Working with IIIF Manifests

The IIIF Cloud Services platform enables you to create new or import existing IIIF content. You can create IIIF Manifests using assets you have added to your Spaces, or import a copy of an existing manifest.

Importing external manifests copies the manifest information without altering the source. This allows you to augment and republish external IIIF content, or use it as the basis for new work.

Using folders to manage IIIF content

Navigate to the IIIF Publishing area within your portal. You can create folders to organise your IIIF content by giving each folder a label.

Fig. 3.1a: Creating a folder to manage IIIF content

Creating a new manifest

Using the New option, select Manifest to create a new empty Manifest.

Fig. 3.2.1a: Creating a new empty manifest

Give your manifest a Label to identify it and an optional Summary to describe its contents. The Slug will be auto-populated from the Label — you can change it if needed.

Click Create to generate the new Manifest. You will then be taken to the Manifest view, where the empty manifest is displayed.

Editing and viewing your manifest

Adding assets from your Spaces

In the Manifest view, you can edit the basic metadata and select one or more assets from your Spaces to add as Canvases.

Fig. 3.2.2a: Option to add assets from your Spaces

Fig. 3.2.2b: Selecting assets to add to the Manifest

Once selected, click Add. The images will be listed in order in the Manifest view.

Fig. 3.2.2c: Selected assets displayed in the Manifest listing view

Pending assets

When the Asset Selector modal is open, if you close it or click outside while assets are selected, those assets are retained in a Pending Assets list and can be added later.

Fig. 3.2.2d: Pending assets

Settings

By default, assets are labelled with their Asset ID in the selector. You can change this so that a metadata string field (string1, string2, or string3) is used as the label instead.

From the User Menu in the header, select Settings.

Fig. 3.2.2e: Settings from the User Menu

Select the metadata field you would like to use for labels, then click Save settings.

Fig. 3.2.2f: Selecting a metadata field to use for asset labels

Fig. 3.2.2g: Metadata values used as asset labels

If the selected field is empty for an asset, the Asset ID is used as a fallback.

Viewing the manifest

Using the Open in Viewer option, you can view your Manifest in any of the following IIIF viewers:

Theseus
Universal Viewer
Mirador

A link to the IIIF Manifest (via the IIIF icon) is also available to drag and drop into IIIF viewers.

Reordering and deleting canvases

You can reorder and delete Manifest items directly in the portal Manifest view.

Drag and drop

In the Manifest listing view, drag individual items up or down. The drop position is indicated by a red line.

Fig. 3.2.3a: Dragging a row

Each item has a ⋮ (vertical ellipsis) menu offering Delete, Move to start, and Move to end options.

Fig. 3.2.3b: Individual row options

Deleting multiple items

Use the checkboxes on the left to select multiple items, then click the Delete menu that appears above the table. You will be asked to confirm the deletion.

Fig. 3.2.3c: Confirm or cancel deletion

Moving multiple items

With multiple items selected, you can drag them together. The labels of the selected items are shown while dragging, along with a red line indicating the drop position.

Fig. 3.2.3d: Dragging multiple rows

Saving changes

After moving, deleting, or adding items, click Save to apply your changes. Clicking Cancel will undo them.

Fig. 3.2.3e: Save or cancel changes

If you navigate away from the page without saving, a modal prompts you to confirm.

Fig. 3.2.3f: Unsaved changes prompt

Edit with the Manifest Editor

The Edit with Manifest Editor option opens the full Manifest Editor, which provides extensive editorial capabilities.

Fig. 3.2.4a: Manifest Editor overview

The default view shows the Manifest summary in the left panel and detailed metadata in the right panel.

To add metadata, navigate to the Metadata tab in the right panel and add the appropriate values.

Fig. 3.2.4b: Adding metadata values in the Manifest Editor

After making changes, use Save changes to save. You can then view the updated Manifest using Open in viewer.

Clicking the Canvases icon in the left panel navigates to the Canvas view, where the right panel shows metadata for the first Canvas.

Fig. 3.2.4c: Click the Canvases icon to access the Canvas view

In the Canvas view you can edit the metadata for each Canvas using the right panel.

To reorder Canvases, click the Edit Canvases (pencil) icon in the left panel. Use the = icon to drag canvases into a new order.

Fig. 3.2.4d: Reordering canvases in your Manifest

Additional options including Delete are available from the ⋮ menu next to each Canvas label.

Fig. 3.2.4e: Deleting canvases in your Manifest

Once you have completed your Canvas updates, click Save changes.

Setting a thumbnail for your manifest

Click the icon to view the Manifest summary.

In the right panel, click the Descriptive tab, then select Add thumbnail.

Fig. 3.2.4f: Button for adding a thumbnail to a Manifest

A modal appears with options. Select Thumbnail (from your Spaces) to choose an asset from your Spaces.

Browse your Spaces for your chosen asset and click to select it. (Only one asset can be selected at a time in this mode.)

Click Add. The selected asset will be set as the Manifest thumbnail, and the right panel will show the ContentResource view with the thumbnail displayed.

Fig. 3.2.4g: Selected thumbnail information and 'Back' link

Fig. 3.2.4h: Right panel for Manifest displaying selected thumbnail

Setting a thumbnail for an individual canvas

By default, each Canvas with a single image asset uses a scaled-down version of that image as its thumbnail. You can override this:

Click Canvases and select the Canvas to update.
Click the Descriptive tab in the right panel.
Next to the Thumbnail sub-heading, click the pencil icon. Then click the ⋮ menu and select Delete to remove the existing thumbnail.

Fig. 3.2.4i: Option to delete an existing Canvas thumbnail

Click Add thumbnail and choose your replacement. Use the Back link to confirm the selected thumbnail.

Canvas list or grid view

When you open a Manifest in the Manifest Editor and access the Canvas view, the List view is shown by default. You can switch to Grid view.

Fig. 3.2.5a: Switch to Canvas listing Grid view

The Grid view allows you to edit and update Canvas content and order. The List view link returns you to the List view.

Fig. 3.2.5b: Switch back to Canvas listing List view

Adding assets using the Manifest Editor

When a Manifest is open in the Manifest Editor, click the Canvases icon to access the Canvas list, then click Add new canvas.

Fig. 3.2.6a: 'Add new canvas' button

This opens a modal with content options.

Fig. 3.2.6b: Modal with 'Add content' options

Space (asset from your Spaces)

Select Space (Asset from your spaces) to choose an asset from one of your Spaces. You will see a list of your Spaces.

Fig. 3.2.6c: List of Spaces

Click a Space, then select an asset by clicking its thumbnail.

Fig. 3.2.6d: Selecting an asset from a Space

Click Add. An Untitled Canvas containing the selected asset is added to your Manifest.

Fig. 3.2.6e: Asset added to Manifest as 'Untitled canvas'

IIIF Image (IIIF Image Service)

Paste the URL of a IIIF image resource or a link to its info.json. Preview the image, then add a Canvas with that image service.

Image (Image from URL)

Paste any image URL from the web. Preview the image, then add a Canvas with that image.

Video (Video annotation)

Paste the URL of a video resource from the web. Preview it, then click Add video to add a Canvas with that video as an annotation.

Audio (Audio annotation)

Paste the URL of an audio resource from the web, then click Add audio to add a Canvas with that audio as an annotation.

HTML (HTML annotation)

Type or paste in HTML code, then click Create to add a Canvas with the HTML as a text annotation.

Empty Canvas

Creates an empty canvas onto which you can add content — for example, to add multiple images to a single canvas.

List of Images (Images from URLs)

Paste multiple image URLs from the web, one per line. A Canvas containing each image will be added. IIIF-enabled assets are recognised automatically.

IIIF Browser

The IIIF Browser lets you explore published IIIF Collections and Manifests. You can search, navigate, and import content directly into your Manifests.

Fig. 3.2.6g: IIIF Browser

Paste the URL of a IIIF Manifest to open it.

Fig. 3.2.6h: Opening an external manifest

Browse its Canvases and click a thumbnail to view it.

Fig. 3.2.6i: Browsing canvases in an external Manifest

Fig. 3.2.6j: Viewing a Canvas in an external Manifest, with option to 'Select'

You can crop images using the image tools available in the Canvas view and select only the crop to add to your Manifest.

Clicking Select adds the current item to your Manifest.

Fig. 3.2.6k: Canvas from external Manifest added to your Manifest

Importing an existing manifest

Navigate to the IIIF Publishing area and select the folder into which you want to import the manifest. Click New, then select Import Manifest. Enter the URL of a valid IIIF Manifest and click Import.

Fig. 3.2.7a: Option for importing an external Manifest

Fig. 3.2.7b: Importing an external manifest

Fig. 3.2.7c: Viewing an imported Manifest

You can view and edit the imported Manifest in the standard view or by selecting Edit with Manifest Editor for advanced editing features.