I'm not sure whether this Digital Imaging Metadata Standard is relevant to
QUALDOCS or not. However, the spec is free during September 2000.
Tom
DIG35 - The Digital Imaging Metadata Standard
Digital Imaging Group (DIG) Announces the Completion of DIG35, the Digital
Imaging Metadata Standard
New Specification Available for Public Download on DIG Web Site For
Developers
of Imaging Products and Services
August 30, 2000.
The Digital Imaging Group (DIG) today released the final DIG35 Metadata
Specification providing a cohesive and consistent set of metadata
definitions to
the imaging industry.
DIG35 provides the first persistent way for digital images to become rich,
completely self-contained sources of information, regardless of where they
travel on the global network. With millions of digital images now produced
yearly, this capability is critical for enabling users to effectively
organize,
find, retrieve and share their images instantly.
DIG35 member companies, Adobe Systems Inc., AGFA-GEVAERT N.V., Canon Inc.,
Eastman Kodak Co., Fuji Photo Film Co. Ltd., HP, Microsoft Corp., NETIMAGE,
PhotoChannel Networks Inc., PhotoWorks Inc., PictureIQ Corp., Polaroid
Corp.,
and WorkStation.com have collaborated for 18 months to create a robust
platform
agnostic, application and file format independent set of metadata for
describing
elements of an image.
"Metadata is absolutely crucial to managing your assets," said Tony Henning,
senior analyst at Future Image. "It is perhaps more valuable than the object
it
describes. It is your intellectual capital." Alexis Gerard, president of
Future
Image agreed and continued, "The marriage of objects and metadata have
exponentially more value than either component in isolation. Every object
that
travels around the global network can be its own stand-alone catalogue
record,
ready to be understood, organized, retrieved and utilized intelligently. The
power this brings to the user cannot be overstated."
Businesses, professionals and consumers can all utilize metadata in order to
manage images. For example, e-commerce businesses can manage and utilize
their
assets more effectively and efficiently by simply being able to quickly
retrieve
the right image for any given purpose. Instead of spending valuable time
painstakingly looking at each image file to determine the content,
businesses
can search by any associated metadata to locate an image and read the
descriptive elements. By using XML as the recommended encoding method, DIG35
is
Internet ready and easy to implement on e-commerce sites.
Professional photographers can associate information about camera settings,
copyright information and image manipulation techniques within the image in
order to recreate images and recap their work. Additionally, consumers can
easily share their captured experiences by using metadata to tell the story
or
narration behind their images. For example, they can use image-editing
software
on their PC to add explanatory captions to each photo from their vacation in
China, and then upload those photos to a photo sharing Web site. The DIG35
enabled photo Web site would understand and save all the captions, freeing
the
user from having to input the information a second time. Friends and family
around the globe can then not only see the pictures, but also experience the
entire story and history behind them in the storyteller's absence.
Photo finishing Web sites could also implement DIG35 to allow easier print
ordering for their customers. For example, users could instruct the service
to
send prints of all the pictures of "baby Corinne" to "Grandma." The Web
photo
service would conduct a search within the metadata for all photos containing
"baby Corinne," look up "Grandma" in the address book, and easily facilitate
the
request.
"The DIG35 standard marks a significant advancement in the digital imaging
industry as it addresses the need for an effective, standardized way to
manage
the growing number of digital images, and ultimately enable the realization
of
their potential value," said Lisa Walker, president of the DIG. "The next
step
for the DIG is to educate developers and industry leaders about this pivotal
new
standard to ensure rapid and widespread industry adoption."
"The DIG35 Metadata Specification provides a comprehensive set of
content-focused metadata definitions," said Jennifer Neumann, president of
Canto. "This is an important move, as metadata defines the value of all
assets.
Therefore Canto is committed to support this new standard by releasing a
'Cumulus/Dig35 Metadata Exchange Module' in Q4 2000."
Using the DIG35 specification, applications are enabled to handle metadata
in a
consistent manner, allowing it to remain associated with the image as long
as
desired. Consequently, friends and colleagues will also be able to view all
associated metadata in any imaging application or any file format that
supports
the specification. End users will also be able to find and sort images as
well
as create "virtual rolls" of images with similar metadata enhancing their
ability to conduct keyword searches on large image collections.
According to Kats Ishii of Canon Inc. and chair of the DIG35 Initiative
Group,
"DIG35 will not only help to avoid the digital equivalent of a 'shoebox' of
images, but will also allow for business and professional users to easily
find
and repurpose existing images, therefore, saving valuable time and money on
imaging projects."
Anticipating future public and propriety expansions and industry changes,
the
DIG35 specification is file-format independent, developer friendly and will
be
able to mature with the market. The specification's common baseline
definitions
may be supported in different file formats and consistently implemented
within
various applications with a relational database or other data storage
methods.
The specification also includes a reference encoding method using the
current
industry standard language XML. Using the XML DTD and schema provided,
developers can easily implement the DIG35 Metadata Specification in their
own
imaging applications. Additionally, DIG35 can be used as a single standard
interchange format between existing applications that each use different
proprietary metadata formats, allowing users to greatly extend and leverage
their existing intellectual capital investments.
The DIG35 Metadata Specification has been reviewed by the public, by several
universities, and by organizations such as the National Information
Standards
Organization (NISO) and the International Organization for Standardization
(ISO)
JPEG2000 Working Group. The relevant portions of the specification have been
submitted to the JPEG2000 file format subgroup and have been incorporated
into
the JPEG2000 Part 2 specification committee draft.
The DIG35 Metadata Specification, including the XML DTD and schema, is
available
today for public download on the DIG Web site at www.digitalimaging.org. For
more information about the DIG35 Initiative Group or to download the DIG35
Metadata Specification, visit the DIG Web site at www.digitalimaging.org
<http://www.digitalimaging.org> .
About the Digital Imaging Group
Launched in October 1997, the DIG is an open-industry consortium created to
expand the use of digital images across consumer, business and professional
imaging markets and applications. Membership gives companies the opportunity
to
help define the evolving technical platforms in digital imaging, and to
create
solutions built on those foundations. Membership also gives participating
companies the opportunity to collaborate in future marketing and promotional
activities. Further information about the DIG and DIG35 is available at
http://www.digitalimaging.org or by contacting the DIG at
admin at digitalimaging.org, or 650/872-8722.