2005.05.19 20:59 "[Tiff] tiff subsets", by Antoine

2005.05.24 12:09 "Re: [Tiff] tiff subsets", by Joris Van Damme

Antoine,

One of our clients needs to have his files in ATA2100 format and this specification is a subset of the tiff standard. Would there be any interest in adding a section of "known subsets" to the website?

It may be that I'm self-centered, and if so please forgive me, but I'm not sure whether you're talking about the LibTiff site (http://www.remotesensing.org/libtiff/) or the TIFF section over at AWare Systems (http://www.awaresystems.be/imaging/tiff.html).

My personal point of view, for what that's worth, is to be sceptical of any 'subset' or 'extension' on top of TIFF... We've seen RFC2301 that added the GlobalParametersIFD tag and redefined YCbCrSubsampling tags, and we're currently discussing the thumbnail scheme of TIFF/EP. These are two major examples, I think, of how 'subsets' or 'extensions' can be very respectable, and nevertheless violate the spirit of TIFF to some degree. I'm extra sceptical of specs that require payment, I'm not an open source prophet but I do feel that at least data formats should be free and open, and TIFF itself is. Also, I simply don't plan to pay for sources of information that serve in building and maintaining a completely free website that is pure community service.

That being said, I'm always all ears when it comes to useful extensions of the TIFF content that I maintain. 'Known subsets' would indeed possibly be useful, though there are a couple of other at least equally good ideas still in the pipeline.

Most importantly, however, I don't have a clue what ATA2100 is, what it is for, how widely it is used, and whether it respects the specification and spirit of TIFF... Possibly you're able to elaborate on that?

Joris Van Damme
info@awaresystems.be
http://www.awaresystems.be/
Download your free TIFF tag viewer for windows here:
http://www.awaresystems.be/imaging/tiff/astifftagviewer.html