What Are the Symmetry Modes in ExplOri 22.5?

Updated

Symmetry modes are one of the search settings in ExplOri 22.5, listed in the interface alongside Search, Size, and Thumbnail display. They are part of how you set up a query, and they most likely shape or constrain what the search returns — but the available mode names are not shown in the page evidence, so the specific options cannot be listed here. Treat "Symmetry modes" as a query parameter you choose before running a search, not as a separate tool.

Where symmetry modes sit in the interface

The page evidence shows the following items grouped together:

  • Symmetry modes — a selectable setting
  • Search — the query input
  • Size — a size setting
  • Ready — a state indicator
  • Thumbnail display — a display option
  • "No query run yet." — the initial status message

Because Symmetry modes appears in the same block as Search and Size, it is best understood as part of query setup: you configure it, then run the search, then read the results. The "No query run yet" message confirms the page starts in an unqueried state, so any symmetry setting you pick takes effect only once a search is executed.

What "symmetry mode" implies

In pattern and origami-style search tools, a symmetry setting typically tells the search how much repetition or mirroring to allow in the results — for example, whether a pattern must be symmetric, may be asymmetric, or must match a particular symmetry type. That is the general mechanism behind a setting with this name.

What the evidence does not tell us:

  • The names of the individual modes
  • Whether modes are mutually exclusive or combinable
  • Whether a mode restricts results or merely re-ranks them
  • Any default mode

So the safe statement is: symmetry modes are a constraint-style option applied to a search, and their exact behavior depends on the mode names shown in the live interface, which are not captured in the available evidence.

How to use them in practice

  1. Open the search interface and locate the Symmetry modes control, next to Search and Size.
  2. Select a mode before running your query. If you are unsure what a mode does, change one setting at a time so you can attribute any change in results to that choice.
  3. Enter your query in Search and set Size if relevant.
  4. Run the search and check the Thumbnail display to review results.
  5. If results look too narrow, switch to a less restrictive symmetry mode (or the default, if one is marked) and re-run; if they look too loose, pick a stricter mode.

Common sticking points

  • Nothing happens when you change the mode. The page shows "No query run yet," so results only update after a search is executed.
  • You can't tell modes apart. Since the mode names aren't documented in the evidence, compare results across modes with the same query and size to see the practical difference.
  • Results seem over-constrained. A symmetry mode is a plausible cause; test by relaxing it before changing your query text.

What to check on the live page

To answer "which modes exist and what each does," you need the live interface, since the evidence only confirms that the setting exists. Look for:

  • A dropdown or list of mode names
  • Tooltips or labels describing each mode
  • Whether a default is preselected
  • Any help or "Community and development" section that documents the options

The page also lists Donate, Community and development, Select Language, and Advanced Settings as headings — the community section is the most likely place to find documentation or discussion of what each symmetry mode does.