Developer Info : Collection Tools

Pivot Collection Tool for the Command Line

The Pivot Authoring Tool is a DOS-based command line tool for converting Pivot collections between a variety of formats (CSV, Excel, CXML with raw images, and CXML with DeepZoom images) and for creating imagery for those collections.  This tool is ideal for a wide variety of cases from quickly converting any spreadsheet into a Pivot collection to serious collection authors creating collections as part of an automated workflow.  With a built-in image creation system based upon HTML and CSS, you’ll find it very easy to augment your existing images, or generate entirely new images from scratch.

User’s Guide for Pivot Collection Tool for the Command Line

The Pivot Collection Tool Library is an open source C# library which contains all the same functionality as the Pivot Collection Tool for the Command Line. It contains classes to allow you to build and modify collections in memory, as well as read and write them in a variety of formats. The library also defines a number of extension points from which you can define your own collection formats and “filters” to modify collections in a generic way. This tool is ideal for C# developers who would like to incorporate Pivot creation functionality into their own applications. The library, the source code, and all of its documentation are hosted on Codeplex.

Pivot Collection Tool for Microsoft Excel

The Pivot Collection Tool for Microsoft Office Excel is an Excel add-in for quickly building Pivot collection prototypes. It is the quickest way to get started building collections, as it enables you to build a complete collection without first diving into the Collection XML (CXML) Schema or Deep Zoom image details. The tool is primarily intended for rapid iteration when designing a collection (see also: Collection Design).

User’s Guide for Pivot Collection Tool for Microsoft Excel

Sample Code for Creating Just in Time Pivot Collections

The sample Just-in-time collection server code available on this page shows an example of the request and response patterns that a server needs to handle in order to interact with Pivot. It also gives examples of the logic required to create the CXML and DZC XML responses, and how to place individual collection images onto a single image tile. It is not intended to be hosted “as-is”, since, for simplicity and readability, it has omitted features typically expected of server software such as error handling, scalability and monitoring.

User’s Guide for Creating Just in Time Pivot Collections Using Sample Code

 

For information on tools specific to Deep Zoom imagery, see: Collection Image Content.