1.2. Overview

The way you start working on your data is two-fold:

a) either you create a new collection of CMDI instances

b) or you make a copy of an already existing collection from a server and edit it.

Either way, the files you create/edit will be saved on your computer (in the so called Local Corpus). This enables you to work off-line in remote locations while still in the field. Changes you make in Arbil will not affect the remote metadata.

Arbil consists of 6 working areas as shown in the figure below:

1) The Menu Bar allows you to access the main commands;

2) The Remote Corpus contains locations from the Language Archive. This is where you can view remote metadata and choose to import;

3) The Local Corpus contains the user's main working area. This is where collections from the Remote Corpus can be imported and edited. It is also used for creating new collections;

4) The Files /Favourites (Working Directories). This is where you can link directories from your computer to Arbil in order to import media files and create favourite metadata items;

5) The Preview Area shows metadata of the selected node (in the figure below, it displays the details for "New Corpus"). It changes every time a new node is selected;

6) The Table Area is where several nodes can be opened, compared, and modified at the same time (in the figure below, the four nodes from the Local Corpus are placed in a table in this area).

[Note]Note

You can customise the size of these panels. To make a window larger or smaller place the pointer on the border and drag it in the direction in which you want the window to expand or contract. It is also possible to hide the preview area by unchecking Show selection preview from the Options menu.

Arbil workspace

Figure 1.1. Arbil workspace