Subject: Quick report on MPEG-4 meeting in Rennes

From: Steve Carson <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 29 Sep 1997 11:38:36 -0600

SC24 and the VRML Consortium participated in a successful meeting with SC
29/ WG 11 (MPEG-4) in Rennes, France last week. We agreed to investigate
the feasibility of merging our efforts and making our future work "joint"
in areas where it overlaps. Specifically, this is what will happen if all
goes well:

1) MPEG-4 will make a normative reference to (possibly a profile of) VRML;
2) There will be a common binary encoding that can be used by both MPEG-4
and VRML;
3) In areas of overlap (such a the VRML functional specification, the BIFS
application of VRML to MPEG-4, the VRML binary encoding, and many areas of
work not yet fully ready for standardization  -- such as face and
body/humanoid encoding and streaming media) we will move to make the work
joint between the two committees (i.e. joint meetings and joint ballots.)

In light of the cooperative attitude shown by all, I agreed to seek the
concurrence of both SC 24 and the VRML Consortium that the MPEG-2 WD text
be allowed to remain a "derivative work" of the VRML specification for the
next few months as we work together to re-structure the document along the
lines described above. (Recall that our last liaison statement to them
demanded that they remove the derived text immediately.) If anyone objects
to this, please let me know by 1700 CET tomorrow (Tuesday 30 September.)

Below you will find the text of the situation summary and plan that was
prepared and discussed the last afternoon of the MPEG-4 meeting in Rennes.
I will separately circulate the last "proposal" made by each side to the
other that lead up to this plan:

- - -
Achievements

1. Common will to converge the two activities and specifications,
2. Two proposals for a collaborative framework,
3. Technical understanding of each other,
4. Nice trip to Saint Malo.

Proposed Workplan

Collaborative framework

1. Present the two proposals to a broader audience,
2. Receive feedback,
3. Construction of a common position that will be presented as a MPEG-4
BIFS AHG recommendations and SC24 and VRML Consortium liaison for the next
Fribourg meeting (27th-31st of October) for the short term (MPEG-4 Version
1.0 and VRML) and the long term (MPEG-4 Version 2.0 and future evolution of
VRML).
4. Development of a formal "Cooperative Agreement" among the VRML
Consortium, SC29 and SC24 defining how the work will be accomplished.

Until then, given the three options we have for the specification :
Option 1 : Self contained specification (i.e. copy text from VRML into
MPEG-4, or create new text),
Option 2 : Reference to individual nodes (i.e. make normative references to
individual subclasses of VRML)
Option 3 : Reference to a VRML profile,

Given the fact that option 1 is not acceptable by the VRML community, that
option 3 requires joint work by the two communities, option 2 is the only
practical option for the short term (before Fribourg).

Editors : Steve & Olivier
Where : On the MPEG-4/VRML Consortium WG reflector and on the MPEG-4
Systems WD reflector (Subject : CF : 
When : From now on to Fribourg for point 3, t.b.d. for point 4.

Completion of common nodes and concepts

1. Identification of the common nodes (i.e. the subsets of VRML that is
subject to MPEG normative reference to the VRML specification),
2. Identification of the issues that have to be worked on so that the
reference can be made in a meaningful way,
3. Discussion/Resolution/Documentation of these issues.
4. Contribution to Fribourg.

Editors : Yon & Julien & Dick
Where : On the MPEG-4/VRML Consortium WG reflector and on the MPEG-4
Systems BIFS reflector. (Subject CN :
When : From now on to Fribourg.

Completion of other nodes

1. Documentation of the other nodes (i.e. nodes that are unique to MPEG-4
or extensions to VRML),
2. Concepts/Syntax/Semantic checking,
3. Contribution to Fribourg.

Editors : Jeff. & Liam & Dick
Where : On the MPEG-4 Systems BIFS reflector (Subject : ON :
When : From now on to Fribourg.

Binary format

1. Initialization of a convergence process,
2. Evaluation of the possible ways of convergence,
3. Development of a formal "Cooperative Agreement" among the VRML
Consortium, SC29 and SC24 defining how the work will be accomplished.
4. Decision and application of a workplan.

Editors : Julien & Touradj & Gabriel
Where : On the VRML binary format WG reflector and on the MPEG-4 Systems
BIFS reflector. (Subject : BF :
When : Decision within the three coming weeks, then joint work till Fribourg.

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Steve Carson                 phone:   +1-505-521-7399
GSC Associates Inc.          fax:     +1-505-521-9321
5272 Redman Road             e-mail:  [email-masked]
Las Cruces, NM 88011 USA
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