Some amazing developments in software technology continue to come out of the research centers from those who see a need and design the product to fulfill the requirement. For instance, a software program which can determine not only copies of an image in another location, such as in folders or subfolders, but it can look for and locate items where there is not a complete match, but only image visual similarity between the two images. An example application of such kind is Image Comparer from Bolide Software.



Locating and purging files where there is a great deal of visual similarity enables you to make sure your disk space is not taken up with duplicate files or working files. These files which have visual similarity can be located via software. They can either be visually reviewed and the correct one to be retained identified, or the software can be set at the desired level of visual similarity.

A search for image visual similarity captures and displays images that appear similar, in spite of the content or the image. These similarities may mean like colors, shapes or textures in the images. The retrieval is not dependent upon textual or other knowledge regarding the images portrayed.

Beyond searching out files and cleaning duplicate or image visual similarity items from ones web space, what uses can be made of this software?

Software products such as these for identifying visual similarity have not been as wildly popular as the creators hoped. The application of choosing from faces located on various social networking sites has been less than a rousing success. However, using image visual similarity software in order to shop online has seen a great deal of effective uses. For example, if you see a pair of earrings that you just must have in a picture on the internet, software which will locate a similar pair of earrings on the internet so that you will know where to shop for the item is becoming popular.

Initially the images being searched must be loaded and indexed to that you can find the items. At present, watches, jewelry, shoe, handbag and clothing are indexed, with the expectation that furniture and home and garden items will be added to the database in order to be available for review in the future. The features of the software would also include finding a similar shirt in a different color, or finding a table lamp that would match a particular sofa or room decor.