🖋️ Dataset - Annotation tool

Picsellia embeds an integrated Annotation tool that will allow you to create or edit Annotation on any DatasetVersion.

This Annotation tool is compatible with all Detection Types:

• Object Detection
• Classification
• Segmentation
• Line Detection
• Key Point Detection

1. Access the Annotation tool

Access to the Annotation tool can be done from the Details and Grid views on any DatasetVersion through the pen icon when hovering on any Asset:

2. Create or edit an Annotation

When the Annotation tool is opening, by default, the Annotation displayed is the one related to your user if it exists. Otherwise, it opens the latest updated one. If no Annotation exists on the Asset, a new one will be created for your user.

You can visualize the list of existing Annotation and create yours (if not existing) using the dropdown at the top right corner of the tool.

As shown below, the header of the Annotation tool also provides you with the path of the currently displayed Asset, the Detection Type of the DatasetVersion, and the Asset ID (useful for SDK use):

3. Navigation

1. Across the current Asset

The Annotation tool offers smooth navigation across the displayed Asset. You can use the scroll wheel of your mouse or trackpad to zoom in/out and press the spacebar to drag and move around on the Asset.

The initial view of the Asset can be retrieved through the Reset Zoom button:

2. Across the Asset of the DatasetVersion

At the bottom of the Annotation tool, you can use the gallery to visualize all the Assets of your DatasetVersion and click on any of them to open it in the Annotation tool.

You can also easily access any Asset of the gallery by typing its position in the queue.

4. Draw an Object

While hovering over the displayed image in the Annotation tool, you can be in two modes:

• Selection to select and edit existing Shape, this mode is the default one when opening the tool (keyboard shortcut: E)
• Draw to create a new Shape (keyboard shortcut: D)

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Configure DatasetVersion first

Before using the Annotation tool, you must ensure that your Dataset Version is set up with a Detection Type and Labels.

To draw a new Shape in the current Annotation, you just need to select the drawing mode (keyboard shortcut: D), select the Label of the new Shape, and draw it. For instance, let's create a Car Shape:

You can abort the drawing of a Shape while doing it using the Esc key.

When the Shape is created, a new line is added to the Shape list on the right side of the Annotation tool, and you can visualize the Shape and its Label on the Asset.

You can keep creating Shape on your Annotation. Before switching to another Asset or leaving the Annotation tool, you must save your modified Annotation with the save icon or with the keyboard shortcut Ctrl/Cmd + S.

Now let's have a quick view of the characteristics for Shape creation depending on the Detection Type.

A. Object Detection

For a DatasetVersion in Object Detection mode, the Annotation tool allows you to create bounding box Shape.

To do so, in drawing mode, the first click will create the top-left corner of the bounding box, and the second one will close the bounding box with the bottom-right corner.

B. Segmentation

For a DatasetVersion in Segmentation mode, the Annotation tool allows you to create polygon Shape.

To do so, in drawing mode, the first click will create the first point of the polygon, then each click will create a new point of the polygon. To close the polygon, you just need to click again on the first point of the polygon.

C. Classification

For a DatasetVersion in Classification mode, the Annotation tool allows you to classify each Asset among the available Labels.

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By definition, an Annotation in Classification mode will contain only one Shape.

To do so, in drawing mode, the first click on the image will classify the Asset with the selected Label.

D. Point

For a DatasetVersion in Point mode, the Annotation tool allows you to create point Shape.

To do so, in drawing mode, a click will create a point Shape.

E. Line

For a DatasetVersion in Line mode, the Annotation tool allows you to create line Shape.

To do so, in drawing mode, the first click will create the beginning of the line, then each new click will create a new segment of the line, and a double-click will close the line Shape.

5. Modify a Shape

Now that you are able to create Shape in different Detection Types, let's see how to modify them.

A. Select the Shape

First of all, you need to select the to-be-modified Shape. It can be done:

• Directly in Selection mode by clicking on the Shape directly on the Asset.
• By clicking on the Shape name in the Shape list located on the right side.
• By clicking on the circle next to the Shape name in the Shape list located on the right side. This will automatically zoom in on the selected Shape.

In both cases, the selected Shape will be highlighted, with all the potential points composing the Shape. Additionally, the selected Shape will also be indicated in the Shape list with a double circle:

B. Label

You can change the Label of the selected Shape by:

• Right-clicking on the selected Shape on the Asset

• Selecting the new Label in the dropdown located at the top-left corner

C. Dimensions and position

When a Shape is selected, all the points composing this Shape are displayed. With your mouse, you can then click on those points to modify the Shape dimensions. You can also move the Shape anywhere in the frame of the Asset.

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It is not applicable to Classification

Obviously, the modification of dimensions and position of a classification Shape is not possible.

D. Delete

You can also delete any Shape on an Annotation. It can be done in several ways as soon as the Shape is selected:

• Press the delete key
• Click on the trash icon

6. Lock and Hide Shape

To facilitate the Annotation process, you can either lock or hide a Shape.

Obviously, a hidden Shape is not deleted; it is only not displayed. Locking a Shape prevents anyone from editing it. To unlock or make a Shape visible, you just need to click again on the Hide or Lock icon.

You can also lock or hide all the Shape of an Annotation with the same Label, as the Shape are all grouped together in the Shape list on the right side.

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You can hide the Label on the Shape by unchecking the tickbox Show annotation labels

7. Group Selection

For practical reasons, the Picsellia Annotation tool offers the possibility to select several Shape at a time and make modifications to a group of Shape.

Multiple Shape selection can be done:

• On the Asset by drawing within the Selection mode a rectangle over the to-be-selected Shape; the selected Shape will be displayed in the Shape list with a double circle.

• By selecting all the Shape with a specific Label directly from the Shape list, as Shape with the same Label are grouped together. So selecting the Label will automatically select all the Shape with this Label, for instance, car:

Once a group of Shape is selected, you can:

• Change the dimension and the position of those Shape
• Change the Label of all the selected Shape with the right-click or the Labels dropdown (located in the top-left corner)
• Delete the selected Shape with the delete key or the trash icon

8. Quality review

To ensure the quality of your Annotation and as Picsellia is a collaborative platform, you have the possibility to review Annotation. The idea is to leverage the Annotation status field. This field can have three values:

• To Review
• Accepted
• Rejected

When an Annotation is created, either through the Annotation tool or via Annotation import, Annotation are by default with the status To Review.

To Accept or Reject an Annotation, you just need to open the Annotation Tool on the Asset that has the Annotation to be reviewed and click on Accept annotation or Reject annotation.

Once done, the Annotation is considered reviewed, and as a consequence, it cannot be modified anymore (all Shape will be automatically locked). However, if you want to be back to editing mode on a reviewed Annotation, you just need to click on Clear review. The Annotation will be back in To Review status, and all the Shape unlocked.

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Review status

The review status field is displayed in all Assets views and as a badge in the Annotation tool gallery.

In the end, an Asset can have several Annotation that can be in several states. For instance, one Annotation with the status Accepted done by one user, and another one with the status Rejected done by a second user.

9. Keyboard shortcut

To make the Annotation process as smooth and efficient as possible on Picsellia, most of the actions related to the Annotation tool can be done using buttons on the tool but also through keyboard shortcuts.

The list of available shortcuts can be displayed through the keyboard icon: