Re: Simple Vector file format for Web?

Ahuja, Chander M (cahuja@sct.Arco.COM)
Mon, 31 Jul 95 17:56:07 EDT

|> >
|> >Peter K. Sheerin wrote to html-wg@oclc.org:
|> >
|> >> I have seen two discussions on supporting vector files on the web,
|> >> complete with hyperlinks in the vector image. One was an extension of CGM,
|> >> and the other was a new format called SVF.
|> >>
|> >> What is the current status of either of these proposals?
|>
|> While I think it could be a good idea to have standards such as IGES and
|> CGM as MIME types, and have extensions in them for URLs, I think
|> a warning is appropriate here:
|>
|> These formats are in no way "Simple Vector file formats" as the subject
|> suggests! Most CAD packages can output subsets of some of these
|> standards, and can then read back what they wrote. But you are very
|> lucky if a package can read what another package wrote, even
|> if both use the same standard.
....[snip]....

just FYI - there is a CGM extension called CGM PIP-I (Petroleum Industry
Profile ?) and an upcoming CGM PIP-II (more extensions....) that are being
put to use. In general "we" (the Petroleum industry) felt that although
CGM was such a commonly used format in our industry's applications, the
extensions were not particularly "portable" from app-to-app as pointed
to above, thus a consortium set out to put that right - creating the PIP
extensions....Zeh Graphics along with POSC (Petrotechnical Open Software Corp
- Houston Tx)
members did work on the PIP extensions and can be contacted for more info.

-chander
cahuja@sct.arco.com