mskuhn@faui09.informatik.uni-erlangen.de (Markus Kuhn) (05/21/91)
I have heard about a new ISO standard called IPI. It defines a file format (IFF) for raster graphics as well as an API. The graphics may be compressed pictures (JPEG), compressed movies (MPEG), bilevel pictures, volume data (3d pixels), ... It seems to be an alround file format like TIFF, but much more flexible. Standard formats like JPEG don't contain all the information needed to reproduce the stored picture (e.g. the color space). As far as as I know, IFF will contain all this and a lot of other informations (e.g. the date the picture has been produced, ...). Has anybody more detailed information on this topic??? Markus -- Markus Kuhn, Computer Science student -- University of Erlangen, Germany E-mail: G=Markus;S=Kuhn;OU1=rrze;OU2=cnve;P=uni-erlangen;A=dbp;C=de
s8922967@ipc05.mqcs.mq.oz.au (Murray John GILBERT) (05/23/91)
In article <mskuhn.674828211@faui09> mskuhn@faui09.informatik.uni-erlangen.de (Markus Kuhn) writes: >I have heard about a new ISO standard called IPI. It defines >a file format (IFF) for raster graphics as well as an API. >The graphics may be compressed pictures (JPEG), compressed >movies (MPEG), bilevel pictures, volume data (3d pixels), ... >It seems to be an alround file format like TIFF, but much >more flexible. > >Standard formats like JPEG don't contain all the information needed >to reproduce the stored picture (e.g. the color space). As far as >as I know, IFF will contain all this and a lot of other informations >(e.g. the date the picture has been produced, ...). > >Has anybody more detailed information on this topic??? > >Markus > >-- >Markus Kuhn, Computer Science student -- University of Erlangen, Germany >E-mail: G=Markus;S=Kuhn;OU1=rrze;OU2=cnve;P=uni-erlangen;A=dbp;C=de This sounds very very suspiciously like the IFF format used on the amiga and if it is not then I can say to the ISO that that name has been taken already. Anyway, if it is the same thing as the Amiga IFF then I can give you some info. It's full name goes something like "Interchange File Format 85 (IFF 85)" and was formulated by the software company Electronic Arts in, you guessed it 1985 (I assume so anyway). The format is as you say above, much more flexible than most formats. Each IFF file begins with one of three magic 'numbers' either the letters 'FORM','CAT ', or 'LIST', wher e LIST is a list of FORMs or CATs or LISTs and CAT is a conCATenation of FORMs (similar to LIST but I am not sure of the exact difference) These are headers to a big chunk (either being the whole file or much of it) following them is a 32bit integer (Big Endian (Motorolla, SUN, etc format) number) giving the size of the rest of that chunk. A FORM chunk after that will have another 4char/byte ID giving the type of the FORM, it can be one of many types, the most used being ILBM (interleave bit map) which is used for raster graphics), others being 8SVX (8bit sample sound), SAMP (general sampled sound - 8bit 16bit,etc,etc), ANIM (animation : which contains FORM ILBMs),etc,etc,etc. These have another 32bit size after them and then typically a sortof Header chunk (eg BMHD for ILBM, ANHD for ANIM) then other chunks giving info (with the same chunk begining format as usual (ie. 4byte ID then 4byte size then the specific information), etc,etc,etc^100. IFF-85 is much more flexible than TIFF is and as long as you write the chunk correctly (ie no bugs of yours) the output file can probably be used by most other IFF readers that are in the business of interpreting those chunks, other wise they simply ignore the chunks they don't understand and only interpret the ones they recognize. This enables you to put all sorts of application specific info in your file and others will be able to use the file, and will ignore your bit unless they understand it. Since you are in Germany I am sure you should be able to find many people that are familiar with IFF as it seems that the Amiga is pretty popular there. Else post to say comp.sys.amiga.graphics and you should get plenty of response there. If this ISO standard has nothing to do with EA IFF-85 (IFF for short) then have a look at it anyway. It is a useful and well designed format that allows in principle for almost any need. Hope the info is useful to you Murray. Murray Gilbert s8922967@ipc01.mqcs.mq.oz.au (Macquarie Uni, Australia)
mskuhn@faui09.informatik.uni-erlangen.de (Markus Kuhn) (05/23/91)
This is the information I got so far about ISO IPI/IFF:
- In May 1990 ISO/IEC/JTC1/SC24/WG1 approved it as a "New Work
Item Proposal on Imaging" (document N138).
- There is an article about IPI in IEEE Computer Graphics &
applications, March 1991, pp 61-70, "Requirements for the First
International Imaging Standard" written by Christof Blum, Georg
Rainer Hofmann and Detlef Kroemker.
- You may contact Rainer Hofmann at FhG-AGD, Germany. His
FAX number is +49-6151-155-119. He is the editor of Part 3
of the standard (IFF). His adress is
Fraunhofer Computer Graphics Research Institute
Wilhelminenstr. 7
W-6100 Darmstadt
Germany
- There is also a well known Amiga format called IFF. But this
seems to have nothing to do with the ISO standard. IPI
means Image Processing and Interchange Standard, IFF means
Image Interchange Format.
- IFF is ASN.1 encoded. This means it is compatible with OSI.
- The IPI standard has three parts:
1. the common imaging architecture
2. the application interface (API)
3. the image interchange format (IFF)
- IFF is based on a file format developped 1987 in Germany
(FTCRP = File for the Transfer of Colored Raster Pictures)
I am looking forward to further information. Thanks to
Murray Gilbert for some interesting information about
Amiga IFF.
Have fun ...
Markus
--
Markus Kuhn, Computer Science student -- University of Erlangen, Germany
E-mail: G=Markus;S=Kuhn;OU1=rrze;OU2=cnve;P=uni-erlangen;A=dbp;C=degraeme@labtam.labtam.oz (Graeme Gill) (05/24/91)
In article <934@macuni.mqcc.mq.oz>, s8922967@ipc05.mqcs.mq.oz.au (Murray John GILBERT) writes: > In article <mskuhn.674828211@faui09> mskuhn@faui09.informatik.uni-erlangen.de (Markus Kuhn) writes: > >I have heard about a new ISO standard called IPI. It defines > >a file format (IFF) for raster graphics as well as an API. > > This sounds very very suspiciously like the IFF format used on the amiga > and if it is not then I can say to the ISO that that name has been taken > already. And IPI is already taken. It is a storage device interface standard (Intelligent Peripheral Interface). It would be nice if ISO would take the trouble to reduce rather than increase confusion. Graeme Gill