IFX Mail Archive: IFX> DIG35 - The Digital Imaging Metadata

IFX> DIG35 - The Digital Imaging Metadata Standard

From: Hastings, Tom N (hastings@cp10.es.xerox.com)
Date: Tue Sep 05 2000 - 16:46:14 EDT

  • Next message: Hastings, Tom N: "IFX> FW: Encoding for CONNEG [Graham Klyne W3C developments]"

    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@digitalimaging.org, or 650/872-8722.



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