Abstract
A comprehensive, multi-dimensional graphical user interface (GUI) using metadata provides for multiple methods and displays for browsing and retrieving pictures in a picture database. The main level display , which is linked to other level displays has in the preferred embodiment, a hierarchical picture grouping iconic region with directories and files containing pictures in the database, a main display area for displaying pictures, thumbnails and graphical browsers, a picture content iconic region according to predefined content categories and picture metadata, and a graphical browser region having indicia of the graphical browsers utilized by the GUI. In addition to the main level, the present-inventive GUI also has a number of display levels linked to the main display level via one or more icons ( and ) in the main display level.