The dynamic bin content is always synchronized with the watch folder content.

- Filter Bin
It works as a searching criterion. User can create filter bins according to his needs.
Filter bins are appropriate for automation of most used searching criterion.
In the bin’s Properties dialog you insert the criteria for filter. For example, if the
criterion is “Size>1000K”, all assets which size is over 1000 K are listed in that bin. The users
cannot add neither assets nor bins into this bin.
When a new project is created, some filter bins are automatically added. These are
named Search bins: Added this week, Unmodified, Large Assets, Most viewed, Most
Retrieved and Long Assets.

- Template Bin
A holder for the user templates. The user can add templates to this bin only. In one
project only one template bin can exist. After adding a template in the template bin you apply
various metadata to this template. Further on, referring the template to a bin will result in all
assets, included into this bin, having these metadata automatically displayed.
If you don’t want to use this feature you can disable it from Project menu, Properties
tab -> Others.

- Synchronized Bin
This bin type ensures that the bin contents of projects working on different locations
will be synchronized. With settings specified within the bin properties, each of the original
media, proxy media, storyboard information and metadata info can be synchronized with the
target bin fully or partially. The synchronization is done only in one direction – from the
source bin to the target bin.

- Recycle Bin
This is the bin to which all deleted assets are transferred in Metus Library. Deleted
files are moved to the Recycle Bin before permanent deletion. The physical file in the archive
is deleted only when it is deleted from the Recycle Bin.

2.3. Project and Project File
The project is the backbone of the entire system. It consists of assets, bins, physical files
related to them, information and metadata; and all this - stored in a database. It is possible to
work with a single or multiple projects in Metus Library.
The project is saved in a not big-sized file, saved on the HDD (no matter local or
network place) which holds the structure of the entire project in Metus Library. The project
keeps all the relationships between the assets and bins, playlists and filter results. Each new
project is empty but it has its organized general structure imported with the Metus
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installation.
As the projects in Metus are two kinds: Library and Archive and depending on which
one is running on, the file kept as a project file, has extension relevantly *.mlp (Metus
Library Project) or *.map (Metus Archive Project).
When Library project is used, the physical locations of the source files don’t change.
The user is working directly with the original files from the place he takes them from. The
metadata and categories are saved to this file via using their assets in the project.
A little bit similar (metadata creation via the asset objects) but definitely different
(archiving available) are the things when Archive project is used. The materials that are
desired to be archived are done so either in tape units or other storage units in specified fixed
locations. This is done with predefined Metus Archive Servers rules – before starting using
the files in the project (equal to archiving them on the storage place), the Administrator
decides which disks or tape units to use for this purpose. He creates rule for this and MAS
starts archiving on the selected disks and tape units, according to the criteria observed.

2.4. Starting Page
The names of the recently opened projects, their creation dates and number of connected
users are displayed on this page. Library projects’ names are shown in blue, while Archive
projects’ names are red-colored. You select the project in which you want to work or you can
create a new one. During the work, you can revert to this page at any time by selecting Start
Page from View menu.

2.5. Project Browser
Lists the bins existing in the project. The Project Browser window comes open as
default when a project is opened. If it is not opened, you can make it visible by choosing
Project Explorer option from View menu. In the Project Browser window all objects are
displayed in tree-view. Only bins are shown in this window. Assets are listed in the right
window.

2.6. Folder Explorer
The Folder Explorer is like a classic Windows browser. This window lists any video,
audio, picture or document files in the computer or the network, which have extensions for the
files supported by Metus Library.
Folder Explorer opens automatically as the project opens. If it does not, you can make
it visible by checking Folder Browser option from View menu. The files included in the
selected folder (or drive) are listed.
By default, the system drive is not displayed in the Folder Explorer because usually the
operating system installation is there. But if you want to display it, click Options from Tools
menu. Choose the Files from left. Check the box View the system drive in Folder Explorer
and then click OK. In order to hide the system drive, you have to uncheck this box.

2.7. Fields
A Field is the individual item of the metadata structure. The field is the “place” into
which the metadata are entered.
Fields can be defined on a basis of File, Bin or Asset. Depending on the language in
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which the project is created, the field description, name or value can be set in this language
exactly.
2.8. Metadata
This is the data which defines the objects (assets, bins etc.) in the projects, ensures them
to be managed and includes their characteristics. It is possible to define “metadata” and to
input data as much as required in Metus Library. And later any of these data can be used as
search criterion.
With the first setup of software some default metadata fields are provided.

2.9. Category
You can assign a category for each asset. As understood from the name, it is a structure
prepared for categorizing assets which have common properties.
The category tree is provided with the system. Additional categories can be added to
this tree by the user, depending on his needs and the workflow. To apply categories to the
objects selected, the user needs to select the relevant category checks.

NOTE! Please, keep attention to the fact that these are not saved as metadata values for
some category-field. These are just for quick search by category.
F.e. on Christmas you need to find Christmas programs, shows, movies and songs. So,
just check the category Christmas and all these will be filtered. Further on, you can go on with
filtering tightening up the group with the resulting assets to exactly what you need.

2.10. Searching
In this window you see four tabs for the each different kind of the search options:
Simple, Advanced, Category and Image. It is possible to search in accordance with criterion
specified within the assets of which metadata were assigned.

2.11. Progress Status
This window shows the progress and the completion status of the processes (archiving,
cutting, deletion and proxy-creation) executed or queued by the system. The progress status
window shows the asset being processed, the process name, progress status, the server process
being running, status and message from the relevant server. In order to get rid of the full list
with tasks, right-click and select Remove All Finished Jobs or just Remove All. From this
context menu tasks can be canceled, too.

2.12. Preview Window
This is the tab visible in the right lower window. You can preview the selected asset in
this window and thus avoid opening the assets viewer. Hide/show this tab from the View
menu.

2.13. Playlist Editor
This is a playlist organizer. A playlist can be created in order to prepare assets in the
archive for a TV broadcast (for video server). Some external events can be also included. You
can transfer this playlist together with the files included to the broadcast server.

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2.14. Requests
In Metus Library, users can only perform the processes they are privileged for. For a
process they don’t have permission to run, they make a request. …Of course, if they are given
a request permission.

2.15. Messaging Window
Metus Library enables messaging between the users currently online in the network.
For that purpose a Messaging Server must be selected from Tools -> Options -> Messaging.

2.16. Users and Groups
In Metus Library, the project manager can create users and groups, and give them
rights for reading, adding, editing, deletion and requests in the project. If there is a domain
structure, the users can also be imported to the project from the Active Directory, too. Thus,
the security is completed in accordance with the rights granted to users and groups. This
window is accessed by selecting Users and Groups from Project menu. There is a hierarchic
security structure in Metus Library.

2.17. Supported Files
This screen displays the supported file formats by Metus Library software in the basis
of video, audio, picture, documents and wrappers. It is accessed by selecting Supported Files
from Project menu.

2.18. Action History
It is an analyzing tool enabling the processing in Metus Library in the basis of criterion
such as date, user name, action executed, etc. It is accessed by selecting Process History from
the Project menu. The administrator of the project is using it for tracing who, when and how
made changes in the project.

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2.19. Task Administration
Some tasks can be created and these tasks can be assigned to the users in Metus
Library. All these settings are available in the Task Administration window which is
accessed from the Project menu. You can assign various tasks to the users added in the
project and later you can monitor the completion status of these tasks. This window is only
accessible by the users with administrator privileges.
2.20. Project Summary
The project’s administrator, project type and name, location on the hard disk and
statistics are shown in that screen. It can be accessed from the Project menu.

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CHAPTER 3: QUICK START

3.1. Creating A New Project
You need to have a SQL Server or Oracle installed in the network or on your computer
in order to add a project in Metus Library. A new project creation can be started in two ways
– either from File -> New Project or by pressing the New Project button in the Start page. No
matter which one you choose, here are the following steps (with SQL use):
- In the window which is popping up type the name of the project in the Project Name
field and in Location browse for the target path into which the project will be saved. In multi-
user structures, it is important that the location is shared and secured.
3. Choose the project type - Archive or Library and click Next.
4. In the next dialog type the SQL Server’s name. Or you can select one from the drop-
down list.

NOTE! In some cases, your server’s name is not listed even you have SQL server
installation. Try with typing the server name or add sqlserver (or sqlexpress) after the PC
name. (Consult your system administrator for SQL server name details)
5. Then type “sa” for SQL username (the default one) and the password set during the
installation of SQL (installed in Mixed mode!). Click Next.

NOTE! In the SQL Server you can create another user instead of SA user and use it.
(This second option is not recommended for users who don’t have required IT knowledge.
Also this user must have DBCreator privileges.)
6. Finally, click Finish in the Summary window, showing the path of the project file
and the project name.
Your new project is ready!

3.2. Opening a Project
In case of the project file is lost, click Tools -> Open Project Without Project File
option from top menu, choose SQL Server and fill the necessary information. Then you can
continue to use the existing project. But it is mandatory to add the file extension (.map or
.mlp) while naming the project.
When you open the Metus Library, the previously created projects don’t open
automatically. The very first window is the Starting Page and it is listing the recently opened
files. You can select and open the project you want from this list. One-click only is enough. If
the project you want to open is not listed here, you can find it by clicking Open Project from
the File menu or by clicking the Open Project button. Then browse for the relevant map/mlp
file.

You can create any number of users in Metus Library and you can provide them
different privileges even on the level of bins and assets. Groups are added for convenience to
gather several people f.e. from one department. Usually, in one group you cluster the people
supposed to have equal rights. Thus, you apply permissions not for each one of them (one-by-
one), but directly to the entire group.
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3.5. Adding New Bin
- Right-click on an empty field and choose Add New Bin from the context menu. Put
some bin name, choose the bin type and click OK.
- You can also add a folder from your computer or the network as a bin - choose the
Add Folder As Bin option from the context menu in the project you work, browse for this
Windows folder and click OK. Thus, the selected folder is added in the project as a bin and
the files included in the folder are added as assets.
- New bin can also be added via the icon from the toolbar:

3.6. Adding New Asset
Adding an asset in a project can be done in several ways:

- Adding Asset from the Folder Explorer - Open the Folder Explorer window. From
its tree-structure find in your computer or in the network files (such as video, audio, picture or
document); right-click over it and choose the Create Asset option. You can also drag the file
to the project.

- Drag-and-Drop from out of the application – Just drag the file you want to create an
asset to from the Windows Explorer to the project you use in Metus Library. Bins occur
from folders, assets occur from files.

- Adding Asset from the Project - Right-click in the current project and select Add File
As Asset option for adding an asset. From the menu, you must select the file you want to add
as an asset and click the Open button.

- Adding Asset by Toolbar - When you click the Add File button on the toolbar, from
the Windows Explorer window you can create a new asset by browsing for the file for which
you want to create an asset.

- Archive to a project – archives assets from a library
to archive projects. The metadata applied can be
transferred, also.

3.8. Adding a New Field
1. Select the Add New Field option from the menu
within the metadata window.

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2. From the opening
window choose the
language you prefer; from
the Parent Field select the
group under which you
want to add the field.
3. In the Name field
specify how you want to
name the metadata field.
From the Field Type, select
the type of the field to be
added and its control type.
4. Finally, click Next
button to switch to Field
Editing Wizard window. Set
here the properties of your
field and click Next button to continue.
5. Check the boxes according to the object types for which you want the created field to
be visible and click Finish to end the procedure.
6. You will see your new added field into the metadata window (in the relevant group)
after clicking on any asset in the project.

3.9. Show / Hide Field
With this setting you can specify which
fields will be shown or not in the metadata
window in the Metus Library. You can open
the window by clicking the Show/Hide Field
option from Menu.
You can filter the fields you didn’t want to
be shown by typing their name in the Quick
Find field. Then uncheck the boxes next to these
fields and click OK. Thus, those fields won’t be
shown in the metadata window even they are
already applied for the selected assets. This
feature is project-based and changes will apply
to only active projects.

3.10. Adding a New Category
You can add categories previously defined in the Metus Library system by checking
them and thus applying them to the objects selected in the project.

You can also create new ones.
1. From the Category window invoke the context menu and select Add New Category.

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2. Chose the
language you prefer
and type the name and
the description of the
category you want to
create and then click
OK. At your
discretion, you can tint
your categories. For
this, select the color
you prefer by clicking
the browsing button in
the Color field and
then click OK.
3. Finally click
the Close button.

You can also
edit or delete some the existing categories.
1. Right-click on the Categories window and from the drop-down menu choose Project
Categories.
2. Select a category or a group of categories and click the relevant button – Update or
Delete.
3. Click the Update button in the Categories window.
4. Finally click the Close button.

3.11. Preview
Except in the Asset Viewer, you can preview
your video materials in the Preview window in
Metus Library. This window is shown/hidden
from the View menu.

Only proxy files can be viewed on Preview window as default. If you wish, you can also
view the original file in the Preview window. If so, run Options from Tools menu and from
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the window appearing choose Preview. Then check the option Play Original File In The
Preview Window If Proxy Does Not Exist. Click OK. Now, the original file will be
previewed there.

3.12. Adding A New Task
The project administrator can assign different tasks to the users in Metus Library.
1. From the Project menu select Task Administration.

2. Click the Add button in the Current Tasks tab of the Task Administration window.
3. In the Create New Task window, set
the priority level of the task (in the Priority
field). There can be also set a day and time the
task should expire - in the Last Deadline field.
Type the title and the description of the
assigned task in the Title field and below that
filed, respectively. Creating a date is specified
automatically and cannot be changed.
Click the OK button to close the Create
New Task window.
4. From the users listed below, you can
select the users to whom you want to assign
the new created task and click OK. Then the
selected users are shown in the tasks-assigned
users list.

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CHAPTER 4 – METUS LIBRARY USAGE
4.1. The Start Page

When launching Metus Library, the Start page opens. It is giving a possibility either to
create a New Project or to open an already existing one. The recently used projects are listed
on the Start Page interface and you just click once at the project you want to open. Another
way to open a project is to browse for its map/mlp file as already explained in Chapter 1.

4.2. Project Creation

The new project creation
is invoked either by pressing
the relevant button from the
Start Page or from File menu -
> New Project. A wizard opens
for specifying the settings for
the new project. On the first
window you are supposed to
type a project name, the
location where the project will
be saved and its type – library
or archive. See these types
explanation in Chapter 1.

NOTE! Please, when creating archive projects, avoid checking Public unless you are
sure of this is really needed in your workflow. If this check is on, the user can access the
archived files via the operating system or via any other application. This can result in files
editing or deletion which is not going to be reported to the project database. Thus, all the
references and information kept in the database could be messed up. Therefore, each archived
file deletion must be done only through the project Recycle Bin.

Here is some more information about working with library and archive projects:

17

Library Project - From any video, audio, picture or document file you can create an
asset on the local computer or in the network in a library project. Source files are not deleted
when created assets are deleted! You can see the original file location by right-click on the
asset and choose Go to place on disk. But if you change the original file’s location, name or
path, you cannot access this file from Metus Library anymore.

Archive Project - In the archive project, a copy of the original file is created on the
archive disk or on a defined tape cartridge. For more information about configuring the
archive disks see Archive Servers. After that, even if you delete the original file, the file in
your archive disk will not be deleted. One of the most important features of Metus Library is
that the archived files are not accessible from any program out of Metus Library. The system
uses a tunnel created by it while archiving the files and accesses them through that tunnel. If
you want to use a file from your archive disk on another location, right-click the asset and
choose Retrieve File. As a result, a copy of this file will be “downloaded” locally on that
machine.

The second window is for choosing the database type – MS SQL or Oracle. We go on
here with choosing MS SQL.

The third dialog is a
consequence of our choice in the
previous one. Here we define the
SQL settings:

- Server Name is the
machine the SQL is installed on.
Take its name from the drop-
down menu which is listing all
the computers in the network on
which MS SQL is installed (add
“sqlserver” or “sqlexpress” after
the name, if needed);

- User Name – here we put “sa”, which is the SQL database default name. The database
must be installed in Mixed Mode with some password specified. For username we leave the
default one. Therefore, we put here the default username (sa) and the password, already set
during the installation. Logically, SQL Server Authentication must be left as a choice (due to
the way of installing it).

On the next dialog we select Finish and Metus Library starts creation of an empty
database and the empty structure for our new project. This is the moment the system
automatically installs the metadata tree, the project categories and the bins we see when
opening the project for first time.

18

4.3. Program Interface

Here is how our new project looks like when we open it for first time:

As we see, it has a tree-structure. Automatically it is installed:

- one Generic Bin for adding here our materials

- one Template Bin to place here our templates

- one Generic Bin is installed to be a container for the six Filter Bins placed there

- a holder for the Requests which are going to be made

- and of course, the Recycle Bin, we already mentioned above.

Generally, the interface is divided in four main parts: upper-left, upper-right, down-left
and down-right part. This interface layout can be changed as per the user’s wishes by drag-n-
dropping each one from the windows and the tabs. After ordering them in the way he prefers,
he can save this as a new layout from the Layout -> Save Layout option. In the Layout menu,
there are some other layouts, already predefined that can be used as per the user convenience.

19

The upper-left part shows two tabs: the Project Explorer and the Folder Browser. The
first one displays the project structure; the second acts like a simple Windows Explorer and it
is browsing the folders on the local HDD or these, available in the network. If you select any
folder, you will see the files included into it in the right side, in the Files tab. Right-click on it
and you can archive the file to the project, you can locate its place on the HDD/network (a
Windows Explorer pops up), etc.

The upper-right part displays the content of the folder or bin, selected in the upper-left
part.

The down-left part is the one for searching (four ways for search, the last one is optional
– we will discuss them in details further in that manual).

The last part is the most various one as it consists of 7 different tabs; each one of them
can be closed or shown – again as per user’s wishes. These will be explained in details.


Metus Library, can work on a server-client based architecture. It is possible to create
groups and users having different access levels in Metus Library.

After opening the project for first time, the current user using it is the one who created
it. And as there are still no users defined, this user is automatically considered as Anonymous.
Still he is the only one working with the project; therefore he is its Administrator. The user,
currently logged in the project, can be seen at the most right-bottom of the page:

In order to increase the project security, a Project Administrator must be defined. For
this purpose, users must be listed before that.

The users list can be updated from the main Users
and Groups window, which opens from Project ->
Users and Groups. Only the Project Administrator can
access this dialog.

- Add button is for adding a new user or group;

- Remove button – press it to delete the selected
user(s) or group(s),

- Properties – changes the properties of a user or
group.

General info about users and groups is mentioned
in Chapter 1.

20

4.4.1. Adding a User
The dialog for defining a new
user is very simple and user-
friendly. The fields are self-
explanatory.
In the Groups field you will
see a list of all the groups, created
for the current project. The one you
check is the group to which you
make the user belong. Further on, if
the Administrator applies some
rights to the entire group, all the
people belonging to it, will
automatically obtain the same
rights.

4.4.2. Deleting a User
As already mentioned, it is done from the Remove button of the Users and Groups
dialog.

4.4.3. User Properties
Invokes the dialog with the user’s settings applied during adding him. Select the user
from the users list and click on the Properties button.

4.4.4. Export - Import Users List
You can save the users list you created in .xml format by pressing the Export button.
You can import this list in other projects you created by pressing the Import button there.

4.4.5. Adding Users from Active Directory
If you work on a domain, you can add your
users in active directory to Metus Library. For this,
click the Add from Active Dir button below in the
Users and Groups window. In the User field type
the name(s) of user(s) you want to add from active
directory and click the Search button. When you
find the user you want to add mark his name and press the Add button. Finish the procedure
with the OK button.

4.4.6. Adding a Group
After creating the user list, the Administrator can create groups and gather the users into
them. When equal rights are given to more than one user, those users are usually added to a
group and the rights are applied to the group, totally. Thus, the procedure is simplified by
giving rights to groups rather than users individually.
Groups creation is similar to the users one. Just select the second tab – for the groups.

21

4.4.7. Deleting Group
For deletion, select the group and then the Remove button.

4.4.8. Group Properties
The group’s summary is seen from the Properties button. You can change the name of
the group and you can change the users of that group, also.

4.5. Security and Authorization

4.5.1. Security Settings for the Project
You can make the security settings as project-based. Thus, these settings will be applied
for all bins and assets within that project. I.e. the settings will reflect the entire project.

NOTE! Administrator
The project admin is usually only one person. There cannot be more than one
administrator for one project. The Project Administrator is specified from one place only:
Project -> Properties -> Security -> Project Admin field!
He is the only one privileged to browse in the security settings and to apply changes
there.

User’s rights
To make the security settings throughout
the project, click the Security option from the
Project menu. Press the Add button and start
adding the users and the groups you want to
define permissions to work with the project. If a
user belongs to a group, which you are going to
define some rights, there is no need to add this
user here – he will take the rights from the group
level.

The authorization levels and authorities are
as follows:

a. Read
A user authorized to read can:
 See bins and assets and navigate
around them.
 See all metadata and categories of bins
and assets but cannot change.
22

 Play asset but cannot change. (marking in/out, etc.)
 See asset’s storyboard but cannot change.

b. Add
A user authorized to add can:
Add a new bin, asset or container under a bin if that bin has appropriate authorization.
 Add any object able to be added under a container if that container is authorized
for this.

c. Edit
A user authorized to edit can:
 Change bin properties
 Add or delete metadata to any bin, asset or container
 Add or delete a category to any bin, asset or container
 Create a storyboard. Make a thumbnail from the storyboard
 Edit the asset
 Mark In/Out
 Set Master In/Out
 Set censors
 Add markers
 Move assets from one bin to another.

d. Delete
A user authorized to delete can
 Delete any bin, asset or container.

e. Retrieve:
A user authorized to retrieve can:
 Take an asset from an archive project to a library project.
 Download a source file of an asset from archive project to the local machine or
another one in the network (ex.: Playout system, Editing system, etc.). Retrieving to FTP is
possible, too.

f. Request
A user authorized to request can
 Ask the system administrator to perform a process if the user is not authorized to
run it.

g. Administrator
Administrator is just a quick check for all the checks below. It acts like full-rights
check. Request is only not checked as it is logical that a person, allowed to do everything has
nothing to request for. Even though, it can be checked, too, if wanted.

23

4.5.2. Security Settings for Bins and Assets
In Metus Library the Administrator can give different levels of access rights to bins
and assets for the different users as desired. For this: right-click over a bin or asset and choose
Security; then add the user or the users from the drop-down menu and give rights to these
users as desired. If you click Take Security Settings from Up option (in the Security
window), the security settings of the upper bin will be applied to that bin and the assets
included in it. Unless something else is specified, this option is valid by default.

4.6. Archiving
When the files are archived in Metus Library, a copy of each file is created in the
archive storage. When deleting an asset from an archive project (if the asset is the only one
using this archived file), the physical file on the storage is deleted, too. If there are other
assets using this file, then the file could not be deleted. The user will be warned by Metus
Library so that all assets are deleted until the last one (as per the user wish).
You have to create an archive project and assign an archive server for this project to
make a real archive. And there are several ways for archiving files in Metus Library.

4.6.1. Archiving from Library Project
You can archive from library to archive project by drag-n-dropping the assets from the
one to the other project tab. This can be done with bins, also.
Another way is to right-click on an asset in the library project and select the Archive to
a project option. It archives the file to one of the opened (active) archive projects – they are
listed so that the user specifies which one. Also, the archiving options can be additionally
adjusted.

4.6.2. Archiving by drag-and-Drop from Windows Explorer
You can archive folders as Bins and files as assets by dragging them from Windows
Explorer and dropping them into the project area.

4.6.3. Archiving From Archive Project Interface

- Right-click in the project area and from the context menu select Archive file or
Archive folder. A browse dialog opens - point where the files and the folders are placed.

- Select the relevant button (Archive File or
Archive Folder) from the toolbar to archive a file as an
asset or a folder as a bin with assets inside.

4.6.4. Archiving from the Folder Explorer tab
The Folder Explorer window displays the physical files in your computer or the
network. If Folder Explorer is not visible, you can make it visible from the View menu. The
displayed files are shown in the Files tab in Metus Library.
- You can select the files or the folders you want to archive from the Folder Explorer
and drag them to the Archive Project.
- You can make the file to be archived in any active (opened) archive project by right
clicking the file and choosing the Archive or Archive To options.
The first one is asking only to which active project to archive. The second provides an

24

advanced dialog for additional settings to be observed during the archiving process. It consists
of two parts – left and right. In the left part are listed all the opened archive projects and their
bins and subbins. In the right part is displayed the Archiving options dialog, which will be
explained further in this manual.

4.7. Deleting Assets in the Archive
Select the asset(s) you want to delete from the archive project and press the Delete key
on the keyboard or you can use context menu and select Delete. The deleted assets are moved
to the Recycle Bin (temporarily deleted) from where they can be deleted permanently.

NOTE! When you delete assets in the archive project, the source file on the storage is
deleted, too. Don’t forget, it may not possible to recover. Also, the database deletes all the
information about this asset and the references to the other objects, too.

4.8. Retrieve
It is not possible to access a file in the archive
project from out of Metus Library. Therefore, it is
necessary to take the file out of the Metus Library
to use it in another application (f.e. NLE editing).
Two scenarios are possible – retrieving directly to a folder/FTP or retrieving the file to a
library project (which of course is making a local copy of the archived file, too)

4.8.1. Retrieve to a Local Folder
To retrieve the file to the local machine
or any computer in the network, select the
asset, right-click on it and choose Retrieve. A
dialog opens for specifying the retrieval
options:
- In the first text field you set the
location to where the file will be saved. There
is a button to place the file directly on the
Desktop – no need to browse for it.
With the Browse button a folder can be
pointed – either in the network or a local one
on the computer.
The file can be copied on a FTP, also. In
the text field you define the FTP link. In the
User field – the username for reaching it. The
Password field requires the FTP password.
After all the FTP settings are applied, the
connection must be checked with the Test
Connection button.
- Override Archive Server and Pull File
Instantly – if the archive server can not acess the folder to write into, Metus Library will
copy the physical file from the storage by itself.
- Retrieve Storyboard – if the asset is created a storyboard, the storyboard will be
copied, also. All the storyboard pictures will be saved in a subfolder in the folder where the
25

local copy is saved. All the pictures are separate files, with *.jpg extension.
- Retrieve Metadata – if some metadata values are applied to the asset in the project,
they can be copied, too. The copied metadata will be included in one file with extension *.xml
in the folder, set as retrieve location.
- Retrieve Proxy – If the asset is created a proxy, it can be copied together with the
original file being retrieved. The proxy is placed in the folder specified as a location for the
retrieval. Furthermore, you can choose the order for retrieving the file and its proxy - the
proxy can be archived before the original file (Retrieve Proxy First) and also – you can
retrieve Only Proxy
- File Naming Format – the place to define the way Metus Library should extract
metadata values from the different parts of the filename.
- Trim – you can take only a part from the file. Generally, three scenarios are available
for retrieving a file: copy the entire file (without the Trim check); only the part between the
Mark In/Out points and the third option is to copy the part between the Master In/Out
points.
- Transcode – the copied file (or the part of it) can be transcoded to a desired format.
More information about the Metus System transcoding you can find further in the manual.

4.8.2. Retrieve to a Library Project
The retrieving to a library project is not only taking a local copy of the archived file, but
placing a copy of its asset in an active library project. Therefore, the dialog for retrieving to a
library project requires both a folder path for the local copy to be placed and a bin from an
active library project to be selected. To make it shorter: here is needed a bin to place the asset
and a folder to copy the file. This is the dialog mentioned:
In the
left part are
listed all the
active library
projects with
their bins and
subbins. From
there you
must choose
to which
project and
exactly into
which its bin
the asset will
be placed (the
asset of the
file from the
archive
project – the
one being retrieved).
In the right part should be applied the settings concerning the physical file copying. All
of them are already explained above.

26

4.9. Prepare asset
See detailed explanation in section 4.11.19 and Project ->Properties section below.

4.10. Transcoding
As a great priority over the competitors MAM solution systems, Metus Library
provides a powerful transcoding internal tool. It can be used for several purposes, usually
concerned with transcoding:
- The materials being archived on the storage (in the moment of the archiving) can be
transcoded into a specified format. Thus, the user ensures that all the files he works with will
be one and the same format.
- Any material, already archived on the storage, can be transcoded to a desired format at
any moment.
- Files, being retrieved can be transcoded into the moment of retrieval into the format
chosen by the user.
- And of course, mostly used is the proxy creation format. Proxy files are created by re-
encoding the source file with this internal transcoding tool.

The name of this re-encoding system used is Metus System. Run Tools -> Supported
Processes to obtain more information about the formats supported and procedures possible to
be run over them. This information is also available in that manual as Appendix 3 –
Supported Processes.

If you choose the Metus System to transcode any audio or video material, it opens the
Audio/Video Transcode Profiles dialog which provides the formats you can choose between.

27

No matter what is the source audio file you can transcode it to AAC audio format or
create a proxy into this format. For video formats you can transcode to: H264, DV, Windows
Media, MPEG and MXF. Each one of them has its levels and subformats in Metus System.

H264.SVCD
Main H264.D1
H264.Main
H264.HDTV_1080i
H264.DVD
H264
High H264.HDTV_720p
H264.HD DVD
H264.High
H264.CIF
Baseline H264.Baseline
Adobe Flash(LowRes)
DVCPRO25PAL
DV Microsoft AVI
DVCPRO50PAL
Proxy Medium Quality
Windows Media Proxy Very High Quality
WM9
Proxy Low Quality
Proxy High Quality
MPEG-1 PAL
General
MPEG-2 PAL
MPEG VCD PAL
VCD
SVCD PAL
DVD DVD PAL
1280x720 CBR 50Mb
MXF XDCAM HD 1440x1080 CBR 25Mb
1920x1080CBR 50Mb

If you expand the dialog with the Show Settings button you can additionally precise
some of the formats characteristics (Interlacing, Standard, Bitrate mode, Aspect Ratio,
Frame rate, etc) and thus create your own profile you are tending to often use. Save it as your
own profile with the help of the Save As button. The profile will be listed in the left part of
the dialog – below the others, already existing. Just select it each time you need it.

In case that any of the formats provided by the Metus System is not enough, you can
refer to Carbon Coder as an external transcoding tool that can be involved into Metus
Library. Carbon Coder is integrated fully with the Metus solution. Its use is optional; of
course, the software must be licensed.

28

When you want to transcode a file already archived - right-click over its asset and select
Transcode from the appearing menu. The following dialog opens (as shown on the picture).

Metus Library needs more
information about what to do
during the transcoding process
running.

- Create New Asset option is
for making a new asset in the
project, which will refer to the new
transcoded file. If this option is
chosen, the name for this new asset
must be specified, also in the Asset
Name text field below. Choosing
this option will keep the old asset
and its physical file in the project.
-
- Change Source File means
that you can change the physical
file the asset in the project is
referring to with the new one. I.e. if
you transcode file A of asset A, the
result will be that the asset A will
remain in the project but its file will
not more be file A but the new,
transcoded file. If you choose this
option, there is a possibility for
Metus Library either to save both the two files on the storage (file A and the new transcoded
file) or to keep only the new file and delete the old one (fie A). In the last scenario, the option
Delete old source must be checked.
-
- As you see from the interface, the Whole File can be transcoded as well as the parts
only between the Mark In/Out points or the Master In/Out points.
-
- The transcoded file format must be specified in the Metus Library Transcoding
System, which is already explained above.

29

4.11. Asset’s context menu options

4.11.1. Open – Opens the preview of the asset. This
is equal to double-click on it.

4.11.2. Open in New Window – Opens in a new tab
the entire project (with this asset marked)

4.11.3. Security… - Choose this to limit the
permissions of the users for this asset exactly. If you do
not apply permissions for separate assets, they take the
security settings applied for the bin they are placed into
(by default it is set like this). This is already explained
above in the part concerning the security settings of the
project bins and objects.

4.11.4. Delete – deletes the selected asset.
Explained above in the deletion-part.

4.11.5. Cut – places temporarily the asset in the
computer clipboard.

4.11.6. Copy – places a temporal copy of the asset
in the computer clipboard.

4.11.7. Paste – pastes the content from the
computer clipboard.
If the asset is cut/copied to another project, this is
acting like retrieval – already explained above. If you
cut/copy an asset to the same project it just pastes the
asset in the chosen bin.

4.11.8. Select All – selects all the objects in the current bin.

4.11.9. Print – prints a designed asset report on a
connected printer and/or in a *.xps file. When the option is
selected, the print window opens:

30

- the Design Report invokes the dialog
into which you specify which metadata and
their values to be printed. You insert the
metadata fields choosing them one-by-one
with the Add button. You can remove some
fields which are added but unwanted
anymore with the Remove button (before that
– select them). In the Text Properties part
you define the text color and the font for the
text the report will be written with. The last
part is for setting the Field Column Width,
in pixels.

- Print Settings is for adjusting the printers and xps-files the report will be saved to.
From this dialog you define which
one is the printer you will print on,
as well as whether the report will
be printed to a file or not (the
check). Pressing the Properties
button opens additional dialog to
specify the layout of the report –
portrait or landscape and also – the
xps setting for the current printer.
There is also Advanced menu for
the paper size to be specified.
If Print to a file is chosen,
you will be asked for an output
name for this file. Enter some
name. The file will be
automatically saved with this name + xps-extension
and the location you will be asked for after pressing
the Print button from the Print Asset dialog..

- Page Settings opens the dialog to precisely
adjust the page settings: the page size and source,
orientation (portrait or landscape), the paper margins
(in millimeters) defining the left, right, top and
bottom points.

31

- Print All metadata is a check
to apply all the metadata fields and
their values for that asset to be visible
in the report

- Print Censor data will print
the TC in/out points for the moments
the material is been censored.

- Preview shows how the report
will look like.

4.11.10. Export List –
Exports in a xls-file the items
from the project depending on
the user’s choice:
- Selected items exports only the data about the selected assets
- Current page – exports the data of all the assets placed on the current page (when you
choose to preview a set numbers of assets on a page)
- All – all the assets in the Bin

4.11.11. Metadata
This menu is for working with
the entire group of the metadata
values applied for this asset.
- Copy is to temporarily place
the editable metadata values in the
computer clipboard.
- Paste – applies values, pre-
buffered in the computer clipboard to some editable metadata fields.
- Delete All – Deletes all the editable metadata values.
32

- Export – Exports the metadata in a *.xml file so that they can be imported by another
object later.
- Import – For the selected object it imports metadata values from a *.xml file.
- Regenerate – updates the metadata values at some time (when this option is selected).
This is very useful in some cases when details, referring to the metadata values are changing
(f.e. when the filename is parsed, when the source file is changed and so on).

4.11.12. Index
Indexing of the assets is
held by the MPS. This is not
resulting in some file that you
can preview, because this is some kind of internal information for the process server which is
helping it to “browse” inside the video content bit by bit (or frame by frame). Indexing is
needed for the image search. To say it simply: image searching is done only over indexed
materials! Materials, which are not indexed, will not be searched for matches with the image.
To index a material, you must specify a shared index folder before that. This is done
from Project -> Properties -> Other:

The folder must be shared in the network with all permissions allowed.
After that you can start indexing the materials – either from the Index menu -> Create
Index or by right-clicking the I-letter on the asset icon and selecting Create Index. The
progress bar can be watched in the Progress Status tab. After the process is completed, the I-
letter is highlighted. The indexed file is saved in the shared folder set.
Index -> Delete Index deletes the created index file in the shared folder. The I-letter
will not be highlighted anymore. The index is deleted.
If you want to index more than one asset – just make multi-selection before that and
then go to indexing. If your goal is to index all the materials included in a bin, select the bin -
> context menu -> Analyze -> Index. All assets within the will be indexed.

4.11.13. Proxy
As defined in Chapter 2:
The Proxy is
- a lower resolution copy of the master (original) file used in the project;
- it is created by the Metus Process Server in any format wanted (transcoded to);
- logically, the resulting file takes less storage space.
The proxy is used mostly in Server/Client-based workflows. It is used in order to avoid
bandwidth problems. And because it is faster, it is often used in workflows when tape library
archiving is used.
Shortly said - the proxy is the replacing file of the original one and it is purposed for
network use.

33

The very basic proxy settings can be
applied in Project -> Properties -> Proxy
Options. There are two sections: Proxy
Naming Options and Proxy Creation
Options.
The first one is for defining rules for
naming proxies, assigned from outside
(from a folder) and not created by the
Metus Library.

The second section is for
applying generally a format into which
the proxies will be created. As seen
into this part, there are two kinds of
proxies – one for local networks and
the other one for the web (web proxy).
The second proxy is usually worse quality due to the fact that working and browsing in
Internet is slow. Therefore, the web proxy must be quicker (very low resolution and high
compressed).

NOTE! Currently, in Metus Library only one proxy is supported – the first one. Web
proxies are still not supported. Future implementation is expected.
The dialog for the proxy profiles is already explained in the Metus Library
Transcoding System part.

- The proxy creation can
be run either from the letter
“P” (which stays for “proxy”)
-> context menu -> Create
Proxy or from the Proxy menu
displayed on the picture here.
The proxy is created by the
MPS. The progress can be monitored in the Progress Status bar.

- Set Proxy is an option not to create the proxy inside the Metus Library but to assign
an existing video file as a proxy of the archived file placed on the storage. A browse dialog
opens to point which video will be the proxy file.

- Delete Proxy is the option which deletes the proxy file assigned. In result, the letter
“P” will not be highlighted anymore

After the file is created a proxy, it can be previewed from this moment either with the
original file or with the proxy – a question of user’s choice, as well as administrator’s
permissions set.

34

4.11.14. Storyboard
The storyboard’s
explanation and definition is
already given in Chapter 2.

The general Storyboard options are defined in
Project->Properties->Storyboard options
Two creation options only are available when
setting these directly through the general options –
Total Frames and Interval (explained below). The
image size set here is concerning the pictures sizes
in the storyboard. It can be additionally changed for
the different assets storyboard creation. If the Keep
aspect ratio check is on, these two controls will be
locked to each other.
The last check in this dialog is for pictures
additionally added to the storyboard content. If the check is on, these pictures will have the
same size as the other ones – already placed in the storyboard by Metus Library. Otherwise,
the pictures will be imported with their original size.

- To Create a
Storyboard either right-
click on the asset icon’s
letter “S’ (stays for
storyboard”) or run the
creation from the asset
context menu ->
Storyboard -> Storyboard.
A dialog opens
providing four different
ways to create the
storyboard.
= Total Frames –
here you set the number of
the frames to be included
in the storyboard. F.e. if
you set here “8”, Metus
Library will divide the
entire video in 8 equal
parts and will place in the Storyboard the first frame form each part.
= Interval – if you choose this option you must apply some time interval, f.e. 10
seconds. This means that Metus Library will take one frame on each 10th second from the
video material and put it in the storyboard.
= Max Scene Changes – if you set here the digit 6, Metus Library will find the six
scene changes which are more effectively changing (the six general scenes), i.e. the scenes
changes mostly visible by the eye and will take the first frame from each one of them and
place it in the storyboard.
= All Scenes – Will take the first frame each time the scene is changing.
= Size – the size of the pictures in the Storyboard. From the general storyboard settings
can be specified whether these two controls – the width and the height to be locked so to keep
the aspect ratio.
35

- Add picture - enlarges the storyboard content by adding more pictures into it. The user
selects which pictures to be additionally added via the browse dialog which opens. Pictures
are added at the end of the storyboard (after the last picture).

- Export – exports the storyboard content into one jpg-file in a folder, chosen by the
user. Each frame in the exported storyboard is shown its TC.

In the storyboard window, a
separate picture can be selected and
from its context menu these can be
done:
= Set as thumbnail – sets the
selected picture to be a thumbnail for
the asset.
= Export – this picture can be
exported as a separate jpg file.
= Delete – deletes the selected
picture. Usually applied to black
frames and not good- quality pictures.

The Storyboard can be created
for a multiselection of assets by selecting them and choose Storyboard -> Storyboard
creation. This will create storyboards to the assets as defined in the storyboard general
options.
For all the assets existing into a bin, storyboards are created from the bin context menu -
> Analyze ->Storyboard.

4.11.15. Thumbnail
The thumbnail general explanation is already mentioned in Chapter 2.
Thumbnail general setting is only one – offset, and it is adjusted from Project ->
Properties -> Other -> Thumbnail:

The offset format is hh:mm:ss:fr . It presents the moment from which a frame will be
“taken” and put as a thumbnail to an asset. This is in order to avoid the black-framed-
thumbnails (most of the video materials start with a black frame).
Thumbnails can be created in three ways:
- (Multi) select
asset(s). Context menu ->
Create thumbnail.
Thumbnails are created
according to the rule,
specified in Project -> Properties -> Other -> Thumbnail Offset.

36

- Select an asset and open its video
in the Viewer. Move the slider over the
timeline. Choose a frame from the
preview window. Set this frame to be a
thumbnail with the button Create
thumbnail from current frame.
- Open the Storyboard of an asset. Select a frame from the storyboard and right-click
over it. Choose the Set as Thumbnail option (already described in the storyboard section).
The second and the third ways to create a thumbnail are for a separate asset and with
them you can choose more proper and explanatory thumbnail.

4.11.16. Retrieve
Already described in section 4.8 (detailed - 4.8.1).

4.11.17. Retrieve to Library Project
Already described in section 4.8.2.

4.11.18. Transcode
Already described in section 4.10.

4.11.19. Prepare Asset
As already said above, an asset cannot be previewed out of
Metus Library. The preview is done only inside the project
with the help of the Viewer. But sometimes it is needed the
asset’s file to be opened with another application. In such cases,
the Prepare option must be used.
From an asset’s context menu choose Prepare. The Metus
Library client machine starts automatically creating a temporal
local copy of this file. The process progress can be monitored in
the Progress Status tab. The temporal copy of the file is placed in a folder, predefined in
Project -> Properties -> Prepare asset.
After completed, the asset automatically is put an icon named Ready. While this icon is
on, the assets can be previewed in other applications, out of Metus Library (usually with
programs defined in Windows as default for opening the file with). Just double-click the asset
and you will see how it happens.
Until the Ready sign is on, you can open the file from the local folder with any other
application (f.e. NLE Editing software) and make changes into it. As soon as you select to
save the changes in the other software,
Metus Library understands this and pops
up a dialog asking you what to do with
the file on the storage. The new edited
file (local one) you can Archive as a new
Version of the Asset (see Versions
section explanation) or you can Replace
the old archive copy of the Asset with the
new one. Each time you make changes in
the NLE software and you press Save –
this will repeat. Finally, no matter what is your choice, you can select to delete the local file
with the option Delete the file after archiving.
At any moment you can go back to the project and use the asset again. The Ready sign
is still here to remind you that it is still referring the local copy. To go back using the archived
37

one, just select the asset, right-click over it and choose Delete Local Copy – thus, you start
using again the copy on the storage (if you double-click the asset, the file should be previewed
in the Viewer application).
Please, read also the Project -> Properties -> Prepare Asset explanation.

4.11.20. Change Source File
First, take a look in the Transcode section (4.10) – the latest explanations (as this is an
option from the Transcode menu, also).
Changing the source file is needed sometimes to replace the source file of an asset. The
source file is the file which is opened in the Viewer when double-clicking over the asset. This
file is placed on the storage. It is the archived file. In some workflows this file is retrieved
locally to a client’s machine and edited in a NLE program. The edited file is a new copy of
the archived file. But it is not placed on the storage – it is placed on the local client’s machine.
The client can archive it via drag-n-dropping it into the project. But this will create a new
archived file (the edited one) on the storage and a new asset in the project. The goal is not this
one. The goal is to replace the first archived video (not-edited) with the edited one and the
asset must remain the same. Therefore, the Change Source File option is available. Choose it
and a browsing dialog will open to point the new file. When you select it, the following dialog
will open:

This dialog provides the possibility to keep the first copy of the file (not-edited) as a
version of the asset. At this version you can revert back at any moment, if you want. (See the
Versions section further in the manual).
If you select YES the version will be saved.
With NO you choose to have only the new version of the source file. This will delete
the old (not-edited) copy totally from the storage.
NOTE! Please, keep in mind, that when you choose NO and later try to revert back to
this version, there will not exist a source file anymore. The asset will become inaccessible and
an “X” mark will be placed over its icon.

4.11.21. Move to Tape
This option sends the source file from the storage to the tape drive (or library)
connected to the system. Additional dialog opens asking for any of the options below to be
run:
- Assign secondary sources as
primary is chosen in case that the file being
moved to the tape has double copy and you
want to make its secondary copy appears as
primary
- Delete secondary sources will delete
the secondary files in order to keep the
reference with only the files being moves to the tape.
- Archive secondary sources to tape will not only move the source file to the cartridge,
but its double copy – too.
- Archive Proxy to Tape is the last option in the dialog. It means that the already
existing proxy will be moved to the tape, together with the source file being moved.
38

4.11.22. Create Secondary Copy
This is in order to make a second copy of an
archived file (for security reasons).
When you select this option the following
window opens:
So, you can choose where to save the secondary
copy – Disk (drives from archive server), Disk Set (a
disk from the archive storage) or a Computer in the
network.
You can leave the choice to Metus Library by
checking the Choose best location option.
Save my selection as default will always choose the selected location to be a place for
keeping the secondary copies.
After you apply your choice, Metus Library starts creation of the new copy – it will be
named double copy:

Once the double copy is created, the asset already has two
copies of the archived file to which it is pointing. On its icon
additional sign appears – two red dots. Its metadata field “Has
double copy” is checked on and its context menu changes to the
one as shown on the
screenshot. At any moment
you can delete any of the
two copies (either the primary or the secondary).
Activate Secondary Copy will open the doubled copy from its location when double-clicking
over the asset, i.e. the Viewer will preview the secondary copy. This is used when the first
copy is offline. If available, Metus Library just changes the places of the First and the
Secondary Copy – the first one becomes secondary and vice versa.

4.11.23. Show Versions
Versions are the separate statuses the asset and the file related go through. When a
change occurs to an asset or the related file it is count as a version. These statuses are
considered as old information and they are kept so that can be restored at any moment, if
required. If versioning option is active for an asset, “V” letter turns on its icon (same like “S”,
“P” and so on).
If you choose the Show Versions option from the asset’s context menu, it will open a
window with all the versions available for the current asset – it reflects all the changes made
with the asset and the related file. The older is the version, the upper it is listed. New versions

39

are appended at the end of the list. The first line of the text listed explains shortly what change
generated this version exactly.
As seen from the screenshot, you can:
- Delete a selected version (this process is applicable only for metadata versions and
such, related to the source file)
- Locate the asset in the project
- Revert back to this version (which will cancel the changes made after it).
- Show the differences in the metadata with the previous version.

With the All Versions check you will preview all the changes made.
If only the File Versions check is left on, it will show all the versions related to the
asset’s file only. A file version is also the change of the source file – if you choose to select
the old source as a version. This is already explained above in the manual.
Asset versions check will filter only the changes with the asset (f.e. when copying an
asset inside the same project. The new asset performs
versioning of the old one).
If only the Metadata Versions check is applied it
will list the versions generated due to metadata
changes. To see the Metadata Versions, before that
you must “tell” Metus Library to log them in this
form, also. Metadata Versions menu is activated from
the asset’s context menu -> Properties -> Turn on
Metadata Versioning
NOTE! The database may increase seriously
when metadata are changing. This feature is disabled
by default and should not be enabled, unless it is
necessary.

40

4.11.24. Show Related Assets

Opens in a separate tab all the assets related to the selected one. A related asset can be
such which is created as a copy from the current or is the one from which a copy is created
(and the current asset is that copy).

4.11.25. Properties

Opens the asset’s Properties dialog on which some detailed information is displayed.
All this info can be seen also in the Metadata tab in the relevant fields:

- Asset name - displays the name of the asset. This can be changed at any moment.

- Source File – the source file to which the asset refers

- Asset Age – how long the asset have been on the archive (in days)

- View Count – the number of times the asset has been previewed

- Retrieve Count – the number of times the asset has been copied (retrieved)

- Popularity – this is proportionate to the preview of the other assets in the bin

- Status - tells if the asset is offline or not

- Turn on Metadata Versioning is already described above in the manual.

- Protect Asset locks the asset against deletion until
this check is on. A shield sign is placed over the asset
when it is protected. Only the owner of the protection
and the Administrator can unlock the asset.

41

4.12. Metadata in Metus
Here we come to one of the main topics in one media asset management system.
Metadata is the information describing everything about an asset or file. This
information is loaded in the relevant metadata fields. What we put as information in these
fields, we call metadata values.
In Metus Library, each object has its metadata. These metadata are kept in fields. The
metadata are used to classify the objects according to their features and to reach the assets
according to certain features during the work. Each project has its metadata fields.
NOTE! Metadata fields are editable only by administrators.

The Metus Library installation automatically provides a big tree-structured metadata
base. The client can browse into it and use the provided fields as per his needs. The fields are
ordered in groups and subgroups.
There are some metadata values which are automatically recognized by the system
(system metadata) and others that are possible to be manually inserted (describing metadata).
For filling up some describing metadata, new fields can be created in addition to the ones
already installed with Metus Library.
And one more remark – the fields, which text is red-colored are these that cannot be
modified. The values they are loaded in are recognized automatically by Metus Library and
cannot be changed. On the opposite, the blue-colored-text metadata fields hold values that can
be edited by the user. Such values are Name, Rating and so on.
The fields, created by the user, can be edited (according to the permissions given during
the creation) and the text in the field can be any color – the user defines this during the
metadata field creation.

4.12.1. Metadata window
In the right-down part of the Metus Library interface, select the Metadata window.
This is a detailed dialog with a lot of options and menus provided. If the window is not active
(closed) you can open it either from the View -> Metadata or with the shortcut key F4. The
dialog is divided in separate tabs. Each tab presents a group with fields, i.e. the fields are
divided in tabs as per the groups they belong to.

42

4.12.2. Filtering the Metadata Window
There is a possibility to list all the fields in one tab only. This can be processed by
pressing the Show All Metadata in One Tab button. To revert back to the old preview – in
tabs, just press the same button again.

On the other hand, the tabs can be displayed in different windows or in one window (as
it is by default). To display the tabs in different windows uncheck the Order All theTabs in
One Window option from the menu popping-up from the Tab Options button.
The option Remove Empty tabs is checked by default and this is in order not to display
groups with fields that none values are loaded into.
Locate Search Values displays automatically
in the metadata tab and marks in green color all the
values which answer to a search criteria.
For example, let us search in our project for
all the assets which have the word “trailer” existing
in any metadata field of the assets. All the results
are listed in a separate tab in the project area. This is called Search Results tab. If we select
any asset from this tab, down in the Metadata window we shall see immediately where
exactly the match is done – the relevant tab opens. Furthermore, the fields which are

containing the word “trailer” are
green-colored:
The last button in the metadata
toolbar offers other metadata window
filtering options:
- Show Empty Fields - When
you add a new metadata field and this field is set to come without a value, by default, the field
will not be added to the metadata window. Checking this option will make the field appears
even without a value.
- Show Default Values – This concern the system fields installed with Metus Library.
Select this option if you want to have these fields visible.
- Show Read-only Fields – Displays in the window the non-editable fields, too. The
user is previewing them only for getting needed information. No one can change such fields’
values.
- Show Total Values in Case of Multiple Selection – This is for values which can be
summed. When several assets are marked in the project area, fields like Duration, Age, View
Count, etc. will show as a value the result from the sum of the values from the separate assets.
43

If you select an
asset from the project all
its metadata are listed
down in the metadata
window, in the relevant
tab (group). Sometimes,
it is possible that the
metadata field you need
to look into, is not
displayed in the tab. To
quickly add it, just open
this tab and choose the
Add button from the
metadata toolbar. All the
non-displayed fields from that group will be listed so that you choose which one to make
visible.
On the picture shown, the Asset group is not listing the following metadata fields: Kill
Date, Life Time, Mark Points, Description and Mark GUID. If you want to see some of
these fields just click on it. If all the fields are needed to be shown, then select Add All the
Fields option.

The next button from the toolbar provides two options:

- Add or Update Instantly – checked, by default. This check makes inactive the next
two buttons on the toolbar because if it is put, any metadata change you undertake will be
applied immediately – without questions. If
the check is not put, then you can use the
next two buttons on the toolbar.

- Delete Instantly – deletes
immediately (without asking confirmation)
whatever you delete in the metadata fields or values.

- Save – This one is active only if the Add or Update Instantly check is not put. Apply
the changes you wish in the metadata fields and values and at any time save them by pressing
this button. When you save the last changes you
cannot discard them anymore.

- Discard Changes - This one is active
only if the Add or Update Instantly check is not
put. The last applied changes can be canceled from here. If you Save them, you cannot discard
them anymore.

44

4.12.3. All Fields (the metadata tree)
From the Metadata tab run the Menu and select All Fields. This will open a separate
window in which all the metadata fields are shown (can be opened also from Project –>
Fields -> All Fields).

You can Collapse All the fields to preview the main groups only and go back to the full
list by Expanding All the fields again. This is convenient for browsing in a separate group -
first you collapse all the fields and then you expand the content of this group only.
This is the list of the metadata fields installed with Metus Library. You can create your
own fields and add them to this list. The creation wizard can be invoked with the Add button.
It becomes active after selection of the group into which the field will be created. The next
button – Edit, is for editing the characteristics of the field selected. Logically, Delete will
remove a selected metadata field from the list.
The tree is very big and if you need to find some field, you may get lost in scrolling. In
order to make this process easier, type some part from the field’s name in the Quick Find
field and all the fields which have this part in their name will be filtered immediately. As
more letters you type, as less filtered fields remain in the list.
Another way to decrease the number of the fields displayed is to put the check Show
Only Custom Fields. It will list only the fields created by the user.
You can load all the metadata fields existing in this tree into a *.xml file and Export
them so that they can be imported into another project via this *.xml file. The Import button
is loading such *.xml files into the project, replacing the current tree with the new one, which
the *.xml file brings.
45

Move Importeds – Imports in the current project’ metadata tree all the metadata fields
coming from outside. These are coming together with any assets from another project being
copied into the current one. If the asset has values for these metadata fields (not existing in
our project but existing in the other one), the current tree is opened to obtain these fields in its
structure, too. Thus, the asset description will not be lost.
For each metadata field added to the project metadata tree, it is obligatory to select
(during its creation) for what types of project objects this metadata should be applicable –
bins, assets, playlists. If it is purposed for assets – you can even choose for what types of
assets – video, audio, image or document. This is presented with the checks in the columns on
the right.

4.12.4. New Field Creation (Adding a field)
There are three ways to invoke the Field Editing
Wizard – the one which is helping during the metadata
creation
- From metadata window -> Menu -> Create New
Field
- From Project -> Fields -> Create New Field
- From the metadata tree -> Add button

No matter which one you open, the wizard opens and starts guiding you.

46

The first thing to be specified is the Language into which the
field will be named and values will be entered. Metus Library is
supporting up to six languages for this purpose. I.e. you can enter
values for one one metadata field in max. six languages.
You define the languages from Project -> Properties –
Languages. Just open this dialog and click over each language so to
rename it to the desired one.
NOTE! After defining the languages, you must restart Metus
Library so that the system refreshes this information.
To have the possibility to enter values in different languages, when creating the
metadata fields, choose Project -> Properties -> Other
-> Enable Multi language content.
Example: Let assume we are going to use the following languages: English, Turkish,
Russian, French, Bulgarian and Spanish. We want to create a metadata field named “Person
ID card status”. Let say that this refers to whether the person had already obtained his ID card
or still not. If he did take his card, then the status will be “Obtained”. In English it will be
“Obtained”, in Turkish – “Kazanılmış”, in Russian – “Взял”, in French – “Reçu”, in Bulgarian
– “Получил” and in Spanish – “Entregado”.
In our project this will be entered like this:
Create the field and choose the language from the so-named drop-down menu at the
bottom of the metadata window (you must remove the Lock check next to it). Then apply its
value in the field. So that whatever language you choose, it shows the value in the relevant
language.

In Spanish it will look like:

In French it will look like:

47

The biggest convenience of this is that searches can be made over all the values (no
matter in what language you search). I.e. you can search by “Kazanılmış” (Turkish) or by
“Взял” (Russian) – the asset will be displayed in the
search results tab no matter by what language you search.
Keep in mind, also, that when Multi language
content is enabled, the search dialog enriches with one
icon more – the blue flag for choosing the language.
Check here the languages you will search by or even
select all of them.

Description is the place you explain what is the
field purposed for. This explanation will be shown as a
hint when rolling over the field in the metadata tree.
Name the new field as per your wish and from Parent Field specify the group in the
metadata tree it will belong to.
The Type, Control Type and Initial values are bounded to each other. So, depending on
your choice for Type, the Control Type list changes each time and relevantly - the Initial
Value.

NOTE! Initial values are not obligatory! If you put some value into this field, it will be
displayed by default for any object this metadata field will be applied to.

4.12.4.1. Metadata types

- Group - If you want to create a new group (or a subgroup of another one), just choose
the upper level it will belong to and for Type select Group. Further, for your convenience,
while you create new assets, you can place them into this group.

- Boolean – This is a type for metadata which can be “true” or “false” – only these two
values are possible.
= Checkbox is the only possible control type for a Boolean metadata. A box
corresponding to that field appears in the metadata window. If checked, this box
indicates “true” and “false” - if not checked.

- Date – This field type enables you to enter date info. The date can be inserted either
with the time or without. This is to be specified in the control type field. Two possibilities:
= DatePicker will load for values only dates (without the time).
For Initial value you can set any date from the calendar appearing. The
Today check will put the today’s date as initial value. Today’s date is taken
from the computer’s system time.
= DateTimePicker gives the opportunity to enter not only a date, but time, also.
For Initial value you can set any date from the calendar appearing and the
time will be 00:00 and cannot be changed.

48

- Number – A type for numeric values.
= TextBox control type is giving a possibility to put such numbers which include
letters, also. F.e. sometimes people use counting like A1, A2, A3, etc.
= NumericBox is for entering any numeric value.
The Initial value can be any digit, starting from “0”.
= CalculatorBox is for values which must be frequently updated according to
some calculations. When you select such a metadata in the metadata window, a
calculator opens and you make the calculations inside the calculator. The result of
these calculations will remain as a value. I.e. the value is calculated in its field.
= DropDown control type will open a menu to choose a predefined package with
values. You can choose only from these definition packages which are categorized
to be from number type. Definition packages will be discussed further in that
manual. Values in metadata fields with drop-down control type are loaded by
choosing one of already predefined values.
= ColorBox puts any color as a value in the metadata field. The color can be
either selected from a palette or set via its values for red, green and blue which are
added manually.

- String – In such control type any value can be added. It is a type for numeric values.
= TextBox any character (letters + digits) can be set as values for such type in the
metadata window. The value will be placed in one row only.
= MemoBox is the same as TextBox. This control type provides more rows for
placing the values. If a MemoBox is selected, the wizard is giving a possibility to
define the rows number.
= DropDown control type will open a menu to choose a predefined package with
values. You can choose only from these definition packages which are categorized
to be from string type. If you choose the package “Countries” (f.e.) for initial
value you can set one of the countries already listed in the package.
= MultiValue – if this type is applied, for that metadata field in the metadata
window, several values can be loaded. You enter the values in the metadata
window, in this metadata field, in the place values are entered in, in a form
opening for this purpose. Values are entered one-by-one. Finally, you apply them.
Even that all these values are entered in one field only, Metus Library can make
searches over these values with any of the AND/OR logics. The idea is that some
of these values will be entered as values for another metadata field, also.
Example: if we have a field “Stars” with value: “Brad Pitt, Al Pacino,
Steven Spielberg, Mel Gibson” and we have another field “Producer”
with value: “George Lucas, Mel Gibson, Steven Spielberg”, we see
that Mel Gibson and Steven Spielberg are values which are repeating.
Sometimes are needed searches for people who are actors and
producers in one and the same movie. Metus Library gives the
opportunity to make such a search. Thanks to the multivalue control
type, we can freely add all the values in the field.
Another good example for using this control type is the cases we need
to enter keywords.

49

= Checked List is a type for fields into which several values can be checked. You
must predetermine the content for this field in a definition package. Later, in the
metadata window, when you click on the drop-down box next to this field, your
predefined content will appear as selective boxes. You can set more than one
choice for this asset by checking more than one value from the list.
= Link –whatever you type here is observed as a web link. It is blue-colored text,
underlined. You can access that link by double clicking on the address.
= E-mail – A field for e-mails insertion. Double-clicking on this value will
automatically open the default e-mail client application in order to write and send
an e-mail to this address.

- Time – This field type enables you to enter time info.
= TimePicker will load for values only time-format values. All the control values
are observing the time-format rules.
For Initial value you can set any time you wish. For getting the current time
from the PC system clock, just put the check Time.

- Text – This field type enables you to enter characters with no limitation. Text field
type can contain any value.
= MemoBox is the only control type that can be selected.

NOTE! Digits can be inserted but even though they could not be used in advanced
search in arithmetical criteria.

- List – This is a type allowing the user to enter several describing metadata values in
one metadata field only. The control type of the field is not just row(s) but cross-reference of
cells, for convenience combined in one single table. Thus, the values are organized in a
compact way.
= List is the only control type available and used.
Example: Let assume it is needed to apply an asset several countries
for the Country value. Also, it is needed to apply several addresses for
the Address field. In that case, the metadata field creation will look
like:

50

The Add/Remove buttons are purposed for adding a new field to the
list or delete a selected one. Each field added, can be set a default
(initial) value, can be set to be read-only and specified to be visible or
not. This is to be pointed with the checks in the columns to the right.
Show Row Count defines whether the row number will be shown in
the table or not.
In the metadata window, this metadata field content looks like:

You can enter as much rows as you need with the help of the
Append/Delete buttons – down in the toolbar.

- Image – Values, entered for such type of field are pictures. Can be used for putting
here the storyboard (let say if the metadata field is named “storyboard content”. It can be also
a little face-picture of a person answering to a field named “photo”, if the asset is related to
somebody’s data, etc.)
= Image is the only control type available and used.

- Image List – Similar to Image type. The values in that type are listed in a predefined
package from Image type (Definition packages are described further in the manual).
= Image List is the only control type available and used. The Definition Package
must be selected in the list with the lists already predefined.
Image List values can be used in different scenarios. The main idea is to have a drop-
down list with a lot of pictures to choose between, like shown on the screenshot here:

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- RTF – Stays for “Rich Text Format”. In fields from this type you can enter any rich
text content.
= RTF Editor is the control type available and used.
When filling values in a field from that type, a simple RTF editor opens so that you can
insert text and pictures and make some formatting:

- Decimal – For fractions values insertion. On the next page of the wizard, you can set

the number of the digits after the decimal point. Can be selected one of four control types:
= TextBox - already described;
= NumericBox – described above;
= CalculatorBox - described, too.
= DropDown – described.

- Set – The user selects some fields (already existing) and shows them in one tab only.
The tab is named as per the name defined for this set. It is just like grouping metadata fields in
one tab (set).

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4.12.4.2. Definition Packages and Field Definition Binding

Sometimes it is easier to predefine values for some field and then to use these values by
selecting them from a drop-down list. It is not only easier and quicker, but also it avoids
mistakes when entering the values because the describing metadata values can be messed
when entered by different project users. Therefore, the Metus Library offers a powerful
option to predetermine such values. This is called Definition Packages.

The dialog can be activated either from the Metadata Window -> Menu -> Definition
Packages or from Project -> Fields -> Definition Packages.
All the existing packages are listed in the All Packages section. With the installation a
lot of packages are automatically obtained: Rating, Countries, Cities, etc.
With the New and Delete buttons you can create a new package or delete a selected one.
If a new creation is undertaken, then a little dialog opens for entering the new package
Name and its Type. You can choose between three types: Text, Image and Number.
NOTE! Later, when you refer this definition package to a new metadata field, this type
and the field type must be relevant. I.e. you can not involve a Text metadata field with a
package which is set Number type. Therefore, when creating a new metadata field, the
definition packages listed in the drop-down menu (to choose which one to refer to the field)
are filtered – in this menu you do not see all the packages but only these which are from a
relevant type as per the one set for the metadata field.
In the right part of the window you see the name of the selected package above and its
structure – the values defined for it. With the Add/Remove buttons you can add new values to
the list or delete a selected one. Values are entered in the rows appearing at the end of the list
each time the Add button is pressed.
Editable are the lists that can be changed values (some can be deleted values; other can
be added new ones or a combination of both - adding and deletion).

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All these predefined lists can be used into the current project only. If you need to use
the same packages in another project, there is no need to create them again in the other
project. Just export the list from here and import it where needed. The Export/Import is done
via the homonymous buttons and it is done through *.xml format.

Metus Library is smart enough to get even deeper into the values predefinitions. The
proof is the Field Definition Binding option. It uses the values from the packages created,
binding them one to another.
Example: Let say you have two packages created - “Countries” and “Cities”. Once you
enter “France” as a value for country-field, only the French cities will be listed in the city-
field drop-down menu after that. I.e. the second field (in this case – city) will filter only the
values true for the first field (country).
Of course, before that you should “tell” the system which the French cities are. And this
is done via the Field Definition Binding.
Into this dialog you must
select the Metadata fields level and
press the Add button. The metadata
tree opens. Select the Country field
and add it into this form. Then
select the Country from this form
and again press the Add button to
open the metadata tree and time
select and add the City field.
Thus, you will have Country
as a level and City – sublevel
included into it. If you select City,
in the right part of the window you
can select the country from the
drop-down menu (the package is
predefined) and then for this
country you can start listing cities.

NOTE! For user convenience, all the cities you enter in this form will be automatically
added to the Cities-package, too.

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4.12.4.3. Field Properties

RowHeight enables you to
specify the height of the row for
the relevant field types.

Decimal Digits – defines
the number of the digits after the
decimal point for values entered
in a Decimal type field.

Field Color – a palette
opens to select a desired color.
Later, in the metadata window,
the metadata field text will be
displayed in this color.

Unit and Category are active only for Decimal and Number types. These fields are
bound to each other.
Example: If for Category you set DataSize, then for Unit you can choose from the drop-
down menu any value proper to measure data size (bit, Kb, Mb, etc.)

Visible specifies if the field will be visible or not in the metadata window.

Read Only – if checked, the field won’t be available for applying any changes to it.

Copyable - specifies if the created field is able to be duplicated or not.

Bold Font concerns the way the font of the field’s name will be displayed in the
metadata window.

Favorite Field – marks the field as a favorite one (usually used for mostly previewed
fields)

Visible for Web – defines should the web users see this field or not.

Synchronized – This is a check for the metadata field to define will this metadata field
be synchronized with other projects or not. I.e. if we have to synchronize two projects, and the
field is presenting only in the metadata tree of the source project, this field will be copied in
the tree of the second project, as well (as it is a synchronized type).

NOTE! The synchronization is done only in one direction – from the source to the
synchronized project. This is not a bi-directional process.

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4.12.4.4. Metadata Fields Security

After setting the wizard’s second page settings, we go to the next one which is for
applying the field’s security.
On this page we see the list with all the groups and the users added to the project. For
the current field which is been created, each user can be specified right to read, edit or delete
the values in the fields. If these permissions are set for a selected group, the users gathered
into this group will automatically obtain the same rights.
The example on the picture shows that all the people, belonging to the Web group will
have only right to preview the fields and their values. Therefore, Skyman obtains this right
only, too.

4.12.4.5. Completing the Metadata Field Creation

To complete the metadata field creation the last
page settings must be applied. It is concerning the
object for which the metadata field will be visible in
the metadata window. Object can be a bin, an asset
and/or a playlist.
If you select Bin, this field can be added to the
metadata window if a bin object is marked in the
project area.
Same is for Asset. The checks following specify
deeply the kind of the asset. If just Asset is checked, then the field will be applicable for all
the asset kinds – audio, video, image, document and data.
Logically, the same rule is observed if a Playlist object is selected.

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4.12.5. Metadata Window -> Menu

The Menu opens several options to choose between when needed.

- Add Group is tracing only the existing the groups in the metadata tree one by one as
per the level they are placed in, giving the possibility to open this group in the metadata
window. The groups are opened in different tabs.
Example: If you want to open the Video Information group, you select it from
menu -> Add Group -> Metus -> Asset.

- Add Field is acting in the same way listing not only the existing groups but the fields,
also, so that you can choose which field to open in the metadata window.

- Add Field from List is used in cases when you want to open a field in the metadata
window, but you do not remember where this field is placed in the tree. The metadata tree
opens and then you must use Quick Find field, described above in the manual.

- Recently Added Fields – Lists the latest added fields.

- Close Group – lists all the opened tabs (groups) and you choose which one to close.
The tab can be closed also by right-click over it and selecting Close.

NOTE! This option is working only if all the groups are ordered in separate tabs. If they
are ordered in one window, the option is not working.

- Show Group – Lists here all the closed groups. You go to this list to open back one.

The last options are already described above: Create New Field, Definition Packages,
Field Definitions Relations (Binding), Show/Hide Fields and All Fields…

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4.13. Searching
We distinguish four different ways to make a
search in Metus Library: Simple, Advanced, by
Category and by Image. Each search is presented in a
different tab, and the four tabs – in one window, which
is placed in the left-bottom part of the entire interface.

4.13.1. Search Window
The Search windows provide six buttons for précising the search process and filter the
tasks to be run.

- Search Locations - The first one is for pointing the
locations (projects and bins) to be searched into. You can
choose either to Search the Active Project (the current one) or
to Search in All Open Projects. Also, you can Browse to
manually select any project or bin for the same purpose.

- Apply Filters is the second button and it is filtering
the objects for which the search should be made. You can
search in video assets only or in playlist objects. It depends
on the user’s needs. The search can be made also over the
Filter Bins (search bins) and even in the Recycle Bin
(deleted assets)

- Exact/Partial match
search button is to determine
whether Metus Library will search
for the part of the value or it will
give results only if the total value is equal to the search criterion text. When this button is
half-black-half-white then it is searching partially. If it is full-black, it will search the exact
full match of the word seeking by.
Example: In the project three of the assets are named like SWAT-trailer, SWAT-movie
and SWAT-making. If we make a partial search by the word “SWAT”, all the three
assets will be given out as a result, because the word SWAT is a part of their names. If
we search again by “SWAT” but we seek for exact match, then nothing will be given
out as a result, because none of the assets is named SWAT.

- AND/OR logic button is
used in advanced type of search
to specify whether all the search
criteria must be observed (AND
logic) or any of the criteria only (OR logic).
NOTE! When working with these logics, please, keep attention to the previous button
status, too. The four combinations of these two buttons statuses can present different
results each time.
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Example: In the project three of the assets are named like SWAT trailer (with rating 4),
SWAT movie (with rating 5) and SWAT making (with rating 2).
= If we make an advanced search by the word “SWAT” (partial search ON)
AND we search for all the assets with rating bigger than 3, then the result
will be SWAT trailer (with rating 4) and SWAT movie (with rating 5)
because they observe both the two criteria: have SWAT in the file name
(partial search) AND their rating is bigger than 3.
= If we make an advanced search by the word “SWAT” (exact search ON)
AND we search for all the assets with rating bigger than 3, there will be no
results because there are no assets with name SWAT. I.e. the search stops
even on the first criterion.
= If we make an advanced search for any asset which has the word “SWAT”
in its name (partial search ON) OR assets with rating bigger than 3, then the
result will be all the three assets because all they have the word SWAT in
the name. In this scenario here, if we assume that there was another asset in
the project, named Terminator (with rating 5). It should be listed in the
results, too, because its rating is observing the second criterion – rating is
bigger than 3.
= Let assume that except these three assets we have one more – Terminator
(with rating 5). If we make an advanced search for any asset having the
word “SWAT” in its name (exact search ON) OR we search for all the
assets with rating bigger than 3, then the result will be SWAT trailer (with
rating 4), SWAT movie (with rating 5) and Terminator, because none of
these assets is answering the first criterion but all of them are observing the
second criterion – the rating is bigger than 3.

- Load/Save buttons are used when an
advanced search is processed. This way of searching
is adding criteria one after another as search
conditions. In order not to add these criteria each time
you use the advanced search, some of the search
conditions can be saved as a search profile and loaded
later directly from this preset. This is a quicker and
helpful option.
For the criteria you want to include in the
profile, put checks in the most right column. Press the
Save button from the search toolbar and type a name for the advanced search preset you will
create. At any time later you can use this preset, invoking it with the Load button – a dialog
opens with all the search profiles existing. You can remove any of these profiles by selecting
it and pressing the Delete button from this dialog.

4.13.2. Simple Search
This is a text-based search over
metadata fields. The search can be
processed over all the fields so that the
result will be observing any metadata
field’s value or it can be done for
metadata fields, predetermined to be searched over. This is specified from Project ->
Properties -> Other -> Simple Search Options. By default, the search is done in all the fields,
but if you want to limit the search results or you need to search over some fields only, just
select them from the second option: Search Over Specified Fields and Add the fields from the
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metadata tree which opens. The fields will be listed in that form. Later, when you do not need
to search in some of the fields select and Remove them from the list.
Metus Library is making usually partial-text searches. This is most common search
scenarios. However, if you are tending to find exact matches mostly, then put the check
Always Force Full Text Search.
To search objects in the project use the text field in the search dialog and put the text
(word) you will look for. Press the Search button. The resulting objects are opened in a
separate window, called Search Results tab.

NOTE! Keep attention to the toolbar’s partial/exact match button’s status. It is
important as the results will be generated as per the way the button is set.
If the Simple Search Options dialog is left by default, then Metus Library will search
over absolutely all the fields in all the objects in the project. Therefore, the result can give any
kind of objects. Select any asset in the Search Result tab and in the metadata window you can
see where the search match is made. The metadata window opens this metadata group where
is the field with values, answering to the search criteria. Besides, the words, matching the
search one, are marked (this is depending also on how the metadata window filtering is set).
Playlists maybe listed as results, if the search word is included in the name of the file’s
path. Some video can be included in the results, if this video is set a marker in the Viewer
application and the marker description is including the search text. Also, text documents can
be listed as results if in the content of this material, the search text is available, etc.

4.13.3. Advanced Search
This type of search is browsing in the metadata
values for matching more than one criterion listed in this
tab. Criteria are added with the Add Search Criteria
button down in the toolbar in this window. The metadata
tree opens and the fields, over which the search will be
made, are selected one-by-one. The Advanced search is
giving a possibility to search for assets observing all the
criteria listed or for assets answering to any of the criteria
available. Logically, the second option is giving out more
results.
Please, take a look at the above explanation of the
Search toolbar buttons in order to get detailed
explanation and examples about the advanced search.
As a little but helpful addition to the Advanced
search, Fast Advanced search can be executed. It is a list
of presets with criteria added.
Press the button for Special Metadata Search and a
dialog will open. If you need to find all the video assets,
instead of adding a criterion “Asset Type = Video” just select Asset Type -> All Videos and
all the video assets will be filtered in the Result tab.
Take a look at these predefined criteria. To use them, you must know them vaguely.
Once get familiar with them, they will be of large use because of the speedy search run from
there.

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4.13.4. Category Search

This type of search is like filtering the objects in the project by categories. One object
can be set several categories (f.e. video, good-quality, music, jazz, love, children, etc.).
Archiving thousands of materials on the storage needs time for browsing into them
when seeking a proper material for some purpose in any moment. The Category Search is
speeding this process by several clicks for the categories needed.
When inserting the objects into the project, they must be categorized. This can be done
on a local machine, in a library project before the materials are archived. However, categories
can be applied to archived materials, too. This is to be done from the Category window
available in the right-bottom part of Metus Library interface.

NOTE! Only the admin can access the category window.

Select the asset(s) and expand the category tree; then start applying the proper
categories by checking them one-by-one. That’s all about it! For more information about
categories creation, please, refer to Chapter 3 – Adding a New Category section.

As seen from this window, Metus Library divides the categories in two general
groups:
- Project Categories - This title contains the categories belonging to this project.
- Imported Categories – these are the ones coming with objects taken from another
project. These categories can be transferred to the project categories or deleted. The
imported categories can be moved to another place in the tree. For this press the button
Move Importeds.

Anyway, all the categories from any project can be exported in *.xml file and imported
into another project.

NOTE! The import procedure is replacing the entire tree in the project into which the
import is done. Its old tree will be totally deleted!
To find materials from any category, just use the Category search window. Expand the
tree and check for what you need to find. As more checks you apply as fewer assets are
filtered.

NOTE! Please, keep in mind that the values checked for categories are not applied to
any metadata field. These categories are only for filter search and they have nothing to do
with the metadata fields’ values.

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4.13.5. Image Search (optional)
Image search is an optional feature (additionally paid). This type of search is seeking
into each frame of a video material pixel-by-pixel (bit-by-bit) to find color matches with a
picture given as a search criterion.
To seek internally in the materials (bit by bit) Metus Library needs these materials to
be able to report information about each pixel status. For this purpose, the objects need to be
indexed. Shortly said – the system is image-searching only in indexed videos.
To index a material, first you need to create a folder on your machine (or local network)
and share it with all the permissions allowed. Later, the indexing results will be kept into this
shared folder. After the folder is created, launch the Project -> Properties -> Others menu
and with the browse button select the folder in the network:

The assets need to be indexed now – multiselect them and create index. Indexed assets
can be distinguished by the highlighted “I” on the icon.
Next step is to be sure that an Image Server is set. This
is the machine onto which the Metus Image Matching
Server.msi installation is done. (Usually, this is the MPS but
can be another PC, also). Set the image server from Project -
> Properties -> Image Matching Servers. If the server is
connected, then its name will be displayed in the Image
Search tab, below. If more than one server is set for image
search, they will be available in the drop-down list.
Up to now the Image
Search settings for the entire
project are applied. No more
settings are needed. From this
moment on, image searches in
this project require only one
thing: a picture (image) for
search criterion. Use the Browse button to point where the
picture is; select and add it into this dialog. The picture appears
replacing the title “Metus Image Matcher”; its filename is
displayed below.
Depending on the type of the search selected (Fast or
Partial) the picture can be presented relevantly entirely or in
blocks with checks. The checks are for choosing which part
(block) of the picture to be searched by. Remember, the system
is seeking for color matches. So, it’s logical - the fewer checks,
the more results listed. If Fast search is required, the entire
image will be searched for. Fast search is equal to Partial with
all the checks applied. It executes a no detailed comparing;
only exact matching. Therefore, the success ratio is lower.
Maximum Result Count, Show Scenes and Show Separate
Asset for Each Scene are options with which to define how the
Search Results tab to display the assets.
Actually, when you double-click an asset in the results-tab,
the Viewer is opening it and puts a red mark on the frame in the
timeline where the best match can be noticed. These marks can be
more than one – depends on the Maximum Result Count chosen.
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Show scenes option is available only for video assets (being results). If the resulting
marks belong to different scenes from the video material, you can set the system to display the
scenes in the asset icon, i.e. the asset thumbnail will be displayed divided in up to four parts –
see the screenshot. The top left part is the asset general thumbnail. The top right part is the
best match. In addition, in the results tab Metus Library can display each scene as a separate
asset – the last option from the dialog.
See also the Viewer’s description below in the manual – the Timeline menu explanation
includes additional options related the results of Image matching.

4.13.6. Quick Search
Even not available in the search window, there is
another way to search in Metus Library. It is from the
toolbar – see the picture.
This one works like a simple search. Type a criterion in the text field here, hit the Enter
key and all the assets answering that criterion as per the metadata fields’ values will be
displayed as results.

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4.14. The Viewer

Title Bar Viewer Menus Mini Browser Offset Controls TC Section

Speed Controls Preview Part Right Panel

Timers Timeline Time values (hh:mm:ss:ff) Buttons Panel Audio Controls

This is the preview application. It helps us open image, audio and video materials and
browse in their content. You can start the Viewer by double-clicking on an asset or right-click
and choose Open.
The window is divided in several sections and it provides a lot of options, some of them
related to the project menus. The Title Bar displays the asset’s name

4.14.1. Mini Browser
This is the section into which all the assets from the current bin are listed. When
the Mini Browser gets full, left and right arrows appear at its beginning and end. Press
them to browse the assets in the mini browser and seek for a special asset to preview it
here. You can also navigate between the objects by sliding the scroll bar below. The
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currently previewed asset (the selected one) is marked with a white rectangle.
4.14.2. Preview Section
This is the main part as it is the one previewing the material itself.

4.14.3. Timeline
It works in two modes. To switch between them, check/uncheck View -> Show All
Items.
- When a single item is selected and it is an audio or video object, the timeline shows
Mark In-Out, Master In-Out positions, current position (Slider), marked points (Markers)
and Audio/Video censors allowing the user changing them.
- When all the items are shown in the timeline they are displayed as different parts
divided by white lines according to their lengths. Each part’s color may be different according
to the object type. For example, the red parts indicate video objects. Also, the object’s name is
displayed in the timeline as possible as the part’s length is allowing. The position cursor on
this object can be changed by dragging the Slider.

Mark-In Slider Mark-Out

Master-In Descriptive Markers Master-Out

Four cutting pointers can be set in the timeline. Two of them are cutting the inner part
(Marks) and two of them – the outer part (Masters). Marks are always inside of the Masters.
The cutting pointers are not editing the video – these are just markers which are used to select
parts of the materials to be retrieved further on – look at the retrieve section above. It is like
extracting a part of the video between the pointers.
Mark-In and Mark-Out
specify the beginning and the end
of one part (usually the shortest).
Master-In and Master-Out define another part of the video that can be retrieved. And, of
course, video can be retrieved with entire length. Thus, the user can have three options to
copy the file locally – entire one, the Masters part and the Marks part.
For the contents description the system provides Markers. Drag the slider to any point
in the timeline and right-click -> Add Marker (or Timeline -> Add Marker). The marker
appears in the timeline under the slider. Double-click over the marker - a dialog opens. You
can put here two kinds of describing text – Description and/or Extra Description.

NOTE! Whatever is entered into this field is observed as a metadata value over which
Metus Library can make searches, later. This is already mentioned in the Simple Search
section above in this manual.
The Time Values listed below are concerning the total length of the opened material.
For longer materials higher values are displayed.

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4.14.4. Timers
Indicates relevant times for video and audio objects and enables them their
modification. These are:
 Master Field: Displays the duration closed between the Masters. If you slide
the Master In/Out pointers over the timeline, the duration will become shorter and
this will be reflected here, in the Master Field values. The point to which the Master
IN marker is moved, will be presented in the Master Area IN Point. Logically, the
OUT point is relevant to the Master OUT pointer. This one works also vice versa, i.e.
if you put manually digits in the IN/OUT controls, the Masters will be moved
automatically to these places in the timeline. The new duration will be calculated and
displayed in the Duration field.
 Marked Area: The area marked with the Mark pointers. IN defines the
beginning and OUT defines the end. Duration is the length of the range closed
between the Mark IN and OUT pointers.
 Details:
- Cursor: the position of the cursor (slider)
- Marker: the position of any selected Description Marker in the timeline
- Total Time: the total (real) duration of the material with which it is
archived.

4.14.5. Speed Controls
They enable you to select the video and audio preview playback speed. If you want to
speed up the preview, just increase the speed from here. If the opposite situation is available –
thorough and detailed preview needed, choose a slower preview speed.
For further convenience, when you want to preview a sequence of image objects you
can run them in Slide Show Mode. For this purpose run View -> Show All Items and all the
objects will be placed in the timeline. From the Speed Controls part you can specify duration
(in seconds) for each picture to be displayed during the Slide Show Mode. The excluded value
Self is a predefined in the metadata fields.
Example: If you have a bin with pictures and you want to run them in Slide Show
Mode, you show all of them in the timeline and select how long each one of them to be
displayed on – click the number and each picture will stay in the preview window for these
seconds. If you want each picture to be displayed with its own duration, then this duration
must be set for that picture in the Metadata window -> Image Duration field (in seconds).
Then just select Self and press the Play button.

4.14.6. Offset Controls
Available for video and audio objects only. These controls enable a quick browsing
forward and backward in the material’s length. Concern these as steps with which to jump
over the timeline. If you select “2” – this will slide the cursor 2 seconds forward from its
current position; if you select “-5” – the cursor will go 5 seconds behind.

4.14.7. Audio Controls
This section contains the settings for the Volume – to select the volume level and the
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Balance - for adjusting the audio left-right balance.
NOTE! Whatever you specify in this section is only for preview. It will not apply the
material’s content.

4.14.8. TC Section
This section displays additional information about the current material being previewed.
Each time you click in this window, it changes the info displayed.
The first time it shows the TC embedded in the file if a time code is involved in the
material when being ingested. Also – the total duration of the clip.
The next click reports the bin into which the asset is placed in the project, i.e. the place
in the project tree.
Click once again and you will see the asset’s name.
Size, Aspect Ratio and Master Area Duration are shown the next time you click into
this area.
The last info displayed is the file size (in MB) and the Archive date (when the material
had been archived within the project).

4.14.9. Right Panel
Depending on the object type, the status of some buttons here changes from
active to passive.
Use Proxy button is to determine which file to preview in the window – the
original one or the proxy one (pressed button). For user convenience, when the
proxy is running on, the word “Proxy” is written next to the button pressed.
Thumbnail button puts the current frame as a thumbnail of the asset being
previewed.
Fit drop-down control is to choose the preview size – the preview window
also spreads/shrinks together with the video as much as possible.
If you press the Always on Top button, the Preview window will be always
the active one even if another window is selected. Thus, the user is ensured that
while using the Viewer application, it will never be lost behind all the other
windows opened meanwhile.
If you preview a QuickTime video (*.mov-file), in the Right Panel a HQ
(high quality) button will appear. Press it to see the video with better quality.
The Viewer can work in Censor mode. It is the one to put audio and/or video censors
over the timeline. Enable/Disable sensors is the button enabling marking audio/video censor
parts over the timeline. If Audio Censor is selected – the video will be previewed without
audio (will be muted). If Video Censor is applied – the entire censored part will be skipped.
To censor a material, this button must be pressed. When pressed, the two red crosses over it
can be seen.
Another thing that must be done is to activate the censor mode from
View -> Censor Mode. In result, two buttons will appear in the Buttons
panel: the first one is for video censor, the second – for audio censor. To apply a censor, do
the following steps:
- Open the file in the Viewer. Position the slider where you want to start the censor.
- Press the relevant button (audio or video censor).
- Drag the slider over the timeline to the point where the censor must finish. Drop it
there.
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- Release the Audio/Video censor button pressed.
If the censor applied is a video one, the entire marked part will be dark-colored and
when previewing the file, this part will be totally skipped. If audio censor is applied, the part
will be grey-colored and will be muted only (no sound) – the video could be previewed.
Metus Library can make searches for censored materials. Also, the metadata fields
report info about if an object is censored or not.
Video and Audio Streams is for additional information about the file being previewed.
If multi-audio file is loaded, you can select which audio stream to preview from the drop-
down menu (f.e. if these are different languages you choose which one to hear while watching
the running video).

4.14.10. Buttons Panel
It contains playback, editing and navigational button groups.

Navigating Buttons Playback Buttons Marker Buttons

These buttons and their functions are as follows:

a. Navigating Buttons
- Previous Clip: Selects and previews the previous object.
- Next Clip: Selects and previews the next object.

b. Playback Buttons
- Go to start position: Places the slider at the beginning of the material. It
jumps at the very beginning of the timeline, no matter where the Master In
is set. There is also another scenario – if the In-Out button is pressed (from
the Marker Buttons), then the slider will go on the Mark-In point.
- Play/Pause: Plays the video /pauses the playback.
- Stop: Stops the playback.
- Previous frame: Goes to the previous frame.
- Next frame: Goes to the next frame.
- Go to end position: Locates the slider at the end of the timeline or at the -
Mark-Out point (if the In-Out button is pressed).

c. Marker Buttons functions are depending on the type of the selected object.
- Select Next Marker: Enables switching to the next marker on the timeline.
Each time you press the button, the next marker is selected and red-
highlighted. The Master In/Out and Mark In/Out points are considered as
markers, too.
- Add Marker: Adds a new marker where the slider is at the moment.
In Censor mode, these two buttons turn into the buttons mentioned above:

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- Add Video Censor, Add Audio Censor. Their functions are described
above in the censor mode description section.
- Zoom In Timeline: Enlarges the timeline. Different parts are getting
bigger.
- Zoom Out Timeline: Reduces the timeline until everything being
previewed is gathered into the timeline length.
- Loop: Repeating the playback between the start and end points.
- In-Out: Concerns the playback looped. If this button is pressed, the loop
will be repeated between the Mark In/Out points.

4.14.11. Viewer Menu

4.14.11.1. Asset
Discard Changes – Cancels all the latest changes applied. These may be
setting Mark In/Out points, Master In/Out points, Audio/Video Censors or
Add markers. Latest changes are the ones applied after the last Save chosen.
Save Changes Now – Immediately saves the changes applied, i.e. it saves
the material in the status it is in the moment of choosing this option.
Save and Continue – Saves the material with all the latest changes applied
and creates a new asset of this material. The new asset keeps referring to the
same source file. After doing all this, the Viewer keeps on previewing the
first asset (not the new one). The new one you can find in the same bin
(usually listed as last). To be sure which is the asset you currently preview –
always look in the Viewer headline – the asset’s name is written there.
Reload – This option is active for image objects. The latest changes applied
will be canceled from here.
Grab And Save Screenshot – Saves the current frame into a picture-format
file. You browse to point where the file will be saved. Metus Library can
create also a new asset for this picture. If so, the picture will be archived on
the storage (if archive project is used) so that the asset keeps the reference to
the archived picture on the storage (or tape drive).
Transcode – already described in the Transcoding section above in that
manual.
Create Proxy – Proxy creation is already described, too.
Create Web Proxy – Described above.
Archive – Available for assets being previewed in Library Projects. This is
just the Archive option which had been described above in the manual.
Archive as… - Similar as the previous.
Retrieve – This is the Retrieve option, described above in the manual, in the
section, describing the asset’s context menu.
Retrieve to Library – Similar as the previous.

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Save as – Saves the object being previewed as another asset in the project
(together with the latest changes applied). The new asset can be created
from the material’s content Trimmed Only between the Mark In and Out
points or just from
the entire content.
You can Reload
the Original Asset
After Save or you
can go on with
previewing the new
asset.
If the Viewer is
opened via a library project, then the Save As menu provides one more
option – to save the material being previewed as a separate file on any place
in the network or on the local machine.

4.14.11.2. Edit
This menu is for image objects only.

Color
Brightness, Contrast, Gamma and Saturation provides scales with
sliders for applying the needed changes in the relevant ranges.
Grayscale – Acts like turning the image into black-and-white format.
Invert – Inverts the colors. Black -> white, red -> blue, etc.
Rotate/Flip
Rotates the image on predefined degrees - 90 CW, 90 CCW, 180 or
makes a custom rotation – with a dialog to fill in the degrees for the
rotation. Buttons for 90 CW and 90 CCW rotations, as well as the
custom one, are available on the toolbar. Be sure to make the Drawing
toolbar visible from Tools –> Show Drawing Toolbar.
Flip – Image objects can be flipped in two ways – vertically and
horizontally.
Resize
From this menu you can resize the
image that you currently preview.
Enter the new Width and Height and
check to Preserve Aspect Ratio if you
want to resize proportionally the
picture. For resizing to bigger
proportions you can choose a method
for calculating the new pixels positions
by selecting one of three interpolations - Resample, Bicubic and
FavorBlack. None is a choice for non-using interpolation.

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4.14.11.3. View
This menu displays (excludes) different sections from the Viewer interface.

Show Mini Browser – if checked, the Mini Browser will be displayed.
Show Speed/Duration Controls - shows/Hides the Speed Control panel.
Show Offset Controls - shows/Hides the Offset Control Panel (on right).
Show Timers - check it to display the Timers.
Show Metadata Window - the Metadata Window will be displayed (on left)
as a part of the Viewer together with the values for the fields. Select any
object in the Mini Browser and its values will be displayed in this section.
Show Recently Added Asset List: This option is used mainly for monitoring
purposes or for content description of long duration files. It is usually used
in combination with the Metadata window preview in the Viewer, the Save
and Continue option from the Asset menu, as well as the Mark In/Out
points positions change. And the idea of all this is to move the markers in
the timeline so to distinguish the beginning and end of a part of the video (a
scene). In the metadata window put the proper values for the selected scene,
Save this and Continue working with the original file. Each time, for each
new scene, a separate asset will be created.

Example: Let assume that the file we shall work with presents a 24/7
ingest of a TV channel playout (or anything recorded with a camera
and being previewed). Our task will be to describe each its parts. Let
say there will be a morning block show, a song, a science fiction,
afternoon block, news, etc.
The first thing needed is to open this file in the Viewer. Run View –>
Show Metadata Window and View -> Show Recently Added List.
Place the Mark In and Out points at the beginning and end of the
morning block show and put descriptive values for this scene in the
relevant metadata field. Then select Asset -> Save and Continue. As a
result of this, a new asset is created for the morning block show and
you go on working with the original file again so that you can repeat
the same step for the next scene: the song. With screenshots it will
look like:
Step 1 – Set Mark In and Out for marking the scene
Step 2 – In the metadata window, the Monitoring descriptions
metadata field (created by the user) add a text describing the
scene.
Step 3 – Select Asset -> Save and Continue

Repeat these steps now to “extract” all the next scenes. As a result, a
lot of new assets will be created – each one of them presenting only
the scene it had been generated from. And the values for the metadata
field will be different each time.

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Furthermore, in the Viewer – opened like shown on the screenshot,
each time you select the scene from the Recently Added Assets
window, it shows its values for the relevant fields in the opened
metadata window above. You can make these values displayed in the
Recently Added Assets window in an additional column. Right-click
in the window (in the columns header) and select the option Add-
Remove Columns. The metadata tree will open. Choose the field you
want to add as a column to this grid.
Finally you start using the results this option provides – select the
scene and on the timeline you see its start/end and in the metadata
field you see the descriptive values for it. Of course, searching via
these values is possible.

Show Timeline - this one concerns the Timeline.
Show Right Panel – if unchecked, the Right panel will be excluded from
the interface.
Show Metadata: This option is bound with Settings -> Configure Metadata
Overlay. After specifying the settings there, check this option so that the
values are displayed over the preview window.
Show Drawing Toolbar – available when previewing images. The Drawing
Toolbar enables some basic graphic changes to be applied.
Show All Items - all the items displayed in the Mini Browser will load in
the timeline.
Same Types - if selected, only items of the same type (as the selected one)
will be shown in the Mini Browser, i.e. acts like filtering this format.
Censor Mode - switches between Censor and Normal mode.

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4.14.11.4. Playback

Play: Starts the playback.
Pause: Pauses the playback.
Stop: Stops the playback.
To Start – pulls the slider to the Mark-In point
To End - pushes the slider to the Mark-Out point
Next frame - locates the slider on the next frame (when in Pause or Stop
mode).
Previous frame – locates the slider on previous frame (when in Pause or
Stop mode).
Next Clip - jumps on the next object (as listed in the Mini Browser)
Previous Clip - jumps on the previous object (as listed in the Mini
Browser).
AutoStart - this check reflects the video and audio objects. When the check
is active, and such an object is selected, it will automatically start playing
back.
Loop - plays continuously the material between its start and end point (the
original ones). If the In/Out button is pressed in the same time, then the
playback will be looped between the Mark In/Out points.
Play In-Out - if selected, only the range between the Mark In/Out points is
played.
Playback Rate - enables you to select the preview-play-speed for video and
audio objects. You can choose between the predefined values: 1/8 1/6, 1/4,
1/3, 1/2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 10. For quicker preview – choose values bigger
than 1. For slower, detailed preview – choose the fraction numbers. Please,
keep attention to the fact that the proxy file preview is not affected by the
playback rates chosen.
Offset - Locates the slider on the timeline with some seconds forward or
backward, depending on the value chosen (between predefined ones).
Audio
Mute - Mutes the volume preview.
Volume 25, 50, 75, 100 - Determines the preview-volume-level at
these predefined volume settings.
Pan Left, Right, Balanced – Accelerates the left/right channel audio
preview or makes them equal.

4.14.11.5. Timeline
Lock Controls – this check locks the Timeline – Descriptive Markers
cannot be added or deleted; Mark In/Out points, as well as the Master
In/Out points cannot be moved; Censor mode cannot be switched on/off,
etc.
Zoom – is zooming the timeline. Zoom-In is enlarging it while the Zoom-
Out is shrinking the timeline.
Show Scenes, Show Video Motion Rate and Show Plane Frames are
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checks resulting in preview changes (seen in the timeline) for objects being
indexed. Usually we analyze with these options the assets being result of
Image matching search. In the Search Results tab select the asset being a
result, open it in the Viewer and check these options from the Timeline
menu. As a result of this, the timeline will change – it will show the Video
Motion Rate vector with yellow color; the Scenes into which the best match
is found (you can select this scene in the timeline, right-click over it and
choose Play Scene to preview it – usually it is very short) and markers for
each Plane Frame in the video – see the screenshot.

Motion Rate

Plane Frame mark

Scene

The Scenes are very short and most of the cases their beginning and end
points are overlapped on the timeline. To distinguish them well, use the
Zoom In option/button to enlarge the timeline preview.

Go to Mark In – locates the slider on the Mark In point.
Go to Mark Out – locates the slider on the Mark Out point.
Go to Master In – locates the slider on the Master In point.
Go to Master Out – locates the slider on the Master Out point.
Set Mark In - sets the current position as Mark In point.
Set Mark Out – sets the current position as Mark Out point.
Set Master In - sets the current position as Master In point.
Set Master Out - sets the current position as Master Out point.
Add Marker - adds a new marker at the point where the slider is placed.
Delete Marker - deletes the selected marker(s). The option is available also

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from the Marker’s context menu.
Edit Description - Opens the Edit Description window to edit the currently
selected marker’s description. The option is available also from the
Marker’s context menu.
Go to Marker - Locates the slider on the selected marker. The option is
available also from the Marker’s context menu.
Delete – Deletes a currently selected marker.
Edit marker – Opens the marker’s dialog so that you can edit the
description (as well as the extra description) of this marker.
Go to marker – Places the slider (cursor) over a selected marker.
Next Marker - Selects the next marker in the timeline.
Add Custom In and Add Custom Out put on
the timeline another type of descriptive
markers. Observe them as markers which
describe a part of the material. The start of the
part being described is pointed with the Custom In mark; the ending point is
fixed with the Custom Out mark. Use these markers to describe a scene
selection.
Thumbnail – for video objects - sets the current frame as a thumbnail.
Create Storyboard from Markers – Adds all the frames where markers are
put to the storyboard already available (or empty).

4.14.11.6. Settings
Use Proxy – this option “commands” the Viewer to display only the proxy
files. If the file is missing proxy, nothing will be displayed.
Use Web Proxy File if Proxy is not Present – related to the first option. If
the file is missing proxy, the Viewer will display the web proxy file (if
available).
Use Original File if Proxy is not Present – again related to the first option.
If the file is missing proxy, the Viewer will display the original source file
(i.e. in this case the proxy file is with high-priority compared to the original
file).
Clear Asset List On Close – when the Viewer is closed, all the info gathered
in the Asset List will be erased.

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Configure Metadata
Overlay – Metus
Library provides a
possibility some
metadata values
(chosen by the user) to
be previewed together
with the material in the Viewer’s window. Usually, these values are placed
over the Preview Window. For this purpose, some settings must be applied
before that in the General Settings tab:
Text Color – from here you choose the color with which the text will be
displayed.
Back color – specify here the background color (like when subtitles are
displayed). Font Type and Font Size are to set these final text
characteristics.
The next four tabs are similar – they are to choose which metadata fields’
values to load on the preview window. You can choose some Common
metadata fields or such which had been created especially for image objects
(Image Fields), videos (Video Fields) or audio files (Audio Fields). What
you have to do is just
to add the fields
pointing them in the
Metus Metadata Tree
which will pop up
when clicking on the
Add button. Remove is
to delete any selected
field in the list.
If we assume that the
Position table presents
the Viewer’s preview
window, then we can
logically divide it in 9
parts. Select any of the
fields that you already
added in the list on left
and choose at which
position on the screen
you want to see its
values.
From the example
shown here it will look
like:

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Save As and Continue Options –
here you specify the default
Viewer behavior when using this
option from the Asset menu.
First, about the asset being saved
– you define the place it will be
saved in the project – either Next
to the original asset (same bin)
or you browse to select another
Bin in this project.
Second, for naming this asset – a
Prompt Message will appear for asking the new asset name or a rule for
Auto Naming will be run.
Finally, after the asset is saved you can either go back to using the Original
Asset or you pass on using the Next Asset (as listed in the Mini Browser) or
you continue working with the Current Asset (the just created new one).

Profiles:
Save Profiles - Save all the current settings (checks) applied in the
Viewer menus so that when starting it next time, all these will be kept
(for user convenience).
Reset to default settings - Restores the default Viewer’s settings (as
per being set with the installation).

4.14.12. Using the Viewer

4.14.12.1. Navigating between the objects
Click on any object in the Mini browser. Click on the right arrow to see the next objects
or on the left one to see the previous objects. When you click and hold the arrows, the list
starts sliding continuously to left or right. In addition, if the number of objects increases so
that the Mini Browser gets full, a slide bar is displayed below to easily navigate in the list.
The current object can be changed by pressing Previous Clip, Next Clip buttons on the
buttons panel.
Ctrl+Right arrow keys combination switches to the next object, Ctrl+Left arrow keys
combination switches to the previous one.

4.14.12.2. Using Proxy
Press the Use Proxy button on the right panel. Also, to enable or disable only the proxy
usage you can check/uncheck Settings -> Use Proxy.
To avoid missing preview for the situations when no proxy is created, you should
preview the original file. Ensure this from Settings -> Use Original File If Proxy is not
Present from main menu.

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4.14.12.4. Selecting a Thumbnail
For video assets – slide the cursor over the timeline. When the desired frame is reached,
drop the slider at that point and then press the button Create Thumbnail From Current
Frame from the Right Panel.

4.14.12.5. Locking the Timeline
You can lock the timeline against further changes by pressing Lock Viewer Against
Changes button from the Right Panel or by choosing Timeline -> Lock Controls option. By
default the timeline is unlocked. If the user doesn’t have permissions to modify, the timeline
is locked automatically and unlocking button becomes disabled. Such user cannot add/remove
markers, change the slider position and add/remove censors.

4.14.12.6. Adjusting the Preview Volume
The preview volume can be adjusted by dragging the Volume Slider in the Volume
Controls section in the Right Panel; by using the Page Up and Page Down keys on the
keyboard or by choosing the proper level in the Audio submenu of the Playback menu. The
preview can be muted by pressing the Mute button in the Audio Controls section; by
choosing the Mute level in the Audio submenu of the Playback menu or by pressing the M-
key on the keyboard.

4.14.12.7. Adjusting the Balance
You can adjust the right and left audio channels by moving the Balance Slider in the
Volume Controls section; by pressing the Shift+UpArrow and Shift+DownArrow keys on the
keyboard or by choosing the relevant option in Playback -> Audio.

4.14.12.8. Using Time Boxes
A digit becomes active when you click in it. After that you can change its value by
using the Up/Down arrow buttons on right. You can change numbers faster by pressing and
holding these buttons. When a digit reaches the maximum value it can take, the digit on left
increases with 1 unit and the digit being edited, resets. If the digit value becomes “0” and goes
on decreasing, the value on left decreases 1 unit down. You can also switch between the digits
with the Left/Right Arrow Keys.

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4.15. The Progress Status window

The Progress Status window shows the status of the current process(es) running on
Metus Library.

In the Object Name column the asset name is displayed. The Task column shows the
type of the task that must be run (archiving, transcoding, proxy creation, indexing, etc.). The
Progress displays the level of the task completion. Server column informs about the name of
the machine (server) executing the relevant task. Whether the task is waiting, running,
finished or canceled can be seen in the Status section. When the task is running it displays
what process exactly is being done. If it is canceled there are two cases – to be canceled by
the user or when the server was not capable of running the task. This can be understood from
the last column – Message. Added is the pre-last column which shows the date and time the
task had been added to this list for execution. The newest tasks are added to the beginning of
the grid. If the processor is busy and cannot start the execution of some task, its status is been
displayed as Waiting. It waits until the processor finishes the currently running one. The
number of the tasks running simultaneously can be changed. It depends on the setting applied
for this MPS in the Project -> Properties -> Process Servers -> Manage MPS -> Server
Settings.
You can make the Progress Status window look more précised and well-structured by
leaving visible info only about the tasks that are not finished. For this purpose right-click in
the Progress Status window and choose Remove Finished Jobs. You can also stop the
execution of a running task by selecting it and choosing Cancel. If you choose Cancel All this
will stop all the tasks currently running, as well as those, being waiting. Remove erases from
the list any selected task. Remove All pops up a dialog for asking about your choice. You can
delete all the tasks with which the processor is not going to work anymore (i.e. the past tasks
– no matter if finished or canceled) or you can delete past tasks plus the currently running
ones. Both in the two cases the remaining (still not loaded tasks) will be executed after the
Remove All selection.

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4.16. Project Properties

This is the most important window with optional
dialogs in Metus Library. Here most of the project settings
are applied (general, common, etc.).

NOTE! Only users with full (administrator) rights can
access the Project Properties window.

4.16.1. Security
This is the dialog to define the upper-security-level of
the project – setting the Administrator. This must be only
one person and to set his name you have to browse with the
Change button in the list with the users already defined for
the current project, i.e. you choose one person from the
already defined user list. From the moment of the project
creation until setting the Administrator here, the project
admin is Anonymous (set as default). No password for this
user.

In order to avoid misusing of any
Metus Library instance you can set
Session Expire Time. If it is 10 minutes
this means that if the system has not been
used in the last 10 minutes (mouse not
moved) it will ask for username and
password to log again in the project so to
keep going on working with it.
Even though, some client machines can be allowed to connect to this one during the
system being locked. These machines are added with their names in the Machine Exception
list (type only the name – not the IP). Specify the PC name in the Machine exception list field
and press the “+” button. To remove a machine from the list use the “-“ button.

4.16.2. Servers
Under this note you can configure according to your
needs MAS, MPS, MIMS, Playout Server and Prompters
Server.

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4.16.2.1. Archive Servers
In this section all the archive devices are listed and configured – storages, tape drives or
tape libraries.
Storages are usually FC-connected to the MAS computer and thus their units are
available for configuring by the Metus Library system. Storage units can be presented either
by disk sets or by disks (system drives). Disk sets are usually gathered in a RAID
configuration so that they can be replaced at some moment if some of them burns or fails
because of any reasons. When a disk replacement is needed, the system can be told which
disk is going to be replaced so it “understands” and copies back the new data to the new disk
after the replacement.
When the storage units are displayed as disks (system drives) Metus Library lists them
as shown on the screenshot here.

In this case we have three drives listed – C, D and E. Each one of them is considered as
a place to which the system can automatically copy (archive) the materials being archived in
the project. Before starting this, it is better to configure these parts in order to set some
priority for them.
First – the MAS server. Its state must be Connected so that the server is running and
carrying on the tasks he has to do. In case the status becomes Disconnected it means that
either the network failed for some reasons and the connection to the MAS computer is lost or
the Windows Metus Archive Server service is not running.
The State for the system drives can be Active, Suspended or Disabled.
We disable the drives to which do not want to write anything. The best example for this
is drive C where usually the Windows installation is done. So, we always avoid using this
drive for any purposes. We do not copy to it; we do not read from it - totally ignore it.
We suspend a drive when we want to temporarily stop copying to it. But we still keep
on reading data from it. So, it becomes like a read-only device.
Active is the drive to which we both read and write (copy) to.
Disk and disk sets are labeled with priority terms like Primary and Secondary in order
to tell Metus Library if several of disks are active, to which one to copy firstly. When the
Primary disks get full, the system goes on copying to the Secondary-labeled disks. Please,
keep in mind that Primary and Secondary are just labels. You can name the disks as per your
wish when adding them to the system. This is done via the Add disk button (adding) and from
the Information Lifecycle management section (where rules are defined) you set the name
for the disk.
The columns into this “table” show information for each drive, like:
- Disk Name – as per set by the system;
- Free Space (in bytes) available on this drive;
- Total Space (in bytes) shows the full drive capacity;
- Temp Size (in percents) shows the space on the disk used for temporal saving
purposes. Sometimes, when a client creates an archive request, the file is not copied to
the archive folder. The file is copied to a temp folder. The temp folder is in the same
disk. It is generated automatically by the MAS.
- Unusable space (in percents) on the drive is the space which Metus Library is not
going to use – it is reserved by the system or other applications.
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There are cases in which the customer needs to enlarge the storage. He can either add
additional disks (as already mentioned) or add one more MAS server. This is an optional
feature in Metus Library, so please refer to the Metus Price List in such cases. Adding
additional MAS server is a better option because the searching in the storage, as well as the
preview and browsing will become quicker.
To add another MAS server press the Add server button and browse in the network to
point the machine which will be the second MAS server. Select it from the opening menu. On
each MAS server machine the Metus Archive Server service must be running (Metus Archive
Server.msi must be installed there)

On later stage, if some of the Metus Library clients have problems with reaching this
machine, you can edit it by pointing its real or alternative IP address. So, select the MAS
server from the list and press the Manage button. Enter the IPs here.
Logically, the Remove Server button will delete a selected MAS server from the list.
Move Up and Move Down are buttons to re-order the MAS servers in the list.
When the status of a MAS server is disconnected and the probable reasons (mentioned
above) are already eliminated, press the Refresh button in order to update the statuses of the
machines. Disks space can be refreshed, also, as well as any other characteristic shown here.
In cases that the MAS is disconnected (situations we already mentioned above) the files
cannot be previewed in Metus Library – they are marked with X-sign. You can “skip” the
MAS server and access the files even though - press the Make Files Accessible button and the
files can be previewed again.
Add Remote Storage – Metus Archiving System is able to use network shares, NAS etc.
as storage units to archive to. The remote storages behave like local disks. When your local
storage is full you can add additional remote storage to have more free space. Please, keep in
mind that each additional space used must be included in the license for the storage capacity
to be supported.
When sharing storage, press the Add Remote Storage button and you will see the GUID
generated by Metus Library – use it to name the share like this.
In the Share
Path field, in front
of the GUID enter
the IP of the PC
where is the space
that will be used as
additional storage (the share).
Create a user and give him full permissions for working with this share. Enter his name
as Share User and his Password in the next field.
From the Diskset menu choose how to label the shared storage – Primary, Secondary,
etc.
For more details regarding sharing and users, please, watch the video 04- 2 Defining
Archive Servers and Disks Advanced (Adding Remote Storage).wmv. It is included in the
Metus Product CD (Help -> Video Tutorials). If anyhow you do not have the video, please,
contact support@metus.com.

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4.16.2.2. Process Servers
The processes such as transcoding, proxy creation, indexing, etc. take long time and use
too much CPU sources. They can be performed by other computers in the network. If a
Process Server is not selected, these processes must be executed by the local PC CPU. To
select a Process Server, press the Select Server button in the Process Server level. In a pop
up window all the computers in the network are listed. Browse and select the computer you
will use as a Process Server and then click the OK button.

You can add any machine in the network as a MPS server. The Metus Process Server
service must be running on it (Metus Process Server.msi must be installed there). If you need
to add more MPS servers (quicker processes as well as running simultaneously more tasks),
you can add them the same way as adding MAS servers. It is optional, so please refer to the
Metus Price List.
Press the Connect button to connect to a MPS server after the network (a possible
reason for disconnection) is already available. Refresh button will inform you about the new
statuses of the servers (updates the info).
No matter how many MPS servers you have added to the system, Metus Library
always lists the local machine as an MPS server, as well. The local MPS could never be
deleted from the list.
The Local MPS is used when the global (network) MPS server cannot reach the local
folder set for the task given to the MPS server.

Example: Here is a situation into which the Local MPS use is needed. Let say a file in
the project must be retrieved locally and transcoded during the retrieval. But the global MPS
is not given a write-permission to the folder into which the resulting file must be saved (f.e.
the file is going to be saved locally on the Desktop). In this case, the Local MPS will do the
task. To avoid such situations, share the folder that you want to transcode to.
Select a MPS and press the Manage Server button. A dialog opens. Into it you can see
details about tasks proceeding or processed.

From the Server drop-down list select the MPS – here are listed all the MPS servers
which you have added to the system. For the selected server watch details about either all the
projects that the server had served or only of a separate project – select it from Project drop-
down list. The info displayed in this dialog can be filtered more – show either the tasks
currently running (Job Status = In Progress) or the completed tasks (Job Status = Finished).
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The Refresh button is used to update the status of the tasks as they are running meanwhile
and the status is changing quickly.

If the rows width is not enough to read the info, double-click over a row and you will
see the same info precisely ordered in a separate dialog.
Press the Server Settings button to fine-tune the
MPS configuration. The name of the server will be
displayed on the first row (Server Name).
Max. Concurrent Jobs presents the number of the
tasks that may run simultaneously – as more tasks run, as
slower the processes will be.
Max. Jobs on the Queue shows the number of the
tasks that may wait for execution (queued tasks).
Max. Wait Progress can be set in Seconds and
Frames. There are situations in which some files
transcoding or any process running can hang and not finish due to external reasons (not
enough permissions for writing in the folder, etc). In such situation the MPS starts doing the
task but at some level it stops and waits (checks its write permissions, etc). This waiting may
last forever or at least until the permission is allowed. That behavior can cause the MPS
freeze. To avoid this, Metus Library applies the setting Max. Wait Progress for each
processor (editable by the user). After this time is over, MPS skips the task and starts the next
one.
Reject New Job is not checked, by default. If you apply this check, each time a new job
is given to the MPS, it will check if the number of the tasks given is exceeding the number of
the tasks set above. If so, the new loaded tasks will be automatically rejected. Nothing will be
queued. The user will be informed about this with a proper message in the Progress Window.
Enable Log check concerns logging info in the MPS Event Viewer.
Temp Folder is the place through which the transcoded files pass. MPS does not
transcode the files to the desired folder directly - a file is firstly transcoded in the Temp
Folder and after the transcoding is completed, MPS copies the files to the desired places. The
Temp Folder is a default one, but its place can be changed as per users’ wishes.
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4.16.2.3. Image Matching Servers

Similar to the other servers added to the system we can add an Image Matching Server.
This is the machine where the Metus Image Matching Server service is running (two
installation files must be run there – Metus Image Matcher.msi and Metus Image Matching
Server.msi). Thus we install not only the engine taking care for the image matching task to be
run but also the server which is providing the two-directions communication between the
image engine and the project (the client application). The dialog is similar to the other
servers’ ones. Four buttons are available – all of them described in the other server sections
above: Add Server, Remove, Connect and Refresh.
The Image Matching option is already described in the Searching section – Image
Search.

4.16.2.4. Playout Servers

Playout Server is the machine on which the playout software is installed (f.e. AirBox).
It is supposed to broadcast the materials included in the playlists created in Metus Library.
These playlists can be sent to that machine locally. Therefore, some general settings must be
defined for this Playout Server in that level of the Servers node.
Press the Add Server button and browse to point the Playout server – it should be a
machine in the same network. The status of the server immediately becomes Connected. It
will be Disconnected only when the network disappears for some reasons or the machine can
not be reached. After you apply the relevant changes in the network or the playout machine,
press the Refresh button so the status is updated.
If several Playout Servers are going to be listed, any of them can be selected and Set As
Default. This means that this server will be proposed to be used each time you create a
playlist.

When a Playout Server is added, the project tree changes –
the added servers are listed in the Devices Bin container. Inside of
this level, the playlists which are created for the relevant Playout
Server can be seen (as filters).

If you do not want to use anymore any of the servers, just select
it and press the Remove button – this server will disappear from the
Playout Servers list. As a result, it “goes” to the Recycle Bin and at
any moment, from the assets’ context menu it can be restored back to
the servers list.

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Properties button pops up the dialog
for configuring the needed settings for the
Playout Server.
The first tab – General, is separated in
two sections – upper and down. The first one
is to define all the folders related to the
playlists creation and realization. The second
one is for taking feedback about the playout
been executed.
In the Name field type the label of the
playout instance – this is not obligatory to be
the name of the PC with the playout
software. This is just what you think to be
proper for naming that instance. The real
name (or IP) of the playout server is to be set in the next field – Computer Name/IP.

Metus Library gives the opportunity to create playlists from there. Playlists will be
saved in the current project (somewhere in the bins) but physically the playlist must be saved
as a file, too. So, after you create it, it will be realized to the Playout Server machine and
could be saved in a folder on that same machine. This is in order the playlist to be saved
locally for the playout server so that if the network fails, the running broadcasting program
will not lose the list to execute.
Playlist Location is the place where we save the list into. It can be any folder in the
network; a local one (for the Metus client machine) or a local folder for the Playout Server.
In each case the folder must be a network sharing with all the permissions allowed. No matter
where we save it, we must know that this is just the physical place the playlist will be saved
into.
It is possible that the playlists are saved directly into the Playlist Location – listed there
one after another or each playlist exists in a separate subfolder (this subfolder will be a part of
the Playlist Location). If you prefer the second way of organizing the playlists and the
content, then check the Create content folder for each playlist.
When the broadcasting program loads the playlist, it can access the included files in two
ways:
- The first one is to Tunnel the content. The files in the playlist will be displayed with
their network path (they will be placed on the storage and played out from here).
Actually, this is what we call a network playback.
- The second is to Push the files together with the playlist. Metus Library checks the
playlist during its realization and all the files included in the playlist are pushed in a
folder we define in the Central Content Location field.
In other words, for each Playout Server we define two folders – one for the playlists
(Playlist Location) and the other one (Central Content Location) for the video materials
included in the playlist (if Push mode is used). Both of them are displayed with network paths
so that they are accessed from all the machines in the network (all the Metus Library clients
can write there, all the playout instances can access the playlists and the content loaded there).

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When working in Push mode, the Metus Library system is replicating the files from
the playlist in the Central Content Location – already mentioned above, a network folder.
The files, included in the playlist, are displayed with this network path. Thus, even placed on
the same (playout machine) the broadcasting program is trying to access them through the
network. Therefore, this is still assumed as a network playback. But this is not recommended
for most of the playout softwares. For that reason the Local Path field is available here – type
inside a folder, which is local for the Playout Server. The files, included in the playlist, will
be changed paths; they will be displayed in the broadcast program with this folder-path
exactly and further on they will be observed as local. To summarize: Metus Library is
changing the paths internally of the playlist.

NOTE! If you use AirBox, please, keep in mind that both the two types of accessing
the files are not safety due to the broadcast characteristics. In the first scenario
(Tunnel mode) if the network fails or disappears even only for a second, the
broadcasting program will freeze without feeding contents or the playback quality will
be very bad. In the second case (Push mode) the copying on the playout server is done
through the Windows system, which is just making transfer of data directly to the
system being playing out, meanwhile. Such data replication is often causing playback
disturbing or stuttering, etc. Therefore, for achieving the best playback behavior, when
using AirBox we recommend using it in combination with SafeBox, which is
purposed exactly for this goal. For more details, please, contact PlayBox support at
www.playbox.tv -> Support section.

Very often the institutions are using more than one playout machine. Furthermore, each
playing machine is presenting a different playout channel. In Metus Library you can relate
each Playout Server to a different channel. To achieve this firstly you must select Project ->
Fields -> Definition Packages -> TV Channels and edit the package for the TV Channels.
Example: If there will be three
channels the definition package will
look as shown on the screenshot.
After the channels are set, each
time when adding a Playout Server,
choose with which channel it will be
bound (see the screenshot above).
The use of this is during the
playlist creation. It is easier to tell for
which channel the playlist is purposed
for instead of pointing out the Playout Server. Nevertheless, no matter which option you
prefer and choose, all the settings configured there, will load automatically.

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Still in the upper part of the
Playout Server Properties dialog, we
shall discuss here the second tab of
this window - Server formats – the
section where we configure Specific
formats for the Playout Server and
the preferable formats the system
transcode the archived files to.
Specific formats can be defined
for video content, for audio content,
as well as for images. From the drop-
down list check all the formats the
Playout Server can support and prefers to run – the check is multi-choice-based. Repeat the
same for the audio and image files. Depending on the type of the broadcasting software
installed, these two can be skipped (if only video is supported).
In the second part choose Metus Library or Carbon Coder to transcode the content in
any of the formats set in the below fields. In this section only one format can be chosen - it is
done via the Browser button. Choose the most preferred format (the Playout server is running
mostly).
When you create playlists in Metus Library, add any type of file to the playlist without
checking if it is supported by the server or not. During the playlist realization, depending on
the Playout Server selected for the current playlist, Metus Library will check the formats of
the files included in the playlist. If they are listed as Specific formats for this playback
machine, then the files are just copied to the Central Content Location (if in Push mode). If a
file, included in the playlist, is not specific-formatted, during the realization (while copying it
to the Central Content Location) Metus Library will transcode it to the format set in the
Image, Audio or Video fields.
Feedback Location is the place
(folder) into which the Playout server
generates the feedback file that Metus
Library uses further on.
The Startup Type for watching the
location can be:
- Automatic – The system always watches the folder and the logs being placed there and
updates the playlists statuses according to this information. Even the information is
watched automatically, there may be cases in which the MAM system is not accessing
it – f.e. when Metus Library is closed and meanwhile the broadcast software is
updating the log. After Metus Library being launched again, it will continue to listen
to the log for new changes. But it will not “understand” for the events that happened
meanwhile. To make the system check everything up to the moment (all the log files
in the Feedback Location) press the Scan button so that all the playlist information is
updated.
- Manual - This is a mode in which the logs are traced only when the user says so.
When working in Manual mode, press the Watch button to start the folder

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observation. Metus Library will check any feedback update until you press the Stop
button. Scan and Stop are acting the same way like described above.
- Disabled – means that the feedback from the playout system to the Metus Library
will be forbidden and not run.

Any information that the broadcast software is loading into the log file will be parsed by
Metus Library and loaded in the relevant metadata fields – some of the values can be loaded
in fields, created by the user; others – in fields included in the Playlist level of the metadata
tree. To preview all this info, select the playlist asset in the project and watch the values in the
metadata window below.

NOTE! When a Playout Server and/or a Prompter Server (explained below) are added
to the system, they are automatically listed in the Devices Bin container.
After a playlist realization the project tree changes. In the Devices Bin container, where
the Playout Server is listed, inside of it you can find three filters that sort the playlists
according to their feedback – playlists can be Played, Waiting Playback or Playback Failed.
Select any of these statuses and it will filter all the playlists answering to them on right. Then
in the right part select any playlist and at the bottom (the metadata window) you will see
separately the statuses of each file included in that playlist.
Playlists are Played when all the files inside are played until the end.
Waiting playback are these playlists which still have not been played in the broadcast
program.
Playback Failed is the status of a playlist into which even one file only have failed
playback. Failed playback is the one which is interrupted from outside (external interaction)
or skipped by some reason (manual jump on another file, not enough time for its execution,
etc).

NOTE! To get a full idea of the Playout Server configuration as well as the Playlist
settings, please, read also the Playlist Editor explanation below in the manual.

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4.16.2.5. Prompters Servers
Prompter Server is not a separate machine which needs special installations to be run
like the other server machines in Metus Library. Usually, this is the machine to which the
prompter device is connected.
Prompting in Metus Library had the following general workflow-idea:
Users from different cities upload their materials in the project. In adjacent additional
file (see the supported types) they put the text that must be sent to the prompter device. Or
they load this text in some metadata fields. They can also not put any text for the prompter but
this text can be entered later in the project by any other Metus Library client. However, we
assume that somehow the asset already has a metadata field with the text loaded into it.
Next step is to tell the system to take the text
from this field and forward it to the prompter
device. For this purpose, first the text is copied to a
file (txt, rtf or xml) and this file is saved in a shared
folder somewhere in the network, the so called
Data Folder. The Prompter Server machine is
configured finally to watch the files inside the Data
Folder and to pop up the text being placed in the
files there.
In the Prompter Properties dialog enter a
label and the name of the machine that will be the
Prompter Server. As explained above, a location
for saving the files with the text is needed – browse
and point it in the Data Folder field.
NOTE! Be sure to define all permissions
checked for this folder.
For file format choose between *.txt, *.rtf and
*.xml – this will be the file that contains the
prompter text and in this format it will be saved in
the Data Folder so that the prompter device take it
from here.
For each realized playlist, a separate folder can be created, as well as a separate file for
each asset from which text values are taken. This is applied with the
checks for the options Create folder for playlist and Create file for
each asset. When you choose the second option, this means that for
each video material a prompter-text-file will be created (txt/rtf/xml).
This file must have a name and you have to specify its structure in
the File Naming format.
The name can “take” the value from a metadata field or several
metadata fields’ values concatenated. If you prefer this way of
naming the file, choose Add -> Field.
Variable is an option to define a naming format so that the
name of the file changes each time. The variable fields that you can
enter are predefined – see them in the Field/Variable drop-down list.
According to what variable field you select, the Step type and Data
type are changing – they are coded for each variable and cannot be
edited. The idea here is not to set Step and Data type, but to choose that variable field which

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Step and Data type are matching best your needs.
After the variable field selection, you can set its format – again listed in a drop-down
menu and the Max.Length (number of symbols) for that name.
A Static text is another option. If you select Static text, enter the text that will be the
filename and for each different file Metus Library will put a number at its end.
Which fields’ values to be loaded in the prompter text file is configured in the Fields To
Export section. Basically, we assume that the prompter text is logically divided in three parts:
Title Field, Content Field and Full Text Field. This is not obligatory to specify all of them.
F.e. the TitleField can “take” the values loaded in the Title metadata field. Content Field may
“take” the text from Asset Content metadata field. Distinguish the first and the second parts
by setting the number of empty rows between them. Enter it in Distance between Title and
Content.

4.16.3. Archiving Options
Here is the section into which we
configure default archiving settings.
These are settings which will be applied
to all the materials being archived on the
storage (tape). Because some of the
archived materials may come from a
library project, it is possible that they
have existing Metus Library metadata,
such as Storyboard, Proxy and Trim
In/Out points.
- Storyboard - the archiving
of any object may be done
together with its Storyboard (if it
comes from a library project). If
you do not want to archive
storyboards with the items, just
leave this section unchecked.
The first choice is to
Archive the available
storyboard, which means that the objects which still do not have storyboards
will be archived without such. Those that have storyboards will keep them.
Shortly said – everything will be kept as it comes.
Second choice is to Archive storyboards of assets that have storyboard,
otherwise create storyboard. It is self-explanatory – the assets “coming” with
storyboards will keep them; those that “come” without storyboards will be
created such immediately after being archived in the project. Their storyboard
creation will be done according to the general Storyboard Options explained
below in the Project->Properties menu.
The last option is to Recreate Storyboards. This will create storyboards of
all the archived materials (no matter whether they have such or not) according to
the rule set in Storyboard Options.
- Proxy – the same as Storyboard. If the proxy check is not applied at all, then
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the objects will be archived without proxies (even those that have such).
- Transcode – very powerful and useful option supported in Metus Library and
deeply differentiating it from the other MAM solutions available on the market. This
check applied here is to ensure that all the materials available on the storage units will
be of one and the same format. Everything “coming” in the project will be transcoded
to this format. For more details about this, please refer to the Transcoding section
above in the manual.
- Trim – if the object is coming from a library project, it is possible to archive
only a part of it. This can be either the Only between mark In/Out section or the one
Between the Master In/Out.
- Automatically Archive items to tape – this option is active when a tape drive is
attached to the system. It will archive everything coming in the project directly on the
tape cartridge.
- In addition to the previous option, or separately from it, the proxies of the items
being archived can be sent directly on the tape. If you want so, just check
Automatically Archive Proxies to Tape.
- When archiving any file from a local folder to the project, it will be copied on
the storage defined for this. From this moment, we go on working with this archived
copy. The original file (the one being source for this replication) remains on the place
it has been in the beginning – the local folder. Usually, it is not needed anymore and
there is no reason to keep it because it only takes place on the PC HDD. To
automatically take rid of these files apply the check Delete files after archiving.
- Metus Library provides a possibility to Select file based metadata types to
save to database. These are additional metadata grouped by types (Video, Audio,
EXIF, IPTC, MP3 and Summary). We recommend not checking them because they
unduly enlarge the database. To see what metadata fields are listed for each group,
click on the question mark on right.
- When archiving a file in the system, we take it from some folder. Sometimes,
in the same folder additional files exist – with the same filename but with different
extension. These are called adjacent files and they are bringing additional information
that can be used by the Metus system (f.e. sometimes the descriptive metadata of one
video are placed in a *.xls file next to it). In such workflows, check the option Archive
Adjacent File Contents. The following types for such additional files are supported:
*.xml, *.txt, *.xls, *.doc and *.pdf. So, depending on the format of the adjacent file
“coming”, select it and Select a field into which you will load the values coming with
this file.

NOTE! The adjacent files should contain one value only, because it is supposed
to be loaded only in one metadata field. Furthermore, this metadata field could
be only of String or Text type.

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4.16.4. Storage Management

This section is used generally to name the new disks added to the storage. For these
disks you can define some filters concerning the content which will be saved on them.
Press the New Disk
Set button and a dialog will
pop up. In the Name field
below enter a name for the
new disk. Define the criteria
for the content that you want
to be filtered and copied on
this storage – with the
browse button open the
metadata tree so to select the
metadata fields that which values will be used for filtering. When more criteria are added you
can apply one of the two logics – AND/OR with the help of the field Match (All – all the
criteria must be observed or Any – even only one of the criteria is observed, the filter will be
executed).
The example on the screenshot shows how the content can be archived on the storage
due to the criteria Creator – if the creator is Columbia Pictures, the files will be copied on the
Primary labeled disks. The files with creator DreamWorks will be archived on the
Secondary-labeled disks. Imagine content will be sent to the Archive disks.
The rules defined here are not run only over the content being archived (in the moment
of archival). These rules can be used so to order content even after it has been already
archived – these are content managing rules.
On later stage, if needed, a rule can be additionally changed by selecting it and press the
Edit button. It can be erased, also, with the Delete button.
After the rules are defined, you can check one of the options below for organizing
priorities for the processes that Metus Library will run. These options are self-explanatory:

Use Storage units simultaneously. Always archive to storage unit with most empty
space. – Metus Library will archive to the most empty disk without taking in view what is
the disk order (in the list here).
Use disk sets in order. Advance to next disk set, when one is fully used. – Metus
Library will copy on the disk sets units, in the order they are listed here. As soon as a disk set
gets full, it will go on copying on the next one as per the order in the list.
Use storage units in order. Advance to next storage unit, when one is fully used. –
Same as above, concerns the disks (system drives).
As seen from the last two options, the list order is important. Therefore, use the Move
Up and Move down buttons on right to order the rules in the list in a proper way.

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4.16.5. Storage Status
The Storage Status shows the entire storage as separate units via a colorful diagram
interface. From this
section you can see all the
info seen in the Archive
Servers settings – Disks
Size, Temp Size, Free
Space, etc. and on other
hand – you can make
some management of the
storage disks.
The storage units
are presented either as
disks (drives C, D, etc) or
as Disk Sets (their labels -
Primary, Secondary, etc).
To switch between these
two modes use the button
Show Disk Sets/Show
Disks.
All the system
drives are listed here – Active, Suspended and Disabled ones. Select any of them and for the
currently opened project you can see what size of the disk the project is taking with all the
materials archived for that project on that disk – the lilac color (look below, too). You can see
also how much space another projects’ archived materials are taking – the peach-colored info
(Other Metus Projects field). In the colored lines above the info is presented in proportions
and digits (if enough place); below it is displayed with digits and explanations for what each
color is presenting.
Select any of the storage units and press the Manage button to see the additional info as
Temp Size, Unusable Space, Disk Set, Disk State and Serial Number of the disk. This Serial
Number can be saved to a metadata field so that a search by Disk Serial Number is possible.
The last check in this dialog is Used by the Tape Library not stand-alone drive and it is
active when a tape drive is attached. Applying the check means that the disk will be used for
tape library cash disk. This is automatically used by the system only in cases when the cash
disk is not recognized (some kind of hybrid configuration – manually point the disk which the
system will automatically use for this purpose, if needed).
Suspend button is active only for drives which are either Active or Disabled. Select
such a disk and Suspend it by pressing the button here. The same can be done in the Archive
Servers settings. No matter from where you apply the status, the change is always reflected in
the other dialog.
Same explanation is referred to the Disable Disk button.
Refresh is for updating the info and its preview.
Move Contents button is purposed to move files on the storage from one disk to
another. Select the disk you want to move from and press this button. A dialog appears asking
to where to move. In this dialog all the other disks (disk sets) are listed in the left half. You
select the disks to which you would like to transfer and add these disks in the right part. Some
details (Name of the disk, the MAS server name, Free Space that can be used for archiving,
Archive Size – the place already used for archiving purposes in Metus Library) about the
source disk are displayed in the upper part of the dialog; details about the target disks are
displayed at the bottom of the dialog after you select the disk in the list.

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4.16.6. Information Lifecycle Management
In this section rules can be created for automatic Archiving to Tape, Double Copy
creation, contents Deletion or Moving as well as Transfer of files from the storage to
predefined places. The rules are created via adding criteria for different metadata fields
(specific conditions). This is done in the Information Lifecycle window; we call it shortly
Rules window.
The Rules window
firstly displays the places
for adding the metadata
fields as per which the
criteria will be done. The
more fields you want to
add, the more times press
the “+” button. To
remove surplus fields
already added, press the
“-“ button – it always
removes the last added
field.
The rules that we
are going to create are
supposed to do
automatically some of the
Actions below: Archive to Tape, Double Copy, Delete, Move and Transfer. So, according to
what action you will undertake, it is good to decide firstly which files to be affected by this
rule.
Example: If we are going to automate the process of tape-archiving (files from storage
being archived on tape) then we decide which files is better to be moved on the tape. Let say
we shall archive those of the files which are either archived in the project for more than 100
days or those that are previewed less than 10 times. So, this is OR logic. Therefore we add
these criteria and select Match=Any. If we select Match=All this will act like AND logic and
all the criteria must be observed by the files being archived on the tape cartridge, i.e. we shall
move to tape all the files that are archived on the storage before more than 100 days and have
been previewed less than 10 times.
If in the added criteria the matching value is containing a text (word) there is a
possibility to match either the part of this text or to match it totally – apply the Match Whole
Words check as per your needs for this.
In the Name field specify a name for the rule you are creating currently.
Actions are listed above. According to what action is undertaken, the last part of this
dialog changes so to configure the relevant settings here.
Archive To Tape – there is a possibility to “tell” Metus Library what to do with the
secondary copy of the original file (if such is created).
- Assign secondary sources as primary - The secondary copy may remain on the
storage and can be assigned as a primary;
- Delete secondary sources – remove all the doubled copies created for the files
(primary, source files) being archived on the tape;
- Archive secondary sources to tape – both the primary and the secondary copies will
be sent to the tape.
- Archive proxy to tape – The last option is to define will the proxy be sent to the tape,
as well as the file being moved there, or the proxy will remain on the storage. If you
need movement to the tape, just apply the check here.
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Double Copy – it is reasonable to make a double copy of files being used very often. Or
for files that somehow are important for the company and for the workflow. In the first case
we can describe the assets with f.e. ViewCount>200 or whatever is your need. For the second
case the assets could be checked values for a relative metadata field.
It fully depends on you to decide which files double copy creation should be automated.
For Double Copy action, the additional settings that should be applied are concerning
the choice of the destination into which the copy to be saved. It can be:
- Disk – any of the MAS/storage
system drives with Active status;
- Disk Set – any of the labeled disk sets
– either Primary or Secondary ones.
- Computer – choose any of the
machines listed in this drop-down
section. Only machines where MAS
is installed will be listed, i.e. you choose between the MAS Servers.
Sticking to the examples above, we come to the third action – deletion. After deciding
which files should be deleted you have to enter these criteria and choose action Delete for that
rule. No additional settings to apply. The
files will be deleted from the storage
together with their proxy files, the
indexing information files, as well as the metadata from the SQL database. The files won’t be
placed in the Recycle Bin – they will be automatically deleted forever.
Next action is Move. The files filtered by the criteria set above will be moved on the
place defined here. It can be any of disks/disk set or the tape cartridge. All the storage units
are listed in the left half of the window; select these of them which you want to move to and
add them to the right half of the dialog as target locations. The last check in the Move action
section is to tell Metus Library After Move action to update other assets which use the
same file(s). This is to update their status and reference to the files new locations (the path).
The last action is Transfer.
The files filtered by the above criteria
will be transferred either in a folder (a local
one – this is like automatic retrieval) or to
some ftp location.
For setting a folder press the Browse
button and select the folder from the
network machines tree.
For ftp location – enter the ftp address
and the User name and Password to access
it. Press the Test Connection button to try
its availability.
All the checks below concern what
content to be transferred to the chosen
location – you can Transfer Source,
together with the metadata applied for it (Transfer Metadata), its proxy (Transfer Proxy) and

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if it has a storyboard, you can choose to transfer it, too (Transfer Storyboard).
For the files being transferred, you can define a way their names should be structured
like. Any of the metadata fields’ values can be added in the filename. Check the File Naming
Format and proceed on. The screenshot shows example with a structure like Name + ID +
Creator. This should be checked and used according to your needs and the entire workflow
used. The result will be that the transferred file will be renamed with the values from the
metadata fields listed here so that the people “taking” them from the target locations can parse
the names and use them as per their needs.
The content can be transferred with its original duration or partially. It can be trimmed
either Only between Mark In-Out points or Only between Master In-Out points.
Directory Structure Format displays the way the folder will be named – this is the
folder into which the content is moved. If you want to create subfolders inside, use the slash
symbol as it is clearly stated at the bottom of the dialog.

After the Rules window explanation, we go back to the Information Lifecycle
Management dialog.
Once the Rules
creation is done, they
will be listed here. To
add a New Rule press
the relevant button on
right. To remove any
of the rules listed,
select it and press the
Delete button. To
apply changes in a
rule, mark it and
choose Edit – the
Rules dialog will
appear so to apply
changes to this defined
rule.
Before loading
any rule, it is a good idea to test it firstly. One of the tests can be to ensure which files will be
affected when this rule runs. For achieving this press the Preview button. A confirmation
dialog appears, with Yes confirm your choice and watch the project. All of the files that will
be affected by this rule will be displayed in the project, in a separate Search Results tab.
Very often the workflow requires a rule’s execution to be temporarily stopped. For this,
press the Disable button. When this is done, the button toggles to Enable so that when
pressing it again it will activate back the rule’s execution.
A rule can be run on Schedule – see the last section in this dialog. It can be run on some
Period, defined in hours or at a set Time – any time in the day. F.e. if it is 17*00 o’clock then
each day at 17*00 o’clock the rule will be executed.
But most probably when you create the rule, you would like to test its execution. For

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such purposes, the Run button is placed here – press it and the rule will be run instantly
without observing the Schedule section settings.
Use the buttons Move Up and Move Down to re-order the ILM rules in the list.
Reordering the rules in the list is not only for user perspicuity. It is related to the execution
order, too. If two (or more) rules are scheduled to be run on such time that their execution
moments overlap, Metus Library will run them in the order they are listed here, i.e. the first
listed one will be executed firstly.
In the metadata tree that is involved in the Metus Library installation in the Asset
subgroup are existing two editable fields which values are loaded by the user – Life Time and
Kill Date.
The first one presents the number of the days the asset should exist after the moment of
its archival. Example: if Life Time = 50 it means that 50 days after the archival, the asset and
its file and all related info will be deleted.
The second field – Kill Date presents the date on which the asset and the related files
plus info must be deleted. Example: If the Kill Date is 15 Of May 2011 this means that
exactly on this date the asset (and its file and metadata) will be automatically deleted.
To have these fields activated, you must apply the check Delete Assets when Life Time
is elapsed or Kill Date has passed. This will do automatic deletion as per the set dates.
To avoid deletion of files that maybe needed later, you can configure the system to ask
for confirmation before starting the automatic deletion process. This is a really useful option,
such a workflow is much more safety. To use it, check Send request for all kinds of
automatic deletion. As a result, a request for deletion will be created. Define a period this
request will be active – set it (in days) in Request Life Time for automatic deletion. After
these days are past, the request will be automatically deleted (not waiting your approval
anymore). Just before the request is deleted it takes status either Approved or Rejected. In the
first case the automatic deletion will be executed for all the files that the request asked about.
In the second case the deletion will be canceled and the files will remain. Choose which
default action to be executed for requests that you have not answered manually and they “die”
due to life time over -> in the field Request Default action for automatic deletion – choose
Approved or Rejected.
Enable storage capacity limit (delete the oldest assets when capacity limit exceeds) –
Metus Library will delete the oldest files in the archive in order to always sustain some free
space on the storage. The free space that have to be ensured is not entered, but you have to
enter the vice versa digit – the Capacity Limit (in percents) that should be used in the archive.
This limit should not be exceeded. It can be set for the Total storage or for the Disks or Disk
Sets units.
ILM Life Time – This presents (in days) the time that the rule will be executed even if
the project is closed.
Example: Let assume ILM Life Time=6. The project is opened, something is done and
then it is closed for 10 days. The first 6 days after it has been closed the rule will be active and
running (even the closed project).

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4.16.7. Tape Units (optional)
This dialog can be managed when a tape drive is attached to the system – the parts of
the cartridges are listed in the window here. You can see the defined archiving units, and
online or offline cassettes in the Archive Units section - you can name, rename them, etc.

4.16.8. Copy Options
Here we configure the
general options for copying
processes.

Read-Write block size (KB) –It is the buffer size of a read-write process. When you
copy a file, two operations are running in fact - first read and then write. A file cannot be
copied in one step. So, this block space is acting like a buffer.

Waiting Time between two read-write op (ms) – It is the delay time after one buffer
read and written. It depends on the size of the file – so, it is a loop.

Total waiting time for 1 GB file (seconds) – Logically, this is the result between the
first setting multiplied by the second one. It is just an example for quick calculation about
1GB size file being copied. For 5 GB files this delay will be this time x5.

4.16.9. Prepare Asset

Read firstly the Asset’s Context menu -> Prepare Asset section.
All the Prepare asset explanation is related to the options that are set in Project ->
Properties -> Prepare Asset dialog.
Temp Directory is the local
folder into which the local copy will
be saved.
Maximum Capacity is the space
that this folder should not exceed.
Watch Folder for updates on
retrieved files ensures that each time
you press Save in the NLE
application, Metus Library will
understand and pop up the dialog
asking more details (screenshot in
Prepare Asset explanation).

Lifetime (in days) presents the period for which the local copy will exist in the Temp
Directory. To make this file be automatically deleted according to that criterion, check the
option Delete files in Temp folder, whenever their age exceeds lifetime period.

If the archived file is not in a proper format for the NLE editing tool, you can transcode
it during the retrieval process using either Metus Library System or Carbon Coder. Thus, the
local copy will be transcoded. See the last section of the dialog.

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4.16.10. Proxy Options

4.16.10.1. Proxy Naming Options

Sometimes the files that are being
archived already have proxies. In order to save
system resources, Metus Library can copy the
ready proxies and not create them from the very
beginning. The system “understands” which the
proxy file is with the help of a filename parsing
rule (Name Format for Proxy Assignment). In
this rule we have to specify which is the
filename’s Prefix, Suffix or the proxy file Extension. When Metus Library finds a file with
such name format, it copies it as a proxy.
Metus Library searches for such files either in the same folder where the original file is
(Get proxy from the same folder) or in another folder (Get proxy from the specified folder).
In the second scenario you must use the Browse button to point where the folder is.

4.16.10.2. Proxy Creation Options

These have been already described in the Proxy section above in this manual.

4.16.11. SB Options

Specify the storyboard general settings – they
will be applied as default when you choose Create
Storyboard option.

For general storyboard setting you can select
either the Total Frames option or the Interval
option (described already above in the Storyboard
section).

This is the only place in Metus Library into which the size of the storyboard pictures
can be defined. Set the Image size via the Width and Height fields and choose whether to
Keep aspect ratio. For the pictures, that is possible to add manually to the storyboards, choose
whether to keep their original size or to Use Image Size settings above.

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4.16.12. Playlist
In this section define the
users that will approve playlists, as
well as metadata templates. These
settings are going to be applied
later for each playlist.

Three approval groups must be selected: Technical Approvers, Administrative
Approvers and Playlist Approvers. Use the browse button next to each one and the list with
users and groups defined for this project will appear. Select the group that will have rights for
the relevant approving. Any of the users belonging to this group will obtain this right
automatically. So that when this user is logged in the project, he can approve the playlist as
per his rights.

NOTE: Logically, the Project Administrator has all the rights for approving.

The Metadata Template is the section into which we create templates for configuring
which metadata fields’ values to be forwarded to the playout softwares. Delete a created
template with the relevant button. Apply changes to already created template with the Edit
button.

With the New button start a new template
creation - a dialog opens. On left are listed the
metadata fields supposed to be supported in the
playout software. They are predefined in Project ->
Fields -> Definition Packages.

From the left drop-down list select
the playout software’s metadata field
and on right point which values to be
loaded in that field. I.e. it is relating the
metadata fields between the playout
software and Metus Library. Do not
forget to Save the template.

4.16.13. Versioning
Specify how many versions of one
asset to be kept in the database.

4.16.14. Languages
You can define up to six languages that will be used later for the content description.
These are the languages in which the metadata fields values can be entered – see the example
in the Create New Metadata Field section.
To define a language click twice slowly over it – like trying to rename it. Enter
whatever language you need.

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4.16.15. Other
- Use project templates when
items are created – check this to
make your templates be applicable
for the objects they are purposed for.
- Extract text content from
document files when creating asset
– this is related to the document files
- txt, doc, xls, ppt, pdf, etc. When the
check is applied, the content of these
files will be loaded in the Asset
Content field.
- Automatically add imported
fields to project fields – concerns the
metadata fields coming from another
projects – they “come” with the
assets being copied (archived) to the
current project. If such metadata
fields do not exist in the current
project’s metadata tree, they will be
added.
- Automatically add imported categories to project categories – same as above - just
concerns the category tree.
- Enable Full Text update after saving each metadata – this is for the SQL based
projects.
- Users cannot view original files – if checked, only proxy files can be previewed. If no
proxy – there will be no preview, at all.
- Enable multi-language content – must be checked when metadata values will be
entered in more languages (already explained in the New Field Creation (Adding a field)
section)
- Enable maximum user limitation on synchronization request – set the number of the
maximum users that can
synchronize simultaneously
content or values.
- Close archive approve
form automatically – Concerns
the behavior of this dialog:
If this check is on, Metus
Library will countdown for 15
seconds and will automatically
close the window. The default
action that will be executed is Do
Nothing.

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- Save search criteria to Action History – in the Action History log the criteria via
which a search is done, will be saved as info. It will be listed on a separate row in the log.
- Panasonic P2 drag-n-drop format – when dragging a Panasonic P2 file from Metus
Library to another application, choose how the file will be presented when dropping it: as
Clip_XML; Video_MXF; Icon_BMP; or all the three options - All files.
- Tape Operator – when a tape drive (library) is attached, choose the software that will
control it directly (through the Metus Library interface): Xendata, IBM_Tivoli or
Sony_PetaServe. This depends on the tape drive brand and model.
- Thumbnail Offset – in order to avoid black-frames thumbnails, select here on which
frame/second a frame to be “extracted” and displayed on the asset’s icon as a thumbnail. Here
you set this as a general definition – it will be observed when selecting any asset(s) and
choose Create Thumbnail. Even though, for a separate asset you can change the thumbnail
from inside the project. See more details in the Thumbnail section above.
- Carbon Coder Profile folder is the place into which the Carbon Coder transcoding
presets are saved. This is needed only in case when Carbon Coder is installed and used.
- Shared Index Folder – browse to point a shared folder into which the indexing
information will be saved. Indexing the materials is needed for image searching as well as for
scenes-storyboard-creation. The share folder must be presented with it UNC format -
PCfolder.
- Simple Search Options are described already in the Searching section above.
- Archive Recovery Options – In case that due to some reasons the archival process is
interrupted and only part of the content had been archived, after the system is back again
(MAS) it can either ask you in a dialog what to do with the content still not archived (Show
Form), automatically Rearchive what is remaining or automatically Delete the remaining
content.
- Advanced Options – This is to
exclude a type of content that you do not
desire to send on the storage. You can
exclude files as per their extensions or
according to the length of the files. If
“0” is entered here, then it means that
there are no restrictions for the file
length.

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APPENDIX 1 – Metus Library Requirements Diagram

- Win Server 2003*
- .Net Framework with latest SP**
- VC++ Runtime 2005 x86
All-In-One
- IIS
- License Manager (when dongle)
- QuickTime (if used mov files)
- MXF (if used MXF files)
- Windows XP*/Windows XP x64*/Windows server
2003*/ Win Server 2003 x64*/Vista/Vista x64
Metus Library Client - .Net Framework with latest SP**

- Win Server 2003*/ Win Server 2003 x64*
Metus Archive Server - VC++ Runtime 2005 x86
- License Manager (when dongle; preferably installed
on MAS)
-QuickTime (if used mov files)
-MXF (if used MXF files)
- Win Server 2003*/ Win Server 2003 x64* / Windows
XP*/ Windows XP x64*
Metus Process Server - VC++ Runtime 2005 x86
- Windows Media Format 11 (Only for Windows XP)
- Carbon Coder
- Win Server 2003*
Metus Online
- IIS
- Win Server 2003*/ Win Server 2003 x64*
Metus Image Matcher - .Net Framework with latest SP**
Server - VC++ Runtime 2005 x86

- Win server 2003*/Win Server 2003 x64* (preferable)
SQL Server - .Net Framework with latest SP

XenData Installation - Win Server 2003*
- IIS

*- highly recommended to use SP2 only
**-during the installation it may ask to install Windows Installer 3.1
--- - obligatory installation
--- - optional installation

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APPENDIX 2 – Installation Guider

BASIC TERMS

Starting from the very basic terms, we should say that Metus MAM installation includes
the following modules (each one of them can be installed on different machine):

- MAS (Metus Archive Server) – it is the server which is responsible for the archiving
and sometimes storyboard creations. Its installation is done by the Metus Archive
Server.msi file included in the installation CD.
- MPS (Metus Process Server) – responsible for the transcoding, proxy creation and
indexing. It is installed by the Metus Process Server.msi file from the CD.
- ML Client – this presents every Metus Library client using the project. This is
installed with the Metus Library.msi file and it must be installed at each place when
user wants to browse the archive through the Metus Library. Each client is
licensed. Sometimes storyboards are created by this module.
Up to here these three are obligatory. We can have an installation just with MAS, MPS
and ML Client. Only a database is needed.

- MIM and MIMS (Metus Image Matcher and Metus Image Matching Server) – We
can say that MIM is the engine for image matching option and MIMS is the server,
providing the communication between the MIM and the Metus Library project. The
installation files are Metus Image Matcher.msi and Metus Image Matching
Server.msi.
- MOL (Metus Online Library) – the web server. This is the one “uploading” the
projects to the web so that web users can browse and use them. The installation file
is MOL Setup.msi

The MAM system needs a database to save all the projects into, metadata, storyboards,
versions, etc. It can be either MS SQL or Oracle.
- SQL – can be used either standard (enterprise) edition or express one. The second is
limited – the database cannot be bigger than 2 GB. Full-text search cannot be made.
- Xendata Installation – if a tape drive is used. In fact, it is the Xendata software that
controls the tape (library). Metus integrates this software “inside” so that we can use
all the options to work with the tape (library) just by the user-friendly interface
Metus provides for this.

Summary: To say it shortly, Metus Library installation includes: MAS, MPS, ML
Client and database. MIM, MIMS, MOL and tape-control software are optional, depending on
the workflow.

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MODULES’ REQUIREMENTS. ADDITIONAL SOFTWARES.

Before starting the Metus Library installation, you firstly specify the workflow in
which the installation will be applied. Generally, we need to define the steps when running
all-in-one installation and when doing a separate-servers-installation.

Separate-servers installation requirements
For running a separate-servers installation it is better to define several rules which are
very helpful to distinguish where and what should be installed.
1. MAS, MPS, MOL and MIMS are servers. They need only Windows server 2003
installation. It can be either 32 bit or 64 bit. Exception makes the MOL which is not
supporting 64 bit Windows installation. On all the servers machines the user logged
should be Administrator and it is obligatory that he has a password to log in
Windows.
2. MOL can be installed also at Windows XP. If so, Windows Media Format 11 must
be installed on the system, too.
3. ML Client is a client application. It can be installed at WinXP, WinXP x64,
WinServer2003, WinServer2003 x64, Vista, Vista x64.
4. All the Windows installations are highly recommended to be done with SP2 only.
5. MIM and MIMS are always installed at one machine.
6. MIM needs a lot of RAM so we recommend installing it at a 64 bit machine.
7. All the modules (MAS, MPS, MOL, MIM&MIMS, ML Client) require on the same
machine to be installed .Net Framework with latest SP and VC ++ Runtime 2005
x86. Sometimes, when running the .Net Framework with latest SP installation it
may ask for Windows Installer 3.1. In this case, the .Net Framework installation is
canceled, Windows Installer 3.1 is added and after that .Net Framework installation
is renewed. Regarding the VC ++ Runtime 2005 x86 – the installation is always 32
bit even when we use a 64 bit machine.
8. If QuickTime files are going to be used, then QuickTimeInstaller 7.2.exe must be
installed on MAS, MPS, MOL and each ML Client.
9. If MXF files are going to be used, then Metus MXF Extension.msi must be
installed on MAS, MPS, MOL and each ML Client. This is an additional Metus
Library tool that is optional and the client must pay for each its installation.
10. At the MPS machine it is needed to install also Windows Media Format 11 –
needed for the transcoding to the Windows Media Formats.
11. The MOL needs IIS installation. Must be added (with the ASP.Net check applied
during the installation). Xendata is using web browser to search and access the files
so it requires IIS installation, too.
12. The dongle we usually plug at the MAS machine. It can be also any other machine,
even the SQL is proper for this – this is logical – all the PCs are seen in the network
and the dongle is a network one so it can be seen from any of the machines. On the
machine where we plug the dongle, we must install HASP License Manager. The
dongle brings all the licenses for all the machines included in the workflow.
13. MS SQL installation - It is required to have a database infrastructure for running
the Metus Library. The supported types of databases are Microsoft SQL Server
2000, Microsoft SQL Server 2005 and Oracle. The SQL installation requires a
Windows server installation and it can be both 32 bit or 64 bit. The second is
recommended because of the database characteristics. For the machine where the

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SQL Server will be installed, minimum 100 GB of disk space should be allocated
for operating system (System disk).
14. The XenData installation must be done at a Windows server PC. It cannot be 64 bit
Windows installation because Xendata are not supporting it. Also, as mentioned
above – IIS is needed.
15. Metus Library uses its own transcoding system. For non-supported formats, one
can use also Carbon Coder system for coding in additional formats. If so, the
Carbon Coder installation must be applied at the MPS machine.

All-in-One installation requirements
Because servers are going to be installed there, it should be only Windows server
installation. But MOL is not supporting x64, so only Windows server 2003 x32 can be
installed on that system. All the other requirements must present there because of the modules
requiring them.
Summary: Attached is a diagram with all the requirements needed to be installed at any
machine included in the Metus Library installation.

MODULES INSTALLATIONS
For the server that MAS (Metus Archive server) will be installed, an IP address should
be given either manually or automatically. The MAS is installed via running the Metus
Archive Server.msi file. During the installation it will ask about Username and Password. If
the installation is done for workgroup structure, then for user you can specify any of the users
belonging to the administrators of the machine. The password should be his password for
logging in Windows. When typing the username do not forget to point the local machine
before that (with the “.” sign). Example: Username: .Administrator; Password: something.
If it is a domain structure, then we set for username: the domain namethe domain
user.
MPS, MOL, MIM & MIMS Installations are same like MAS. Installed with the
relevant files: Metus Process Server.msi, MOL Setup.msi, Metus Image Matcher.msi and
Metus Image Matching Server.msi.
ML Client Installation is run with the Metus Library.msi file and it must be installed
at each local client place. There is no need to be logged as Administrator on the machine. But
the password is obligatory again.

Installation of Metus Archive Server (MAS)
MAS setup must be installed and running for archiving files. Follow the steps below for
the installation.
1. Before the installation .Net Framework 3.5 and VC++ 2005 Runtime must be
installed on your computer. Both setups are in the Requirements-folder in the installation CD.
2. Execute the Metus Archive Server.msi installation file involved in the CD on the
computer you will use as Archive Server and follow the instructions on screen.
3. In the Service Login window, if your computer is connected to a workgroup, input
computer nameusername and if your computer is in a domain, input domain
nameusername in username field. In the password field, you must input the password for the
given username.
!!! The user entered into this field must have Administrator privileges!
4. Click OK in the Service Login window to finish the installation

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Installion of Metus Process Server
To make some process such as transcoding your video files to other formats and
creating proxy, MPS (Metus Process Server) must be installed on your system or on a
computer connected to the network.
1. Before the installation, .Net Framework 3.5 and VC++ 2005 Runtime must be
installed on your computer. Both setups are in Requirements-folder in the installation CD.
2. Execute Metus Process Server.msi file on the computer you will use as a Process
Server and follow the instructions on the screen.
3. In the Service Login window, if your computer is connected to a workgroup input
computer nameusername and if your computer is in a domain input domain nameusername
in username field. In password field, you must input the password for the given username.
The user entered in this field must have administrator privileges. Click OK to finish the
installation.

Installation of Metus Image Matching Server
For using the image matching feature, MIMS and MIM services must be installed. Also
assets must be indexed. Indexing is performed by MPS, and picture searching and matching
are performed by MIMS and MIM.
1. Before starting the installation be sure that .Net Framework 3.5 and VC++ 2005
Runtime are installed on your computer. Both setups are in Requirements-Folder in the CD.
2. Execute Metus Image Matching Server.msi. Follow the instructions.On Service
Login window, if your computer is connected to a workgroup input computer
nameusername and if your computer is in a domain input domain nameusername in
username field. In the password-field you must input the password for the given username.
The user entered into this field must have Administrator privileges! Click OK in the Service
Login window to finish the installation.

Installation of Metus Online Web Server (MOL)
1. IIS 6.0 and .NET Framework 3.5 should be installed on the machine which Metus
Online web server will be installed onto.
2. Then double‐click InstallAspNet.bat file in Requirements-folder and follow the
instructions.
3. Double‐click MOL Setup.msi and follow the instructions here.
4. Right-click on MOL folder located in C:InetpubwwwrootMOL and click
Properties to open the Properties window. Remove the Read-Only check to leave unchecked.
Click OK. Select Apply changes to this folders, subfolders and files.
5. Right click the MOL folder and click Sharing and Security… to open the sharing and
security window. On Security tab add everyone user and give full‐control permissions.
Installation of MOL finishes.

Installation of Metus Library
1. DirectX 9, .NetFramework 3.5, and VC++ 2005 Runtime must be installed on your
computer. VC++ 2005 Runtime and .NetFramework 3.5 are supplied in the CD. The
installation of .Net Framework 3.5 may proceed a long time; just wait until it is completed.
2. Run Metus Library.msi file and follow the instructions.
3. After the installation you will see a Metus Library shortcut icon on your desktop.
Run Metus Library by double‐clicking it. A window asking username and password will
appear. This window shows the Windows account with which you will use Metus Library.
Type the windows log‐on username and password and select the Remember me check-box.
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Installation of Microsoft SQL Server
1. SQL Server may need Windows Installer 3.1 and DotNetFramework. Both setups are
in Requirements-folder in the CD supplied.
2. Start SQL 2005 Standard Installation by double‐clicking Setup.exe file.
3. In the End-User License Agreement window, accept the agreement, proceed with Next
and then start the installation by clicking Install.
4. Proceed with Next.
5. Proceed with Next in Microsoft SQL Server Installation Wizard screen.
6. After the System Configuration Check process, proceed with Next if
check is successful.
7. Installation will go on copying some files in screen below.
8. In Registration Information screen fill the Name and Company fields, and then click
Next.
9. In the window where you select the components to be installed, check at least SQL
Server Database Services, Analysis Services and Workstation Components boxes and then
click Next.
10. In the next window, you can install a default instance or you can specify a named
instance. We recommend you to choose Default Instance. If you choose a named instance you
will input sql server name in Metus as computer nameinstance name format. However, if you
choose default instance then you will input sql server name in Metus as computer name.
11. In Service Account selection screen, check Use the built‐in System account option.
Check all the options in the Start Services at the end of setup group and proceed with Next.
12. In Authentication Mode screen, Mixed Mode must be checked. Type a password for
SA user. It is recommended to set a password you don’t forget as you will need it to create
project in Metus Library later. Please, note that in Metus Library you do not need to
connect SQL Server using SA user. You can use any predefined user. However, in that case
that user should have at least dbcreator permission. It is recommended to use SA user for
creating projects in Metus Library Client.
13. You must select the language in Collation Settings screen. Select the language you
want to use Metus Library in and uncheck all other boxes.
14. Proceed with Next and in last screen, start installation with Install button. The Setup
Progress may proceed a long time – just wait it.

Installation of License Manager
1. Plug the dongle to a USB port.
2. Open the License Manager folder in the
installation CD and execute the License Manager.exe
file at the PC that the dongle is plugged into.
3. On a third screen, during the installation, you
will be asked to choose the working type as Application
or Service. Here you choose Service (nhsrvice.exe) and
click next.
4. Ensure the option Install/Update is checked.
5. Finish the installation without any more changes.

109

APPENDIX 3 – Supported Processes

110

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