When authoring a generic link in an MMT supported, open hypermedia environment, the user may wish to attach the source selection representation to the MMT at the authoring stage if it is not already present. In figure 1 a generic link is being authored from the shape of a particular archaeological artifact (a multiple barbed point) to some text about bone points (the end link). The shape for the start link has been selected by dragging a rectangle around it and specifying the shape representation module to be used in MAVIS via the media table (not shown).
Before completing the link by selecting Ok in the complete link window (bottom right) the author could link the representation into the MMT by selecting an MMT tools menu and choosing an Add option. A prototype example is shown in the figure.
The list of top level terms from the MMT is displayed and the appropriate preferred term is selected by scrolling and clicking. Selecting Add Representation would then complete the addition of the representation to the MMT. If no appropriate entry points are present, MMT building tools would be used to add appropriate new terms and their relations.
Once the representation is linked in to the thesaurus, the generic link may be followed not only from similar shape selections but also from the text representation multiple barb points. No user interaction with the thesaurus would be required here if automatic MMT based generic link following is initiated. A user, following a generic link in this way, may also decide to use the MMT explicitly to explore links from representations nearby. The user will be able to navigate to other representations within the MMT and then choose to follow links from selected representations.