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Choose a type of compound object to create

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Learn how to create a compound object using the Compound Object Wizard.

CONTENTdm supports the following object types: 

  • Documents
  • Monographs (documents with hierarchy)
  • Picture cubes
  • Postcards

Additionally, CONTENTdm provides the capability to create PDF compound objects from multiple-page PDF files. To create PDF compound objects, you do not use the Compound Object wizard. For more information, see Work with PDF Files.

 Note: There are no specific viewers for each of the compound object types in the end-user interface.

Before adding compound objects, you may want to review and establish metadata templates. For more information, see Use the Metadata Templates.

After you click Add Compound Objects from the left task bar or from the Add menu, the Add Multiple Compound Objects screen displays.

On the Import Objects tab, select Compound Object Wizard and click Add to start the wizard. The following is the first choice when you open the Compound Object wizard.

Create a compound object using the Compound Object wizard

  1. From the Choose Type screen, choose what type of compound object you wish to import:
    • Document: create multiple sequential pages of a report, journal, photo album, or related image sets.
    • Monograph: retain the hierarchical structure of documents, including sections, chapters, and pages.
    • Picture Cube:  select up to six images to link together views of a three-dimensional object.
    • Postcard: holds both the front and back images of two-sided items, such as tickets, flyers, and baseball cards.

       Note: To create PDF compound objects, you do not use the Compound Object wizard. For more information, see Work with PDF Files.

  2. Choose whether you want your compound object metadata defined by a tab-delimited text file. See Adding Compound objects with tab-delimited text files for more information. Click Next. The Select Directory screen displays.
  3. Browse to the directory that contains your files. Click Next. The Display Image Settings screen displays.
  4. Select whether to generate display images. (For more information, see Manage Archival Files. Click Image Options to review or edit settings. Click Next. The Page Information screen displays.
  5. Specify page names, browse to add a transcript to the object, and choose whether to create a printable PDF version of the compound object.

     Note: Page naming may be set on the server by your administrator. You can override those settings using this screen by choosing:

    • Whether your pages are named with file names or whether they are labeled using sequence.

    • Whether you are importing transcript files from a directory, generating transcripts using optical character recognition (requires the OCR Extension), or not using transcripts.

  6. Click Next. The Confirm Settings screen displays.
  7. Review the settings and then click Finish. The Add Multiple Compound Objects screen displays again with the compound object you want to add listed.

    You can add more compound objects to the list to be added in bulk by repeating the previous steps. After you have listed all the objects you want to add at once, click Finish.
  8. A progress screen displays as the compound object(s) is processed. When complete, a summary screen displays the summary and any errors or warnings.
  9. Click Close. The compound object(s) is displayed in the project spreadsheet.

You can now edit the object and enter metadata. For more information, see Enter metadata for compound objects.