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How to create a Virtual Museum Tools: CMS and other applications

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INTRODUCTION

To create a Virtual Museum but mainly the Virtual Museum according the F-Museum project (LLP-LDV/TOI/07/IT/016 - FORM-Multimedia system for a European museum) it is necessary to use a software.

Such software is called CMS.

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Tools: CMS and other applications

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Content Management System (CMS)

To insert contents in a uniform way and to guarantee the output communication according to standardized pattern it is necessary to use a content management system (often shortened to CMS)

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A CMS literally Content Management System is a software application installed on a web server studied to facilitate content management of websites, freeing the webmaster from any technical programming knowledge.

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A specialized CMS exists, that is planned for specific contents (on–line encyclopedias, blogs, forums, etc.), CMS planned for specific purposes (this the case of the virtual museum) and generic CMS, which are usually more flexible to enable the publishing of different kinds of contents.

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From a technical point of view the CMS is a server-side application, divided into two parts: the administration section (back end) to organize and supervise content production, and the application section (front end) which enables the Web user to benefit from Website’s contents and applications.

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CMS can be programmed in different languages, among which commonly in ASP, PHP, .NET; the language used doesn’t change according to level of functionality.

Some languages make the CMS multiplatform, while others make it usable just on the user’s platform.

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CMS Advantages

A CMS enables the user to create and update a dynamic website, even a big one, with no need to write in HTML text, to know planning server-side languages (as PHP) or to plan a special database. The outer page can be personalized by choosing a CSS style sheet.

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The CMS flat file (also known as text-based CMS) is a content management system based on a text file (mostly XML files) which don’t need a database such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, etc.

These CMS are easy to install and so particularly suitable for personal websites or small communities. A CMS open source of this typology is Flatnuke.

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CMS Limits

The more the CMS is specialized, the more it is productive. Many small portals use distributed CMS ( written by other people and available for free or fee-paying) of generic type;

Even though a CMS could be flexible, usually it has a little personalized look if it is not possible to directly intervene on the product’s source code to modify it. Similarly contents will always be tied to what is expected by who has planned the CMS but not to the needs of who publishes the website.

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Management problems can arise from the fact that those publishing or using the website can use the CMS to intervene in the contents and the look, but usually ( in the case of proprietary software) they are not able to intervene directly (or make someone intervene) on the same CMS structure;

this a limit closely connected to the CMS primary advantage : to publish a portal while being forced to plan the structure as well or without knowing the technical knowledge ( or the financial resources) for a personalized development. Anyway particularly developed CMS exist, which give the chance to directly write on the database. This is the case of some CMS proprietary.

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These problems can be resolved by using open source software: the chance to access the product’s source code enable people to personalize the software on the basis of one’s own experiences on the condition not to have the necessity to modify the used product.

If that is the case it is necessary to bill the costs to develop personalized modules or specific functions unless owning in one’s own firm, or personally having the technical knowledge to intervene on the source code.

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Portals of a certain relevance never use distributed CMS but employ custom-planned programs and databases, that is personalized CMS and so necessarily specialized;

in this way the structure and the presentation will be realized keeping well in mind what contents the website is going to host and that it will be possible to modify them after new needs.

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Software to be used to create a Virtual MuseumAs far as the development and the computer engineering aspect concern, the most used software are:

Adobe flash for the web animation. It is a software mainly used for graphic realizations, which enables the creation of vector animations principally for the web. In addition it allows the realization of interactive animations, thanks to an internal scripting language. Through this language called ActionScript and based on ECMAScript it is possible to apply behaviors to the animation’s objects or photogram. At the very beginning there were just a few actions, but at the present ActionScript is a very powerful tool. Thanks to it, it is in fact possible to create menus, surfing systems, GUIs, complete websites.

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Software to be used to create a Virtual Museum

Adobe Dreamweaver (Software for web designing, editor HTML)HyperText Markup Language (HTML) and Active Server Pages (ASP)Structured Query Language (SQL) a language used for the querying databases.

To create a European Virtual Museum it is obligatory to use a RDBMS (Relational DataBase Management System), because of the complexity of the requested data for the complete description of the objects hosted in it and because of the need of museum administrators is to constantly update the data.

For a depth analysis on planning refer to the web designer course on our project website: http://www.europeanvirtualmuseum.net/e-courses.asp

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http://www.europeanvirtualmuseum.net/e-courses.asp

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As far as image handling and 3D image realization is concerned, the most used softwares are :

Adobe Fireworks ( graphical editor for the web graphic for the web graphic design).

It is a computer application produced by Adobe Systems Incorporated thought out to create/work out web graphic design. An important peculiarity of Fireworks is the chance to manage in an intuitive environment raster graphics and vector graphics at the same time.

VR WORX Version 2.6 has the ability to create object movies with a panoramic movie as a moving background. And v2.6 has the capacity for transitions within a multi-node scene, like standard wipes, dissolves, explodes, and others, as well as actual linear video as a transition. The VR Worx 2.6 can construct multinode environments with cylindrical panoramas, Cubic VRs, multi-row objects, absolute objects, still images and linear QuickTime movies.

For a depth analysis on 3D image realization/image handling refer to the web designer course on our project website: http://www.europeanvirtualmuseum.net/e-courses.asp 16


http://www.europeanvirtualmuseum.net/e-courses.asp

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QUICK TIME VR

It is among the easiest systems of Virtual realities; it is a system simulating a virtual reality having recourse to bi-dimensional photos handled and assembled in particular ways

As it is tied to 2D images it gives just a visual information of the represented scene: it is not possible to move through the objects, the possibilities of movement are limited to swinging round, getting closer and going off.

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How to create a Virtual Museum

F-MUSEUM Implementation: guide to data uploading

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F-Museum WebsiteOur website is available at the address:http://www.europeanvirtualmuseum.net

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Click on Project website

http://www.europeanvirtualmuseum.net/


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HOMEPAGE 1/3This is our website homepage

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Home Page 2/3

On the left hand side of the Home page is a Menu articulated in 10 different sections:

1. Project2. Products3. Partner4. News5. Contact 6. E-courses7. Credit8. Press room 9. Newsletter/Brochure10. Virtual Museum

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HOMEPAGE 3/3

From the website homepage go to the left menu in the section “Reserved Area” where it will be possible to insert your username and password to be able to access the data allocation system of the “Virtual Museum”.

???helpIf your access data is not available, contact the website operator, who will give you your user ID/password

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VIRTUAL MUSEUM - HOMEPAGE

This is the first page of our system of data uploading.On the left side of the Home page is a Menu articulated in 10 different sections:

•Identity card•File transfer (ftp area)•Documents•News•Work Area •Address Book•Mailing List•Credits•My Museum 23


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VIRTUAL MUSEUM - IDENTITY CARD 1/2Select the “Identity card "area regarding the virtual museum creation. Through the identity card it will be possible to create a real virtual museum.

What is the identity card?

The identity card is a CMS, a Content Management System, that is a tool software installed on a server web studied to easy the management of websites contents. Before going to the allocation stage, it is advisable to build a material and file tree, that is planned to be inserted. 24


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VIRTUAL MUSEUM - IDENTITY CARD 2/2 Once you enter the “Identity card” section go to “Add new record” to insert a new subject.

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VIRTUAL MUSEUM - IDENTITY CARD – ACCESSING PAGE Before filling in the in-depth analysis sheet’s sections the user must first of all select the affiliation museum (insert IMG scroll menu “Museum”) and give the artifact's name (insert IMG section “name of the artifact”).Select “save and continue” to save the inserted data. ???helpThe museum name is not in the scroll menu “Museum”, what should I do?If the name of the museum is not in the menu, contact the website operator and ask to have one’s own access data for the identity card filled in, activated.

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VIRTUAL MUSEUM - IDENTITY CARD - STRUTTURA The in-depth analysis in-depth analysis sheets (Identity card) is structured as follows:•WHERE IT IS AND MAIN CHARACTERISTICS•STATE•DIMENSIONS•PERIOD OF USE•DISCOVERY•ANALYSES AND DETERMINATIONS•FILLED IN BY•COMMENTS•IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS•THEMATIC ROUTE

Warning!!!Insert data in one’s own national language. Later on it will be possible to insert data also in the other languages. It is reminded that the available languages are: Italian, English, Bulgarian, Romanian. 27


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VIRTUAL MUSEUM - IDENTITY CARD - WHERE IS IT AND MAIN CHARACTERISTIC The section “WHERE IS IT AND MAIN CHARACTERISTICS” is a kind of graphic card of the object where the main information is given, that is:

Museum: name of the affiliation museum.Warning!!!The name of the museum must be the same of the museum at issue in the access page to the identity card. The name of the object is a compulsory part to fill up to save information!!

DepartmentInventory numberName of the artefact:Warning!!!The name of the museum must be the same of the museum at issue in the access page on the identify card. Object type: select the object typology among:human figurine – animal figurine - vessel/anaphora – amulet – tool – weapon – jewelry – otherMaterial:Method of manufacture:Decoration type: select form the scroll menu the exact typology of decoration:No decoration – Incision – Excision – Plastic – Painting – Impression – StampDistinctive mark: insert a sign to mark the object at issue.

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VIRTUAL MUSEUM - IDENTITY CARD - STATE The section “STATE” is aimed to give information regarding the object’s state. In particular the concerning data will have to be ascribed to:

Preservation: select from the scroll menu one of these headingsvery good – good – poor

Restoration: select between restored and not restoredCompleteness: select the exact state of completeness Complete – Almost complete – Incomplete

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VIRTUAL MUSEUM - IDENTITY CARD - DIMENSIONS The section “DIMENSIONS” allows the user to give the real dimensions (unit of measurement: mm e.g.) of the artifact:

Length (mm) - Width (mm) - Height (mm) - Thickness (mm) - Diameter (mm) - Weigh (g)

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VIRTUAL MUSEUM - IDENTITY CARD - PERIOD OF USE In the section “PERIOD OF USE” it will be possible to up load data regarding the object history:Époque:Period:Culture:Face:Relative chronology:40.000-20.000 bc20.000-10.000 bc10.000-7.000 bc7.000-3.500 bc3.500-2.000 bc2.000-0 bcAbsolute chronology: 31


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VIRTUAL MUSEUM - IDENTITY CARD - DISCOVERY In the section “DISCOVERY” information regarding the following will be inserted:Date (dd/mm/yyyy): insert the date of the finding of the object by following the order day, month, yearCountry:District:Town hall affiliation:Village:Discovery find spot:Condition of discovery: select how the object was discoveredChance discovery – Survey – Archeological excavation – UnknownDiscovery type: select from the scroll menu the exact typology of the findDeposit – Dwelling – Grave – Pit – Sanctuary – Other

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VIRTUAL MUSEUM - IDENTITY CARD - ANALYSES AND DETERMINATIONS In the section “ANALYSES AND DETERMINATIONS” it will be possible to ascribe data regarding the spheres:Type:Laboratory:No./Code:

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VIRTUAL MUSEUM - IDENTITY CARD - FILLED IN BY In the section “FILLED IN BY” the user who had filled up the identity card will have to insert their name, the source museum and the inserting data.

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VIRTUAL MUSEUM - IDENTITY CARD - COMMENTS The section “COMMENTS” is structured in such a way that the user can give both a detailed description of the object (COMMENT) and a synthetic abstract with just the most important information (SHORT COMMENT).

Comment:Short Comment: 35


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VIRTUAL MUSEUM - IDENTITY CARD - DEEPENINGS In the section “IN-DEPTH-ANALYSIS ” all the object’s non-technical information will be inserted, data regarding the following themes:

Morphology of the object – Decoration – Inscription – Analogies – Interpretation – Bibliography

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VIRTUAL MUSEUM - IDENTITY CARD - THEMATIC ROUTE In the section “THEMATIC ROUTE” the user will have the chance to connect the inserted object with one of these thematic routes :1.The river 2.Trade, exchange3.The religious places4.Cultic objects, tools furniture, places5.Thermal baths, spring waters, scared waters, hilling waters, votive water offerings6.The hidden roots7.Fashion (cloths, jewelry. arts)8.Wine/tourism9.Start of agriculture/ancient tools, ethnographic, diet10.First houses models11.Metallurgy12.Ritual connected to the burn of old year, field burning13.How an exhibition will build up - The Neolithic Sanctuary of Parta14.Signs15.Music16.Sports and role-playing games in the prehistoric era

At the end of the identity card select “Save” to move to the second step, images uploading.

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HOW TO UPLOAD IDENTITY CARD DATA IN OTHER LANGUAGES Having filled in the identity card in the national language , go back to the starting page of the identity card:- select “Identity card” from the left menuselect from the “menu museum” the museum of the inserted object.

From the works list, select the language (flag) of the inserted object, which will be used to insert data. Fill in all fields according the same procedure used to fill in the identity card in national language.

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VIRTUAL MUSEUM – UPLOADING PHOTOS 1/2

Once having filled in the identity card, go back to the starting page of the identity card (select “Identity card” from the left menuSelect from the “menu museum” the museum of the inserted object.

From the list of the works go to “edit image” of the inserted object (chose the language among EN- IT – RO – BG) 39


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VIRTUAL MUSEUM – UPLOADING IMAGES 2/2

The user will have the chance to insert the image’s name (Insert IMG “name of image”) and the connected file after dimensions 248 x 182 (Insert IMG browse “Upload img SIZE:248 x 182”).

For 3D images there is a box at the end of the page where it is be possible to insert in order :•Image’s name•Upload the connected 3D file •Object width (unit of measurement mm)•Object length (unit of measurement mm)

Select “Save” to save uploaded images.

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HOW TO PUBLISH THE COMPLETED IDENTITY CARD ON LINE?

Once the identity card has been completed, go back to the first page of the identity card (select “Identity card” from the left menu)Select from “menu museum” the object of the inserted object.Insert IMG of the routeIdentify the inserted object from the listSelect the languages you would like to publish and click on “Publish”. The object is now on line visible in the VIRTUAL MUSEUM section of our website. http://www.europeanvirtualmuseum.net 41



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HOW TO MODIFY AN INSERTED OBJECTFrom the website homepage go to the “Reserved Area” section, where it will be possible to insert username and password to access the allocation system of the “Virtual Museum”.???helpIf access data is not available, contact the website operator, who will give you your ID user/password Select the section “Identity card” from the left menu.ISelect from the “museum menu“ the museum of the inserted object.From the list of the work go toward the object, we are going to modify.

Chose section (edit information/ edit image) and the language (flag) where we would like to introduce changes.Changes follow the same procedure used to insert data. Select “save” to save changes.

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HOW TO DELETE THE PHOTO OF AN INSERTED OBJECT From the website homepage go to the “Reserved Area” section, where it will be possible to insert your username and password to access the allocation system of the “Virtual Museum”.

????helpIf access data is not available, contact the website operator, who will give you your ID user/password

Select the section “Identity card” from the left menu Insert IMGSelect from the “museum menu "the museum of the inserted object.

From the list of the work go toward the object, we are going to modify.Chose section edit image and the language (flag) where we would like to introduce changes.

Select “delete image” to delete the image

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HOW TO DELETE AN INSERTED OBJECT

The user can not delete autonomously an identity card’s data; please, contact the website operator and comunicate the card it is believed to be deleted.

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Problems related to the Identity Card data entry (Virtual Museum)

OBJECT PROBLEMS SUGGESTIONS

Timing for the works upload

To enter data referred to each voice of the Identity Card, you have 10 minutes maximum of stand by (you are on line but you are not working). After this time the system will quit and you will have to start again.

Do not enter data on line. Work on a separate word file and use the function “copy and paste “ to enter data. Remind to use the function “save” each time you have entered a datum in each voice of the Identity Card.

File extension Photos that have been uploaded by the Manciano Museum are not visible.

It is necessary that the file you upload has the extension (e.g. image 01.JPG).

Date post:	17-Jan-2016
Category:	Documents
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