🚀 go-pugleaf

     I head the following material with an OCr  machine.   I
have corrected some misread words.  I apologize for any mis-
takes.

        Robert S. Jaquiss Jr.
        robertj@tekgen.bv.tek.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Special Interest Group on CD-ROM Applications& Technology

December 7,1989 Meeting

     The December 7 SIGCAT meeting will return to the pic-
turesque setting of the U.S. Geological Survey in Reston,
Va. The theme of the holiday SIGCAT session, starting at
9:15 a.m in the main auditorium, is what many believe to
be the future of CD-ROM--multimedia. Although we are
only just beginning to explore the vast potential of CD-
ROM, it's often useful and always fun to fantasize a bit
about what lies ahead for this exciting medium. When one
goes beyond text and begins to incorporate features like
graphics, maps, animation, and sound, the information
transfer goes up exponentially. Then we can really begin to
take advantage of that multimedia multisensory processor
we all carry around in our craniums.

     We're fortunate in the CD-ROM industry to have lead-
ing-edge organizations like the Microsoft Corporation,
which possess both the vision and the wherewithal not only
to explore the future but also to play a significant role in
shaping it. Certainly the CD-ROM industry would not be
where it is today if it were not for the vision of people like
Bill Gates, who recognized the potential of this new medium
and then committed significant resources to underwriting
the embryonic phase that we are now passing through.
Things like sponsoring the annual Microsoft CD-ROM con-
ferences, developing the MIcrosoft CD-ROM Extensions,
and pioneering the concept of a multimedia encyclopedia
are not trivial endeavors. Indeed, they are the acts of true
believers. As such, it's quite appropriate that Microsoft is
now continuing to invest in the futare with the creation of
an entirely new corporate entity dedicated to the next phase
of CD-ROM--multimedia.

     "Over the next few years, a radically new form of per-
sonal computer will emerge that combines high-speed
processors, high-resolution displays, and optical media,"
says Bitt, co-founder and CEO of Microsoft. "These multi-
media personal computers will appeal to both the home and
business users. The charter of the new Multimedia Division
at Microsoft is to lead our work in this area." Thus, on June
5,1989, the Multimedia Division was born, dedicated to the
development and marketing of multimedia systems
software and consumer products. SIGCAT is pleased to
have Ron Glaser, general manager for the Multimedia Sys-
tems Group, at the December meeting to share with us
Microsoft's vision of the future relative to multimedia and
CD-ROM. Ron will outline the brief history of the PC
market for CD-ROM and the emergence of multimedia in
this market. Be sure to attend Ron's presentation and get a


peek at the computing platform of tomorrow from the
Microsoft perspective.

     Since multimedia is still a relatively new environment to
most CD-ROMers, we thought it would be appropriate to
dedicate this month's Technology Tutorial to exploring ex-
actly what multimedia entails. We are fortunate to have one
of the industry's recopm experts on the subject to help
us navigate through these unfamiliar waters. Doug Carson,
president of DCA, Inc., will put things in perspective by first
defining multimedia-related terms in plain English. He will
then cover the related topics of mixed-mode, multimode,
file interleaving, data compression, multichannel, and sub-
channel techniques. A basic understanding of these con-
cepts is essential in determining whether CD-ROM, CD-I,
CD-XA, DVI, CD-G, or some other technology is ap-
propriate for your intended applications. Doug has written
many articles on the subject, several of which will be
reprinted and made available (courtesy of CD Data Report
and Diversified Data Resources, Inc.) at the meeting.

     One of the definite signs that CD-ROM has "arrived" can
been seen in the coverage that it is now receiving in the mass
media. A recent Cable Network News story presented an in-
depth look at the incredible new Compton's Multimedia En-
cyclopedia. Not only does this product embody all 8.8
million words found in the printed version of the famous
reference series, but it also includes 15,000 pictures and il-
lustrations (VGA resolution), 65,000 dictionary entries, 60
minutes of sound (20 minutes of which are used to
"pronounce" over 1,500 glossary terms), and 45 separate
animation sequences! Presenting this truly remarkable
achievement will be Larry Van Cantfort, director of techni-
cal services at Britannica Software (an Encyclopedia
Britannica company). If you want a true glimpse of the fu-
ture, you must catch Len's prmntafion. What a Christmas
present this would make!

     Multimedia is fast finding its way into the business world
as well as the fields of education and entertainment (some
say "edutainment"). One of the first companies to effective-
ly cmbine high-resolution color graphics linked to fun text
was the KnowledgeSet Corporation. Its highly accimed
Boeing 757 maintenance manual application proved that
multimedia can bring technical documentation to life.
KnowledgeSet is now moving into audio, animation, and
other techniques that will greatly enhance the effectiveness
of CD-ROM in training, maintenance, and other business


applications. Chris Bowman, director of marketing, will
present KnowledgeSet's view of multimedia technology
and provide examples from recent projects involving the
European Space Agency as well as the Guinness Disc of
Records (at a stocking-stuffer price, no less).

     After you've had a chance to digest both your lunch and
the morning's Technology Tutorial, Doug Carson will
retum to present a session on multimedia standards (or lack
thereof). In this session, Doug will address the current dif-
ficulties in getting multimedia CD's created, simulated, and
mastered, including a brief history of the various attempts
to solve these problems. A Disc Description Protocol (DDP)
has been proposed as a standardized solution to these
problems. The proposal apparently makes a lot of sense, as
many mastering facilities are now supporting DDP. Doug
will provide a comprehensive overview on the subject,
again complete with corresponding CD Data " article
reprints. For those of you contemplating the use of multi-
media in your CD-ROM applications, the DDP might make
your life as lot easier.

     CD-ROM and multimedia go hand in hand for one
simple reason. Multimedia, by its very nature, usually re-
quires significant amounts of digital storage. CD-ROM is
now recognized as the ideal vehicle for the mass distribu-
tion of huge amounts of digital information. Thus, when a
publisher such as Electromap, Inc., decides to produce a
product containing things like statistical and topographic
maps of the entire world, CD-ROM is the obvious medium
of choice. The Electromap World Atlas is a computer-based
reference work that is actually an atlas, an almanac, and a
world fact book aB rolled into one. It contains 239 full-color
thematic, relief, and reference maps as well as facts and
statistics on more than 55 different topics for every country
in the world. Both maps and text can be printed or exported
to other software in a wide variety of formats. 'The high
quality maps, comprehensive text, and intuitive interface
make the Electromap World Atlas a useful reference and re-
search tool for students, librarians, and globe-trotters. Dick
Smith, the president of Electromap, will be on hand to
demonstrate this innovative product. Priced at a very
reasonable $159.00, it provides yet another possibility for
the last-minute Christmas shopper.

     A Geographic Information Systems (GIS), although
generally not yet employing multimedia in the convention-
al sense, does use multilevel data to analyze and display in-
terrelated data. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is
heavily committed to GIS and houses a major multigigabyte
cartographic database of Digital Line Graph (DLG) vector
information. Several companies are now using these DLG
files as a basis for value-added commercial products. One
such company is the TerraLogics Corporation, which has
just produced a CD-ROM containing geographic data and
allowing extremely rapid display and control of the myriad
layers of data inherent in the DLG database. Matt


which, among other things, can simultaneously display
USGS DLG, GBF/DIWFIILE, and TIGERFILE data on a
variety of computing environments, including MS-DOS,
MS-Windows, VAX/VMS, and UNIX.

     Historically, the manufacturing of compact discs, includ-
ing CD-ROM, has necessitated facilities requiring tens of
millions of dollars worth of capital investment, clean-room
environments, and highly trained, highly skilled personnel.
CD Audio has subsidized the majority of these endeavors to
date, allowing CD-ROM to "piggy-back" on these produc-
tion facilities. As their experience has increased, many
facilities have recognized that the requirements for produc-
ing CD-ROM discs are somewhat different. Typical runs of
CD-ROM discs are much smaller than audio runs, quality
assurance is more critical, and quick turnaround time is
often a high- priority item. In addition, concern for the con-
fidentiality of the data going onto some CD-ROM's--par-
ticularly from the Department of Defense and other
intelligence agencies--is growing. Sensing this dichotomy,
a company called Optical Digital Mastering (ODM) cur-
rently the world's largest supplier of traditional mastering
equipment) has developed and introduced an integrated CD-
ROM manufacturing system aimed at those organizations
for which a total "in-house" mastering and replication sys-
tem makes sense. Dave Pushic, general manager at ODM,
will present a brief description of the equipment and proces-
ses and discuss the issues and tradeoffs involved in consider-
ing in-house versus contract CD-ROM production.

     Activity in several of the SIGCAT Working Groups has
been growing to the point where it now seems useful to
schedule some of these meetings to coincide with the full
SIGCAT meeting. Thus, we have arranged for the ISO 9660
Working Group and the CD-ROM Data Origination Work-
ing Group (CDOWG) to meet the day before SIGCAT,
December 6, at the USGS in conference room BA-102A.
This conference room is located directly adjacent to the
Survey's marvelous cafeteria, home of our famous frozen
yogurt.

     Parking for December's SIGCAT meeting is unrestricted
along the designated roadside areas around the Survey
building. The meeting will be held in the main auditorium
of the U.S. Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive,
Reston, Va. If you need additional directions, please can
(703) 648-4452 for verbal instructions. If all else fails, I can
(eventually) be reached on (703) 648-7126 or FI'S 959-7126
for questions.




EJ. (jerry) McFaul
Computer Scientist, U.S. Geological Survey


SIGCAT - December 7,1989 - AGENDA


9:15 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Opening Remarks

9:30 a.m. - 10:30 am.
Doug Carson, President
DCA, Inc. - (918) 225-0346

10:30 am. - 11:00 a.m.
Rob Glaser, General Manager, Multimedia Systen:s Group
Microsoft Corporation - (206) 882-8361

11:00 a.m. - 11:30 am.
Larry Van Cantfort, Director of Technical Services
Briuffica Software (415) 546-1866

11:30 am, - 12:00 p.m.
Chris Bowman, Director ofmarketing
KnowledgeSet Corporation - (415) 968-9888

12:00 pm. - 12:45 p.m.
Lunch

12:45 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Worldng Group Updates

1:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Doug Carson, President
DCA, Inc. - (918) 225-0346

1:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Dick Smitk President
Electromap, Inc. - (501) 442-2309

2:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Matt Goldwonn, Vice President of Technology
TeffaUgics Coqwration - (603) 889-1800

2:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Dave Pushic, General Manager
Optical Disc Mastering - (704) 542-5305


Co-Located
- SIGCAT Working Group Meetings -

ISO 9660 Working Group

     The ISO 9660 Working Group auks the progress of the
ISO 9660 logical format standard as it is being implemented
on various computing platforms.

Wednesday, December 6,1989
9:30 am. - 11:30 a.m.
USGS - Room BA-102A

For additional information, please contact Barbara Rose,
Army Corps of Engineers, (202) 355-3029.



CDOWG
- CD-ROM Data Origination Working Group -

     The CDOWG is a network of users of premastering
workstation equipment. AU brands of manufacturers are
represented in this group, which provides both a technical
support network as well as a forum for maintaining a
dialogue with industry.

Wednesday, December 6,1989
12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
USGS - Room BA-102A


     For additional information, please contact Lee
Brotzman, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, (301) 286-
6953.


Other Working Groups

     Additional SIGCAT working groups (listed below) con-
tinue to focus on other issues involving CD-ROM technol-
ogy. Pleam contact the comsponding chair for information
on the group and the next meeting information.


Search Software

Chair - George Knapp - Geological Survey-
703/648-6823

     This working group is constantly evaluating new search
software which is applicable to CD-ROM applications. A
matrix of software products and their various functional
characteristics has been created and is available to SIGCAT
members.


SIGLIT

Special Interest Group on Library Information
      Technology

      Chair - Susan David - Library of Congress-
      2021707-7169

     One of the most promising application areas for CD-
ROM is proving to be the library and information science
environment. The SIGLIT working group is very active in
this arena and holds its own meetings in addition the
scheduled SIGCAT meetings.


SIGACE

Special Interest Group for the Application of
      CD-ROM in Education

      Chair - Sheldon Fisher - DepL of Education-
      202/357-6699

     Another active working group is SIGACE which was
formed to examine, review and demonstrate CD-ROM discs
appropriate for use in training and education. Discs are
available for demonstration at the Department of
Education's Technology Resource Center, 80 F street,
Washington, DC. This group is also interested in reviewing
teacher training materials using CD-ROM for the effective
use of this medium in the classroom. Professional educators,
vendors and others interested in educational aspects of CD-
ROM should contact Mr. Fisher.


Common Index Working Group

      Chair: Lt. Larry Schanldn - U.S. Air Force-
      617/377-2105

     An effort is underway to look into the feasibility of
developing the specifications for a neutral or common index
for use with texwffl CD-ROM discs produced by the
Federal GovemmenL If such an index were available, or-
ganizations could produce CD-ROM discs complete with
indexes that could then be read by a variety of retrieval
software packages. This working group win serve as a focal
point for information on the status of such a common index-
ing structure.