🚀 go-pugleaf

Speaking as one of the document editors of this standard, let me say a
few words which I hope will be representative of the imaging group as
a whole.

We (the imaging group) are keen for information on the standard to be
disseminated as widely as possible, and that could include, for
example, making the documents available in machine-readable form,
probably as PostScript.  We are certainly discussing the matter.
However, we are somewhat constrained in this by the rules under which
ISO operate.  For example, when documents reach draft international
standard stage, ISO owns the copyright and electronic (=> free)
distribution to the `general public' (i.e., anyone not involved in the
national or international standardization process) may be prohibited:
the sale of standards documents helps finance most national standards
bodies.

A few comments on things people have said:

> The ISO standards are the Programmer's Imaging Kernel System.

No.  PIKS is only one part of "Image Processing and Interchange", the
other -- and equally important -- part being the "Image Interchange
Format".  However, measured in pages, PIKS wins, with 850 vs 113!

> They
> are currently being reviewed in the US by ANSI committee X3H3.8, the
> next meeting of which is being held in Lowell, MA, August 10-12.

It is also being reviewed by all other ISO `P' members.  A vote on the
Committee Draft documents will complete on 4th Sept, and the next ISO
imaging meeting will be in October in Germany.  Another draft should
follow that meeting -- but whether it will be a second Committee Draft
or a Draft International Standard depends on national bodies'
comments.

> The only public reference I have to this work is...

There are papers by all three document editors in Proc SPIE vol 1659.
I also wrote a short status report which I posted to comp.graphics
some months ago: if anyone would like a copy, please contact me (I
shan't post it unless I'm overwhelmed with requests).

For interested parties, there will be a one-day introduction to IPI at
the Eurographics conference in Cambridge (UK) in early September.  I'm
too modest to say who will be giving it.  I shall try to negotiate
with Eurographics to let me make the notes publically available.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions (or post them
to the newsgroup: I guess there are other people who are interested).

--
 Dr Adrian F. Clark                                   JANET: alien@uk.ac.essex
 INTERNET: alien%uk.ac.essex@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk          FAX: (+44) 206-872900
 BITNET: alien%uk.ac.essex@ac.uk              PHONE: (+44) 206-872432 (direct)
 Dept ESE, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, Essex, C04 3SQ, UK.