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Plotlas 0.9: first public release

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@dale-wahl dale-wahl released this 02 Oct 09:03
v0.9.0
1c06802

Plotlas turns a folder of images, with optional metadata, into a pannable, zoomable map in the browser. It is built for large collections, up to a million images, and runs entirely on your own server.

Live demo: https://app.plotlas.com

What's in this release

Viewing

  • Arrange a collection:
    • as a grid;
    • by date;
    • by category;
    • by any two numbers, for example a UMAP or t-SNE embedding;
    • geographically.
  • Search for a value and fly to it. Filter by tag. Click an image to see its metadata and view it at full resolution.
  • Zoom from the whole collection to one image. Every image on screen sharpens to full resolution when you stop moving.
  • Phones and tablets: pinch, double-tap and drag, with a small-screen layout.
  • If browser graphics fail, the viewer recovers instead of going blank.
  • Link straight to a collection with ?d=<collection-id>.

Building and managing collections

  • Upload images, with an optional metadata CSV, in the browser. Uploads go in chunks, can span several archives, and resume after an interruption. You can also build a collection from the command line.
  • Layout designer. You can:
    • choose which columns drive the arrangements;
    • add, replace or remove arrangements;
    • change the settings of an arrangement that is already built;
    • review the changes before you commit them.
  • A collection's name, credit line, column labels and default arrangement are stored in its own folder. So you can copy a collection to another server with its settings intact.

Privacy and security

  • No outbound network calls: no telemetry, analytics, third-party scripts or update checks. Once a collection is built, Plotlas runs air-gapped.
  • Photo metadata is removed: served images carry no EXIF data, GPS included.
  • A hardened public profile (docker-compose.public.yml):
    • automatic HTTPS and security headers;
    • collections are mounted read-only;
    • the web server serves only what the viewer needs;
    • sign-up is off in production;
    • build logs are visible only to a collection's owner.

Getting started

See Quick start in the README: run docker compose up --build, then open http://localhost:8080. To run Plotlas on a public server, see Deploying it publicly.

Licence

Plotlas uses the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence. It is free for personal, research, teaching, non-profit and public-institution use. Commercial use needs a licence: see COMMERCIAL.md or email licensing@plotlas.com.

Would you rather not run it yourself? Hosted Plotlas is available: hello@plotlas.com.

Known limitations

  • In the public profile, sign-up is off and the administrator creates accounts from the command line.
  • Collections are stored on the server's local disk, so they must fit on it.

What's next

Multi-user support: self-service accounts, so people can upload and manage their own collections and choose who can see them.

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