Data Annotation

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STEP 1: Import Your Files to Encord

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Create a Cloud Integration

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Create a Folder

1. Navigate to Files under the Index heading in the Encord platform.
2. Click the + New folder button to create a new folder. Select the type of folder you want to create.

3. Give the folder a meaningful name and description.
4. Click Create to create the folder. The folder is listed in Files.

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Create JSON or CSV for Registration

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Import your data

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STEP 2: Set Up Your Project

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Create a Dataset

1. Click the New dataset button in the Datasets section in Annotate.

2. Give your Dataset a meaningful title and description. A clear title and description keeps your data organized.

3. Click Create dataset to create the Dataset.

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Attach files

1. Navigate to the Datasets section under the Annotate heading.
2. Click the Dataset you want to attach data to.
3. Click +Attach existing files.

4. Select the folders containing the files you want to attach to the Dataset. To select individual files, double-click a folder to see its contents, and select the files you want to add to the Dataset.
5. Click Attach data to attach the selected files to the Dataset.

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Create an Ontology

1. Click the New ontology button in the Ontologies section to create a new Ontology.

2. Give your Ontology a meaningful title and description. A clear title and description keeps your Ontologies organized.
3. Click Next to continue.

4. Define your Ontology structure. See our documentation on Ontology structure for more information on the various types of objects, classifications, and attributes.

1. Click Add object to create a new object.
2. Give the object a name. For example “Apple”.
3. Select a shape for the object. For example polygon.
4. Optionally, enable the Required toggle to mark the object as Required.
5. Optionally, add attributes to the object.
6. Repeat these steps for as many objects as necessary.

1. Click the arrow icon next to an object to add attributes to the object.
2. Give the attribute a name. For example “Color”.
3. Click the attribute type to change the attribute type. The default attribute type is a text field.
4. Click Add option to add an option, if you have chosen a radio button or checklist attribute.
5. Enter a name for the attribute option. For example, the attribute “Color” can have the options “Red”, “Green”, and “Yellow”.
6. Click the Back to parent button to return the Ontology creation view.

1. Click Add classification to create a new classification.
2. Give the classification a name. For example, “Time of day”.
3. Optionally, configure the classification. The default classification type is a text field.
4. Optionally, enable the Required toggle to mark the object as Required.
5. Repeat these steps for as many classifications as necessary.

1. Click the arrow icon next to an object to configure the classification.

2. Click the classification type to change the classification type. The default classification type is a text field.
3. Click Add option to add an option if you have selected a radio button or check list classification.
4. Enter a name for the classification option. For example, the classification “Time of day” can have the options “Night” and “Day”.
5. Click the Back to parent button to return the Ontology creation view.

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Create a Task Agent

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Triggering the Task Agent

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Create a Workflow

• Collaborators are added based on their role within the project - select the role you would like the collaborator(s) to have.
• Start typing the email of a user you would like to add into the area highlighted on the image below, and select the user from the list that appears. Repeat this for every user that will have the same role.
• When you are done selecting users for this role, click Add.

• All workflows must begin with the Start stage.
• All workflows must contain an Annotate stage.
• Add routers to your Project to determine different pathways through your Workflow a task can take.
• Add as many Review stages as necessary.
• All workflows must end at a Complete stage.
• Link all components on the canvas by clicking and dragging from one connection point to another.

• Click an Annotate card on the canvas to start editing the annotation stage.
  • Give the stage a descriptive name.
  • Add annotators. If you’d like to specify annotators for this stage, add them as collaborators. For full details on how collaborators can work on tasks at each stage, see our section on managing collaborators.
  • Optionally, add a Webhook to receive notifications when labels are submitted at this stage.

• Click a Review card on the canvas to start editing the review stage.
  • Give the stage a descriptive name.
  • Add reviewers. If you want to specify reviewers for this stage, add them as collaborators. For full details on how collaborators can work on tasks at each stage, see our section on managing collaborators.

• Click a Router card on your canvas. See the router section for more details on how different types of routers can be configured.
• Optionally, add a Webhook to the Complete stage to receive a notification when a task has been completed.
• Optionally, add User assignment restrictions if users in this node should be prevented from being assigned to tasks they completed in the nodes listed.

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Create a Project

1. In the Encord platform, select Projects under Annotate.
2. Click the + New annotation project button to create a new Project.

3. Give the Project a meaningful title and description.

4. Click the Attach ontology button.
5. Select an Ontology from the list using the Select button, or create a new Ontology by clicking the New ontology button.

6. Click OK to attach the Ontology to the Project.
7. Click the Attach datasets button.
8. Select a Dataset from the list using the Attach button, or create a new Dataset by clicking the New Dataset button.

9. Click OK to attach the Dataset(s) to the Project.

10. Click the Load from template button to use a Workflow template.

11. Select the template you want to use and click Load template.
12. Click Create project to finish creating the Project.

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Add users to the Project

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STEP 3: Label your Data

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STEP 4: Export your Labels

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Recommended

1. Click Export while in a Project. The Export labels dialog appears.
2. Specify the following:
   • Format: Specify the format to export the labels (JSON or COCO).
   • Stage: Specify the Workflow stage to export the labels from.
   • Generate signed URLs: Specify whether to generate signed URLs for the data units that have labels.
   Enabling this option can significantly increase export times.
   • Save as new version: Specify to version the labels.
     • Provide a meaningful name for the label version.
   • Labels to include: Specify the labels to include. You can export all labels or select specific object or classification labels to export.
3. Click Export. A Labels export in progress toast message appears.

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Legacy

1. Navigate to Labels and export on the Project Dashboard
2. Select the Data tab.
3. Select the data units you want to export labels for.
4. Click the Export and save button. A pop-up appears.

5. Give this label version a name.
6. Select whether you want your labels to be exported in JSON or COCO format.
7. Toggle this if you want to include signed URLs in your export.
8. Select which label status(es) to include in the export.
9. Select what objects to include in the export.
10. Specify the label batching strategy.
11. Click Export and save to export your labels.