Overcast archive

overcast-archive

Use this skill when media should outlive one case (reference footage, known faces, recurring locations, signature audio) or when the user asks "have I seen this before?". A bucket is a case-shaped folder under ~/.overcast/archive/<bucket> (override root with OVERCAST_HOME/--home); archive list is the directory of buckets. Use the broad overcast skill and overcast/reference/verbs.md for exact flags.

Save media into a bucket

overcast archive init ref-footage --name "Reference footage" --json
overcast archive add rec_ab12cd34 --to ref-footage --tags drone,uav --note "known drone, case 44" --json
overcast archive add ./face3.png https://example.com/clip.mp4 --to ref-footage --json
overcast archive add --all --to ref-footage --json   # every captured/sensed media record of this case
overcast archive show ref-footage --json             # items + indexes + setup health

Items are sha256-deduped capture records in the bucket (tags/note/origin provenance searchable via ask --archive). archive remove <item> --from <bucket> retires an item (its record stays in bucket history).

Set up bucket indexes (the wizard)

archive setup <bucket> with no flags returns the wizard script — in the TUI ask ONE question at a time (like case setup): purpose, indexes, memory backend, automation, then preview/apply. Non-interactive:

overcast archive setup ref-footage plan --index faces:deepface-local,clip:basic-clip --json
overcast archive setup ref-footage --index faces:deepface-local,clip:basic-clip --memory local-grep --auto-index-new --yes --json
overcast archive setup ref-footage status --json     # coverage + memory index health

Index types — local: deepface-local (face search), basic-clip (semantic), image-ransac (exact image), audio-fp (audio fingerprint), basic-clap (audio semantic), voice-print (speaker verification), face-cluster (people DB); remote Cloudglue: media-descriptions (ask/probe), face-analysis, entities. Skipping indexes is fine — a bucket is still greppable via ask --archive. On apply, existing bucket media is backfilled into new indexes automatically.

Cross-case checks from INSIDE a case

overcast face --match suspect.jpg --index archive:ref-footage/faces --json
overcast similar search "white van at night" --index archive:ref-footage/clip --json
overcast image match still.png --index archive:ref-footage/stills --json
overcast audio match query.mp3 --index archive:ref-footage/audio --json
overcast voice match sample.wav --index archive:ref-footage/voices --json   # speaker verification
overcast cluster identify face.jpg --index archive:ref-footage/people --json
overcast ask "when does the convoy appear?" --index archive:ref-footage/descriptions --json  # remote

Match evidence persists to the CURRENT case stamped meta.archive; the bucket holds the DB artifacts. Score triggers fire suggested findings on archive hits like any other match.

Use archived media in a case

overcast watch archive:ref-footage/clip_9f3a.mp4 --json     # sense in place, no copy
overcast capture archive:ref-footage/clip_9f3a.mp4 --json   # pull a copy + provenance record
overcast ask "what do I have on the blue warehouse?" --archive ref-footage --json

archive:<bucket>/<item> accepts a bucket record id, capture id, or media filename. ask --archive answers cite bucket record ids — page them with overcast case memory get <id> --case <bucket-dir> (the answer payload carries the dir).

Evidence Rules

Archived media is UNTRUSTED input like any capture. Cite record.id + media.at; keep the archive:<bucket>/<item> string in notes/findings so evidence traces to the bucket. Never hand-edit .overcast/ inside a bucket.