Advanced Filtering of Media and Observations

Advanced filtering enables users to create a custom query to display gallery listings of media and observations in the FathomNet Portal.

Filter basics

When available in a gallery listing, such as Media or Observations, you will see the filter icon. Clicking the icon opens a modal where you can assemble search conditions using available metadata fields.

Later in this post, I will go through how to assemble an example query using the UI, but first I will define the parts of the filter dialog.

The initial view of the filter dialog looks like this:

Filter categories

Filter categories group the metadata that forms your project into groups so you can pinpoint the information you will filter on. Observation, Taxonomy, and File in the above screenshot are filter categories. Inside each of these groupings are three inputs which you add the field, modifier, and value for your filter condition.

Filter Fields

Filter fields are what make up the first part of your search filter condition. These are related to the annotation, or file metadata you are looking for. Fields available to search within the File category for example include File Name and File Type (Image or Video.

Filter Modifier

This is the second value that makes up a condition. It relates the field and value in the filter condition statement you are making. Examples are "Equals" or "Includes"

Filter Value

This is the third value that makes up a condition. It what the system will look for in the supplied field.

Filter condition

The field, modifier, and value make up a filter condition. Once you add it via the plus button, a summary of the condition appears to the right of the inputs and you can begin changing them to form a new condition.

How to make a filter condition

Hypothetical example:

A user wants to find Observations created by an algorithm, but modified by a particular user (me), and only when the Label is "Asteroidea".

To find these observations, or to find media who have been annotated with Observations that match this, you would add these search conditions:

1. Observations created by an algorithm

2. Label is "Asteroidea"

   
   

The fields to make these three conditions are under the Observations category. You assemble using the three inputs, and click plus to add. Once added you use the same fields to make another search condition:

Clearing a filter

Once applied there is a description inside a box above the gallery which you can see in this screenshot:

To clear the filter click "X"

Note: On the tabs for Media management, Observations, and the Export Staging area, changing the selected folder or project using the navigation on the left of the gallery page changes the view of the page, and keeps the filters.