> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.visual-layer.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Understanding Clusters

> How Visual Layer automatically groups visually similar content to simplify exploration and analysis.

Managing large collections of images and videos can be time-consuming. To simplify exploration, Visual Layer automatically organizes your images into **Clusters** during dataset creation. When you open a dataset from the Dataset Inventory, clusters appear in the dataset exploration view as the primary way to browse and interact with your content.

Clusters group similar **images** and **Core Frames** (extracted from videos) based on visual similarity. Clusters are structured based on the selected view—either as full images in **Image View**, or as annotated regions in **Object View**.

Clusters help you:

* **Explore** and **filter** vast amounts of visual data
* **Tag** and **sort** content based on similarity
* **Identify patterns** across groups of related images or objects

***

## Cluster Previews

Clusters are displayed as preview cards to help you quickly understand the structure of your data.

<img src="https://files.readme.io/5e0d818-Screenshot_2024-05-21_at_10.47.33.png" alt="Cluster preview" style={{ display: 'block', margin: 'auto' }} />

Each cluster preview includes:

| Element                    | Description                                                                         |
| -------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Number of items**        | The total number of items that match your current filters                           |
| **Prominent labels**       | The most frequent labels within the cluster                                         |
| **Representing images**    | Thumbnails of key example images or Core Frames that visually summarize the cluster |
| **Visual Similarity Icon** | Hover over a cluster to access visual similarity search for finding similar content |

***

### Example Views

Clusters in **Image View**:

<img src="https://files.readme.io/3d225ad-Screenshot_2024-05-29_at_17.29.51.png" alt="Images view" style={{ display: 'block', margin: 'auto' }} />

Clusters in **Object View** (objects are cropped):

<img src="https://files.readme.io/711dd8a-Screenshot_2024-05-29_at_17.35.27.png" alt="Objects view" style={{ display: 'block', margin: 'auto' }} />

***

## Clustering Granularity

The **Granularity knob**, located in the bottom-right corner of the screen, lets you adjust the similarity threshold for clustering.

<img src="https://files.readme.io/8b5976c48d84e6affe81677bfe61cd8aba53e86c8426efad270310738846750f-Scene-1_copy.gif" alt="Granularity knob" style={{ display: 'block', margin: 'auto' }} />

* Move the knob to the **left** for looser clusters — broader grouping with lower similarity thresholds *(default setting)*
* Move the knob to the **right** for stricter clusters — tighter grouping with higher similarity thresholds