Computer Graphics Metafile (CGM) is an ISO standard, defined by ISO/IEC
8632:1999, for the interchange of 2D vector and mixed vector/raster graphics.
WebCGM is a profile of CGM, which adds Web linking and is optimized for Web
applications in technical illustration, electronic documentation, geophysical
data visualization, and similar fields. First published (1.0) in 1999 and
followed by a second
(errata) release in 2001, WebCGM unifies potentially diverse approaches
to CGM utilization in Web document applications. It therefore represents a
significant interoperability agreement amongst major users and implementers
of the ISO CGM standard.
WebCGM 2.0 adds a DOM (API) specification for programmatic access to
WebCGM objects, and a specification of an XML Companion File (XCF)
architecture, for externalization of non-graphical metadata. WebCGM 2.0, in
addition, builds upon and extends the graphical and intelligent content of
WebCGM 1.0, delivering functionality that was forecast for WebCGM 1.0, but
was postponed in order to get the standard and its implementations to users
expeditiously.
The design criteria for WebCGM aim at a balance between graphical
expressive power on the one hand, and simplicity and implementability on the
other. A small but powerful set of standardized metadata elements supports
the functionalities of hyperlinking and document navigation, picture
structuring and layering, and enabling search and query of WebCGM picture
content.
This section describes the status of this document at the time of its
publication. Other documents may supersede this document. A list of current
W3C publications and the latest revision of this technical report can be
found in the W3C technical reports index
at http://www.w3.org/TR/.
Publication as a Candidate Recommendation does not imply endorsement by
the W3C Membership. This is a draft document and may be updated, replaced or
obsoleted by other documents at any time. It is inappropriate to cite this
document as other than work in progress.
W3C publishes a Candidate
Recommendation to indicate that the document is believed to be stable and
to encourage implementation by the developer community. The WebCGM Working
Group expects to request that the Director advance this document to Proposed
Recommendation when the following exit criteria have been met:
- Sufficient reports of implementation experience have been gathered to
demonstrate that the WebCGM 2.0 features are implementable and are
interpreted in a consistent manner. To do so, the Working Group will
insure that all features in the WebCGM 2.0 specification have been
implemented at least twice in an interoperable way. This defined this as :
- the implementations have been developed independently,
- each test in the WebCGM 2.0 test suite has at least two passing
implementations.
- The Working Group releases a public test suite
for WebCGM 2.0 along with a preliminary implementation
report.
The WebCGM 2.0 test suite will add to the WebCGM 1.0 test suite at least
one test case for any new feature introduced in WebCGM 2.0, covering the new
DOM-related and XCF features, and the new static and "intelligence"
features.
The preliminary Interoperability Implementation Report shows that most
WebCGM 2.0 features are already implemented. Therefore the Candidate
Recommendation period is short and will end on 06 October 2006.
The Working Group has identified the following features as "at risk". If
not interoperably implemented by the end of the Candidate Recommendation
period, these features will be modified as shown below, in the WebCGM Profile
of the Proposed Recommendation version.
- Performance requirements for pattern size aspect of definable patterns:
loosen rendering conformance requirement
- Performance requirements for Mitre Limit: loosen rendering conformance
requirement
- Text on a path: remove feature
This document was developed by the WebCGM Working Group, part
of the Graphics Activity.
The Working Group expects to advance this Working Draft to Recommendation
Status. The list of changes made since the last public Working Draft is
available in Appendix
D1.
This specification is based, in large part, on a work by the same name, WebCGM 2.0 an OASIS Committee
Specification submitted to W3C as WebCGM 2.0 Submission. This
Member Submission is related to the previous W3C work on WebCGM 1.0, and
draws on experiences with that format from implementors and users over five
years. This Working Draft incorporates feedback and discussion following the
Submission.
Please send comments on this document to the working group's public email
list public-webcgm@w3.org
(public
archive). Use "[CR Comment]" in the subject line of your email.
Publication as a Candidate Recommendation does not imply endorsement by
the W3C Membership. This is a draft document and may be updated, replaced or
obsoleted by other documents at any time. It is inappropriate to cite this
document as other than work in progress.
This document was produced by a group operating under the 5 February 2004
W3C Patent Policy. W3C maintains a public list of any
patent disclosures made in connection with the deliverables of the group;
that page also includes instructions for disclosing a patent. An individual
who has actual knowledge of a patent which the individual believes contains
Essential
Claim(s) must disclose the information in accordance with section
6 of the W3C Patent Policy.