Feature Review: Integrated Color Indexing and Search
With SongShow Plus 9.3, the capability to search for images by color is more integrated than in previous versions. Previously, searching for images by color required installation of Chromex, an R-Technics tool introduced in version 7 that integrates with the Windows indexer. Although Chromex worked well enough, it did require a separate installation process and needed to integrate correctly with the Windows indexing mechanism. This mostly worked but at times did not work for various reasons that were unsolved. Chromex also relied on the scheduling of the indexer which could be delayed and even turned off outside of the control of SongShow Plus.
Version 9.3 now comes with its own internal color indexer, which is enabled by default. Chromex is no longer needed to do image colors searches, which makes for a cleaner and easier installation and setup process.
Searching for images by color is certainly helpful. With Chromex, this was done be using the color search panel can clicking on the color to search for. With 9.3, this has been enhanced so that you can now search for color in the text search. As an example, let’s say you have a few images with the file name or title that includes “bicycle”. If any of those bicycles are red (and if the bicycle is prominent in the image) then a text search of “red bicycle” will show a list of those images.
To search for colors by text, use the following text searches:
- red
- orange
- yellow
- yellowgreen
- green
- greencyan
- cyan
- cyanblue
- blue
- purple
- magenta
- magentared
- gray
- light-red
- light- orange
- light- yellow
- light- yellowgreen
- light- green
- light- greencyan
- light- cyan
- light- cyanblue
- light- blue
- light- purple
- light- magenta
- light- magentared
- light- gray
- dark-red
- dark-orange
- dark-yellow
- dark-yellowgreen
- dark-green
- dark-greencyan
- dark-cyan
- dark-cyanblue
- dark-blue
- dark-purple
- dark-magenta
- dark-magentared
- dark-gray
- black
- white
The Indexer will identify the prominent colors so each image may have more than one color associated with it.
I will note that color indexing in 9.3 does not include video files. This may be implemented in the future depending on feedback.
Now that color indexing is built into SongShow Plus as part of the standard installation, we trust that users will now find it convenient and useful to search for images by color.
(BE320)