Electronic Cocktail Napkin

We've explored using the Electronic Cocktail Napkin for visual query and visual bookmarking in visual databases. We interfaced to two databases: the Archie case based design aid built at Georgia Tech and "The Great Buildings Collection" a commercial CD-ROM Hypercard collection of famous buildings. The idea is that designers may prefer to store and retrieve images not by key words that describe image features, but by a thumbnail sketch or diagram that captures the form or relationships of the image.

Schematic Diagram of our Visual Query scheme.

The Archie case base contains stories, problems, and design responses about library and courthouse design. To search, the designer can browse along hypertext links, or fill in key words. However, many cases describe architectural situations that designers may prefer to diagram.

Visual bookmarks and the Archie Case-based design aid.

The Great Buildings Collection is another example. Although architectural historians may remember buildings by name, place, date, and architect, designers are more likely to remember a building by its physical form, or shape.

Querying the Great Buildings Collection CD-ROM.