Akomi is an easy-to-use, secure way to review, approve,comment on, download, and share media assets in your web browser. It uses the assets and information already stored in your organization's "host MAM" (Media Asset Management system), and it updates the host MAM with any metadata changes, comments, or markers that you make, The InboxAkomi puts the latest media assets you need to review and approve in your "Inbox". You can review, comment on, download, and share the assets from the Inbox, and then move out of the Inbox by clicking on the "Approve", "Reject", or "Archive" buttons. Like an email Inbox, each user Inbox is separate, so moving the an asset out of your Inbox does not move it out of another user's Inbox. However, they will see comments or markers that you add to an asset. The LibraryAkomi gives you a simple, secure, and confidential way access to your organization's approved media assets in the "Library". The Library offers detailed filtering and search capability that makes it easy to find and work with the media you want. Using this manualAkomi is designed to be easy to use, and unless you are an administrator, you may be able to start using it on your own. The "Getting Started" section will give you a high-level overview of the Akomi's key parts. To get a more detailed look at each component of Akomi, refer to the other sections of the manual. You can also contact your administrator with questions, or submit an Akomi question directly to North Shore Automation here. Getting Started with AkomiThe Akomi interface will be familiar to anyone who uses the internet to watch videos, listen to music, or look at pictures. The information below will get you up and running with Akomi, and may be all you need to make it an effective part of your workflow. If you want to know more about how a specific feature works, the other sections of the manual provide a detailed look.Log in to AkomiTo use Akomi, open a browser window and go to your Akomi site. Enter your username and password, and click on the "Login" button.
Akomi opens in either the Inbox or the LibraryAkomi displays media in either the Inbox or the Library. You can easily switch back and forth between them by clicking on the Inbox and Library icons in the upper-left corner of any Akomi webpage. Both the Inbox and Library let you browse media assets, and by clicking on the thumbnail, title, or filename you can play or view a specific media asset. Media assets are published to either the Library or the Inbox, but not both simultaneously. The Inbox is commonly used for review and approval of assets. The Library gives you additional ways to sort and filter large sets of media assets, perform boolean searches to find specific assets, and has a "Playlists" feature that lets you create and share collections of media. You can read more about the Inbox here, and about the Library here. Media Assets are displayed on the Media PageOnce you click on a link, you are taken to the Media page for that asset. You can view images and documents on the media page, and play video and audio assets using onscreen or keyboard commands. You can review metadata to right of the thumbnail (find more information about metadata here). Email notificationsYou can choose to be notified by email when assets are added to your Inbox. To turn email notifications on or off, change your password, and modify other account information, move your cursor over your username in the upper-right corner of the screen, and select "Edit Profile". This will take you to User Profile settings, where you click on the "Edit Profile" button to make changes. You can read more about your User Profile settings here. The InboxThe Inbox is commonly used for review and approval of media assets. You can quickly browse the latest media, play a clip, make comments, download files, and share assets from the Inbox. The Inbox menuThe Inbox icon in the upper-left of the screen has a drop-down menu. Inbox menu options include:
 Viewing Inbox mediaBy default the Inbox opens in the Summary view, which presents a box for each media asset, most recent asset first. This box includes a thumbnail with links to the Media Page for the asset, and basic information about the asset. Depending on your permissions for different media, there may also be buttons which let you Approve, Reject, or Archive the asset, and a "gear" icon which may show options to edit the asset metadata, download the asset, share the media, and move the asset to the Library.  There are three Inbox views - Summary, List, and Gallery - and you switch between them by clicking on the view icons to the upper-right of the asset list. Sorting and filtering in the InboxAkomi gives you three options to manage the media displayed in the Inbox (details below):
 Sort and display optionsWhen you choose a criteria from the sort drop-down menu in the upper-left corner of the window, Akomi will display the available media sorted by that criteria (your administrator sets the criteria options, and which option is the default). You can then choose whether the sort is displayed descending or ascending by choosing "Desc" or "Asc" in the adjacent drop-down (e.g. “Descending” displays the most recent media first, “Ascending” displays the oldest first). You can choose how many media assets to display on a page by choosing from the drop-down list on the right-hand side of the browser window. Filter optionsWhen you choose a Media Group from the drop-down list in the upper-left corner of the window, Akomi will show the media from the selected group. The list displays your available Media Groups, and by default Akomi will show all the Media Groups that you have access to.
Reviewing assets in the Inbox (Approving, Rejecting, or Archiving)The Inbox is designed so you can quickly review the latest assets in your Media Groups. Once you have finished reviewing an asset, you can move it out of the Inbox by clicking the "Approve", "Reject", or "Archive" button. Depending on your permissions, you may also be able to use the "Move to Library" function. The asset is then moved from the Inbox, but can be retrieved if necessary. Clicking "Approve", "Reject", or "Archive" only effects what is displayed in your Inbox. The asset remains visible in other users' Inbox, in a similar way that an email addressed to multiple recipients can be deleted from one mailbox, but remain in the others. Only administrators can delete files.
Approving assetsClick on the "Approve" button next to the thumbnail to move the file out of the Inbox. It will no longer display in the Inbox, but is visible in the "Approved" section. Rejecting assetsClick on the "Reject" button next to the thumbnail to move the file out of the Inbox. It will no longer display in the Inbox, but is visible in the "Rejected" section. Archiving assetsClick on the "Archive" button next to the thumbnail to move the file out of the Inbox. It will no longer display in the Inbox, but is visible in the "Archived" section.
Restoring Approved, Rejected, or Archived AssetsItems that have been Approved, Rejected, or Archived in the Inbox are not deleted. They can be restored to the Inbox by going to the appropriate section under the "Inbox" icon at the top left corner of the window. Restoring approved assetsHold the cursor over the "Inbox" button in the top left corner of the window, and select "Approved" from drop-down menu. This will show the Approved section, and any approved asset can be restored to the inbox by clicking the "Restore" button. Assets can also moved from the Approved section by clicking on the "Reject" or "Archive" buttons. Restoring rejected assetsHold the cursor over the "Inbox" button in the top left corner of the window, and select "Rejected" from drop-down menu. This will show the Rejected section, and any rejected asset can be restored to the inbox by clicking the "Restore" button. Assets can also moved from the Rejected section by clicking on the "Approve" or "Archive" buttons. Restoring archived assetsHold the cursor over the "Inbox" button in the top left corner of the window, and select "Archive" from drop-down menu. This will show the Archive section, and any archived asset can be restored to the inbox by clicking the "Restore" button. Assets can also moved from the Archive section by clicking on the "Approve" or "Reject" buttons. Downloading Inbox AssetsAkomi allows you to download one or more versions of an asset (if enabled by your administrator). These may include a low-res "proxy" version of an asset and/or one or more "mezzanine" versions. If a "Hi-Res" version is available, you request it through the download interface, and a link is emailed to you. Downloads are available from both the Inbox and the Inbox Media Page.
Sharing Inbox AssetsIn a modern production environment, it is often necessary to share an asset with someone outside of your organization. Akomi provides a “Share” feature which allows you to do this without requiring an administrator to set up an account, and without exposing other assets in Akomi. "Share" lets you send a time-limited link to a unique page that displays only the media you have shared. This will give the recipient access to a limited Media Viewer and summary metadata, but they will not see the detailed metadata, comments, markers, or navigation tabs. They will have no access to the rest of Akomi.
The Inbox sharing functionMove the cursor over the "gear" icon in the upper-right corner of the asset record, and select "Share".  Sending the sharing linkAkomi will display the sharing dialog box which has fields for the "to" email address, the subject, and comments. There is a "Link Expires" drop-down menu that limits the availability of the shared asset, as explained below. There may also be a checkbox which allows the recipient to download the file.
Setting sharing link expirationYou select a time limit for the file sharing in the "Link Expires" drop-down menu. At the end of this period the link will no longer be valid. Akomi sharing notification email Akomi sharing Media PageSharing historyAkomi keeps a log of all the links you share. You can view that log, for each link you can extend the time the link is available or cancel the link. You can find information on using the Shared Links log here. The Asset Upload FormSelecting the "Upload" option from the Inbox menu takes you to the upload form. You choose a file from your computer to upload, pick a Media Group to assign it to (e.g. a "Show" in this example), decide if it should be in the Inbox or Library, set additional metadata (e.g. a "Season", "Episode", and "Producer" in this example), and click the "Upload" button.
The Library interface is similar to the Inbox, and gives you additional ways to sort and filter large sets of media assets, perform boolean searches to find specific assets, and has a "Playlists" feature that lets you create and share collections of media. Media assets are published to either the Library or the Inbox, but not both simultaneously. The Library menuThe Library icon in the upper-left of the screen has a pull-down menu. Available Library menu options are:
Viewing Library mediaThe Library opens in the Summary view, which presents a box for each media asset. This box includes a thumbnail with links to the Media Page for the asset, and information about the asset. There is a "gear" icon, which let you add the media to Playlists, download the media, and share the media.
Sorting and filtering in the LibraryAkomi gives you extensive options to manage media in the Library, including:
 Sort and display optionsWhen you choose a criteria from the sort drop-down menu in the upper-left corner of the window, Akomi will display the available media sorted by that criteria (your administrator sets the criteria options, and which option is the default). You can then choose whether the sort is displayed descending or ascending by choosing "Desc" or "Asc" in the adjacent drop-down (e.g. “Descending” displays the most recent media first, “Ascending” displays the oldest first). You can choose how many media assets to display on a page by selecting from the icons just below sort drop-down menu.  Primary filterWhen you choose a Media Group from the drop-down menu in the upper-left corner of the window, Akomi will show the media from that group. The Media Groups are tied to Akomi "permission groups", and you will only see the groups that you have access to (your administrator will setup the permission groups, and determine which users have access to which groups).
Secondary filterThe Library has an secondary filter option (in this example, the secondary filter is "Category", and by default the secondary filter displays "All Categories"). When you select a secondary filter from the pull-down menu, an additional pull-down menu loads with the secondary filter choices. When you select the secondary filter, only the media assets which match both the primary and secondary criteria will be displayed. Basic SearchThe basic search fields are always visible above the list of media boxes, and include a field for the "Keyword" search term, a start date for the search, and an end date. Advanced FiltersWhen you click on the "Advanced Filters" link below the "Search" fields, a new set of search options is displayed. There is a drop-down menu which lists metadata fields you can search, so you can limit your search to the relevant field (e.g. search only for a "writer"). A second drop-down menu with contextual operators (e.g. "Contains", "Does Not Contain", "Begins With", "Ends With") and an additional search term field allow you to further refine the search. Boolean SearchAkomi provides powerful boolean search features in the Library. By clicking on the "+" symbol to the right of the Advanced Filter drop-down menus, you can add additional fields to your search. Each additional search term has the two drop-down menus, allowing you to search specific fields with context, and another drop-down menu with boolean "AND" or "OR" operators. Downloading Library AssetsAkomi allows you to download one or more versions of an asset (if enabled by your administrator). These may include a low-res "proxy" version of an asset and/or one or more "mezzanine" versions. If a "Hi-Res" version is available, you request it through the download interface, and a link is emailed to you. Downloads are available from both the Library and the Library Media Page.
The Library download functionIn the Summary View, click on the"gear" icon in the upper-right corner of the asset record, and select "Download". Akomi will download the file to the directory you have set for downloads in your browser, and your browser will notify you when the download is complete.
 Sharing Library AssetsIn a modern production environment, it is often necessary to share an asset with someone outside of your organization. Akomi provides a “Share” feature which allows you to do this without requiring an administrator to set up an account, and without exposing other assets in Akomi. "Share" lets you send a time-limited link to a unique page that displays only the media you have shared. This will give the recipient access to a limited Media Viewer and summary metadata, but they will not see the detailed metadata, comments, markers, or navigation tabs. They will have no access to the rest of Akomi.
The Library sharing function Move the cursor over the "gear" icon in the upper-right corner of the asset record, and select "Share". Sending the sharing linkAkomi will display a dialog box where you may enter the data necessary to share the asset. Enter the "to" address and use the default subject line or add your own, and add any comments in the provided boxes. If you have download permissions to the asset, you may click a checkbox to allow the recipient to download the file (permission for this feature is set by your admin). There is also a "Link Expires" setting that is explained below.
Setting sharing link expirationYou select a time limit for the file sharing in the "Link Expires" drop-down menu. At the end of this period the link will no longer be valid. Akomi sharing notification email Using PlaylistsPlaylists are an easy way to organize and share media assets from the Library. You choose which assets to add to a playlist, you name the playlist what you want, and, if you want to share a playlist, you send it to a specific email addresses.Creating a PlaylistIn the Summary view, click on the Action Menu in the right corner of the asset record, and select "Add to Playlist". This adds the media item to a new playlist, which will now appear as a thumbnail in the Playlists box on the right side of the window. If you already have a playlist displayed, clicking on the "Add Playlist" button will add that asset to the open playlist instead of creating a new one.Saving a playlistTo save a playlist you have created, type a name in the box immediately below the "Playlists" header. Then click on the "Save" button immediately below the title you have entered. After you save a playlist, you can click Action Menu to select "Preview", "Download", or "Export to HTML". You can also click the "Send" button to share the playlist with someone. You can manage multiple playlists by clicking on the "list" icon to the right of the "Playlists" header. This will display a list of the playlist titles you have saved. You can create additional playlists by clicking on the "+" icon. You can open and edit a playlist by clicking on the playlist name, and delete the playlist by clicking on the "X" icon to the right of the playlist name.
Previewing a playlistWhen you select the "Preview" function from the menu below the Playlist title, your browser will launch a new tab or window. Akomi will display a media player in the new tab or window, along with thumbnails for all of the media in the playlist, and summary metadata of the media asset being played. You can use the media player window controls to play and pause the media, "scrub" forward or backward to a specific point in the media, change or mute the volume, or view the media fullscreen. You can click on a media thumbnail to jump forward or backward in the playlist to that specific media asset. The summary metadata displayed to the right of the player will change and show the metadata for the media currently being played. Downloading a PlaylistWhen you select the "Download" function from the menu below the Playlist title, Akomi will display the Playlist download dialoge box. Click on the pull-down menu to chose from available download formats. Akomi then creates a zip file that to download the media assets. Akomi will download the zip file to the directory you have set for downloads in your browser, and your browser will notify you when the download is complete. When you unzip the file, you will have a directory with separate media files for each item in the playlist, in the format you selected.
Sharing a playlistYou can email a playlist by clicking on the "Send" button below a playlist title. This will launch a dialog box where you enter the recipient's email address in the "To" field, and if you want, modify the "Subject" field, set the expiration date for the link, or add a note in the "Comment" field. You then click "Send Email" and the recipient will receive an email with a URL that launches the playlist preview window described above. Export XML for a playlistWhen you select the "Download" function from the menu below the Playlist title, Akomi will download an XML file that contains summary metadata about all of the media in the playlist. Metadata for each media asset in the playlist is displayed in the following format:
The asset upload form Selecting the "Upload" option from the Inbox menu takes you to the upload form. You choose a file from your computer to upload, pick a media group to assign it to (e.g. a "Show" in this example), decide if it should be in the Inbox or Library, set additional metadata (e.g. a "Season", "Episode", and "Producer" in this example), and click the "Upload" button. Note: your administrator sets who can upload, where they can upload to, and what metadata is required. The Media PageMedia assets are displayed in detail on the Media Page. You can view images and documents, play video and audio assets using onscreen or keyboard commands, review and edit metadata, and share and download media.You can launch the Media Page from any asset in the Inbox or Library. Click on the thumbnail of the asset, or click on the asset filename, or click on the Action Menu in the asset record, and select "Edit". Elements of the Media PageThe Media Page contains five main elements:
The Media ViewerAkomi automatically loads the appropriate media viewer for each different media asset. Akomi video (MP4) and audio (MP3, WAV, AIF, M4A) files display in a HTML 5 player, "legacy" video (.mov) displays in a QuickTime player, and still images and documents are displayed by your browser. The HTML 5 Media ViewerThe Media Page displays most video and audio assets in a HTML 5 media player (.mov assets are handled in the QuickTime player described below). To begin playback, you click on the "play/pause" button in the lower left corner of the thumbnail (note: audio assets display a generic audio icon). You can control media playback by clicking on the various controls displayed in the window, or with industry-standard keyboard commands (see keyboard commands below). Supported video formats include MP4 and M4V, and supported audio formats include MP3, WAV, AIF, and M4A.The player window controls include a "play/pause" button, a progress bar that lets you "scrub" through the video and displays the timecode of the current frame, a timecode display with both the current frame and the total timecode, a volume control, and a "full screen" button that expands the player to fill your display. For video assets, the player displays a unique identifier burned into a translucent bar (this is to ensure that any media recorded through screen capture or other means can be identified).
The Pop Out Media ViewerYou can launch a separate Media Viewer by clicking on the "Pop Out Player" button. Both the onscreen and keyboard media player controls are available for the Pop Out Media Viewer. This window can be moved and resized like any browser window, and is ideal for a two-screen station. You can use the Pop Out Media Viewer to play a clip on one screen, and view or edit metadata on another (e.g. while logging a scene). Akomi will automatically add black bars around the Viewer to maintain the original aspect ratio of the media asset. The QuickTime Media ViewerIf a media asset proxy file is stored as a ".mov" file, the Media Page may display a QuickTime media player window. You can control QuickTime media playback by clicking on the various controls displayed in the window. The QuickTime media player controls include a "30 second rewind" button, a "play/pause" button, a display of the current timecode, a progress bar that lets you "scrub" through the video, a display of the current timecode, and a "full screen" button that expands the player to fill your display.
Viewing images and documentsWhen you click on the Media Page thumbnail for an image or document, the asset is either displayed in a new browser tab or window, or downloaded to your computer. Formats that should display correctly include:
Metadata DisplayYou can review both summary and detailed metadata for each asset on the Media Page, and may be able to edit them. Akomi populates these fields with data from the host MAM, or via upload form when media is submitted, If the optional "write-back" feature is enabled, Akomi writes any metadata changes back to the relevant fields in the host MAM.
Summary metadataSummary metadata is displayed to the right of the Media Viewer thumbnail. The metadata field titles are displayed in bold type, and the field contents are displayed to the right of the titles in regular type.Detailed metadataTo view additional metadata, click on "More" below the Media Viewer thumbnail). A pull-down display shows the additional fields. The metadata field titles are displayed in bold type, and the field contents are displayed to the right of the titles in plain type. Editing metadataIf editing metadata is enabled, you will see "Edit" in the gear menu below the Media Viewer thumbnail. When you select "Edit", the Media Page changes. Text-entry boxes appear below the field title for those metadata fields which are editable. Click in the text-entry box(es) to add metadata to a field that is blank, or to change the existing values. Once you have completed your changes, click on the "Save Changes" button to save the edits or click "Cancel" to leave all fields unchanged. If the optional "write-back" feature is enabled, Akomi writes any changes back to the relevant fields in the host MAM.
Sharing from the Media PageIn a modern production environment, it is often necessary to share an asset with someone outside of your organization. Akomi provides a “Share” feature which allows you to do this without requiring an administrator to set up an account, and without exposing other assets in Akomi. "Share" lets you send a time-limited link to a unique page that displays only the media you have shared. This will give the recipient access to a limited Media Viewer and summary metadata, but they will not see the detailed metadata, comments, markers, or navigation tabs. They will have no access to the rest of Akomi.
Sharing mediaSelect "Share" from the gear menu below the Media Viewer thumbnail to share a low-res proxy file.
The sharing dialog boxAkomi will display a dialog box where you specify the email address to receive proxy file link. Sharing historyAkomi keeps a log of all the links you share. You can view that log, for each link you can extend the time the link is available or cancel the link. You can find information on using the Shared Links log here.Reviewing and Downloading from the Media PageAkomi can let users download low-res or hi-res versions of an asset from the Media Page.
Media Page MarkersAkomi markers are timecode-specific notes that you can add to a video or audio asset. They include the "Time In" timecode, and may include a "Time Out" timecode. If the "write-back" option is enabled, markers are written write back to the host MAM. This may let you send the marker information into an NLE from your host MAM (if your host MAM has this capability).
Viewing and using markersYou can view existing markers below the "Add Marker" button. Each marker entry displays the Time In timecode for the marker, and if they are available, the Time Out timecode, the title, and any comments. Markers are automatically sorted by the Time In timecode. When you click on a marker, the marker is highlighted in yellow, and the name of the person who set the marker is displayed below the marker in gray italics, along with the date and time the marker was set. The Media Viewer automatically "auto-locates" to the relevant timecode of the asset, and you can download the marker by clicking on the relevant buttons. If the media is playing when you click the marker, the auto-locate feature advances the Media Viewer to the frame where the marker was set, and highlights the marker timecode in the Media Viewer progress bar. If the media is not playing, the auto-locate feature just highlights the marker timecode in the Media Viewer progress bar. Setting a markerTo set a marker, you click on the "Add Marker" button. This enters a marker that has no title or notes, but does include the Time In timecode of the frame displayed when the Add Marker button is clicked. If you want to add a title or comments, you enter them in the boxes provided before you click the Add Marker button.Use the "Start" and "Stop" buttons to create a marker with two timecode entries. The Start button sets the Time In timecode, and the Stop button sets the Time Out timecode. You still have the option to add a title and notes, but do not have to. Once you have set the Time In and Time Out timecodes, click on the Add Marker button to record the marker. While you are creating a marker with the Start and Stop buttons, Akomi highlights the timecode segment for the marker on the Media Viewer progress bar. You can also set a marker using keyboard commands. Type "I" to set the Time In timecode and "O" to set the Time Out timecode. Downloading marker segmentsIf you click on the "Download Marker" button, Akomi will download the segment of the media from the Time In timecode to the Time Out timecode.
Downloading Avid markersYou can download a tab-delimited .txt file of the marker information by selecting the "Download Avid Markers" from the gear menu below the Media Viewer. The information is saved in the directory where your browser saves downloads. If the asset matches a clip or sequence in Avid Media Composer, you can import the .txt file into Media Composer (see the Media Composer user guide for importing instructions).
Deleting a markerAkomi managers and administrators can remove markers from a media asset. To remove a marker, you click the "Delete" button that appears in the lower-left of a highlighted marker. When you click Delete button, a dialog box is launched to confirm that you want to delete the highlighted marker. After you click the "OK", the marker is deleted.
Note: CatDV and the Web Client markers will always be in sync. They are both connected to the same server, accessing the same data. Changing markers in CatDV or Web Client will be reflected in both. Akomi maintains a separate database and does a one way delivery of new markers to CatDV. Deleting a marker from Akomi does not delete it from CatDV. Adding or changing markers in CatDV does not affect Akomi. Media Page CommentsAkomi comments are general notes that you can add to a media asset in Akomi.
Viewing and adding commentsYou can view existing comments below the "Comments" title. The number of comments for that asset will be listed in parentheses.Each comment is displayed in bold type. The name of the person who wrote the comment is displayed below the comment in gray italics, along with the date and time the comment was posted. To add a comment, you click in the text-entry box under the Comments title and write your comment. Once you have finished writing, click on the "Post Comment" button and the comment is entered. User Settings and Sharing HistoryThe User ProfileYour "User Profile" displays information about your account, and gives you a way to modify those settings.Viewing your profileTo view your User Profile, mouse over your name in the upper-right corner of the Akomi webpage, and select "Edit Profile" from the pull-down menu. Akomi will load the your User Profile, which includes:
Editing your ProfileWhen you click the Edit Profile button, most of the User Profile fields become editable, and the Edit Profile button is replaced with "Save" and "Cancel" buttons. There are two settings which you cannot change, Username and User Groups. These are set by your administrator, and are included for reference only.There is one pull-down menu, to the right of the "Default View" setting. It allows you select whether Akomi displays the Inbox or Library page when you open it. There are three checkboxes. The first two let you choose whether to receive an email every time media is added to your Inbox, or a daily digest email of all the media added to your Inbox, both emails, or no email notifications. The third checkbox allows you to start previously played video and audio files from the last frame you accessed, rather than starting from the beginning. Once you have made the User profile changes you want, click on the Save button to save your changes. If you decide not to make any changes, click on the Cancel button to leave all settings unchanged. Sharing HistoryAkomi keeps track of all the links that you share from the Inbox, the Library, or the Media Page. You can access and modify this information, as can Akomi managers and administrators.The Shared Links reportTo view your Shared Links report, mouse over your name in the upper-right corner of the Akomi webpage, and select "Edit Profile" from the pull-down menu. Akomi will load the Shared Links report, which includes:
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