Subject: Steamboat Spring Chairmans Report

From: "Barry J. Shepherd" <[email-masked]>
Date: 14 Aug 93 16:22:35 EDT

TO: JTC1 Secretariat

FROM:  Dr. Barry J Shepherd
	  Chairman of JTC1 SC24

1.	SUBJECT: Chairman's report on Steamboat Springs CO meeting of SC24  

ISO/IEC JTC1 SC24 and its working groups held a productive meeting at Steamboat Springs Colorado, USA in the period from July 6 through 16, 1993.  There was also a collocated meeting of SC18/WG5 during the period from July 6 through 10th.  The SC18/WG5 meeting included a two day meeting of colour experts, which was attended by experts from SC24.  There were 62 experts from 11 countries who attended the SC24 meetings, and 9 P-members were present at the SC24 closing plenary meeting.  Apologies were received from Brazil and Slovakia.

The meeting missed the presence of Fr. Wilke, our efficient and friendly secretary, who was not able to attend due to an accident.  Three other people combined to do the job which she normally does, but not in the same way that she does it.  We were especially sad that we could not thank her personally, at what would have been her last meeting as our secretary, since DIN will relinquish the SC24 secretariat at the end of September.  We are very pleased that BSI has agreed to pick up the secretariat responsibility.   

TECHNICAL MATTERS

There were three major technical accomplishments at this meeting.  First, we produced a very detailed response to the technical comments raised during the NP ballot on PREMO, Presentation Environments for Multimedia Objects.  This included refined text for the goals statement in the NP, and an extensive list of  committees, working groups, and projects with which liaison will be required.  We believe that the distinction between the multimedia activities of SC24 and other groups should now be clear.

Our second major technical achievement was the processing of comments on the DIS ballot for the IPI (Image Processing and Interchange) standard.  All three parts of the text were recommended for progression to IS, with final text to be available later this fall.  An amendment was proposed to part three of IPI which deals with image data interchange, to increase the possibility of inter working between CGM and IPI environments.

The third major area addressed was the five year review cycle for PHIGS, the Programmers Hierarchical Interactive Graphics System.  The decision was reached to reaffirm the standard without change for another five years, while starting work on a set of 5 amendments.  When these amendments are finished (in early 1995) they will be incorporated into the existing PHIGS text and republished.  It was felt this approach would permit technical enhancements while protecting the investments of both PHIGS implementors and PHIGS users.

Under other matters, we considered how to handle a requested period of overlap during which both GKS:1985 and GKS:1994(?) would be valid.  It was decided to solicit national body input on this matter, with a position paper being provided by the document editors.  One complication is that the existing GKS binding is to FORTRAN 77, while the new GKS will be bound to FORTRAN 90.  A decision on the action which SC24 would like ITTF to take on this matter will be reached in our June 1994 meeting in Bordeaux.       

The meeting of SC18/WG5 which was collocated with the SC24 meeting included a two day meeting of color experts.  This provided an opportunity for SC24 experts to learn about the needs and activities of  other groups interested in the interchange and presentation of color information in a calibrated environment.  This meeting reaffirmed my personal view that the most effective liaison is by means of personal representation, collocated meetings, and shared membership.  SC24 and its working groups will continue its efforts to have collocated meetings with the working groups of other SCs.

ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS

SC24 has extended the terms of reference of its WG1 by giving it responsibility to "Coordinate and oversee the development and maintenance of internal SC24 management information, including a strategic plan."  The contents of both the strategic plan and other standing documents will be addressed at a meeting of WG1 early in 1994 in Europe.  Action on the proposals will be taken at the June 1994 meeting of SC24.  This separate meeting of WG1 will permit SC24 experts who normally must take part in technical discussions of other WGs to contribute to the future planning for SC24.

AS part of our normal maintenance of the SC24 program of work, WG1 reviewed the productivity of SC24, and produced the following table of information

	Work Items published before 12/91			23

	Work Items published between 12/91 and 7/93	16

	Work Items published between 7/93 and 12/93	14  (planned)

	Work Items at DIS at year end 1993			2

	Work Items at CD at year end 1993			8

	Work items at CD or earlier at year end 1993	2

It is apparent that SC24 continues to produce standards (some of which are over 1000 pages in length) at an increasing rate.

We continue to track liaison statements both sent and received by SC24.  With the absence of our secretary from this meeting, we did not produce as complete an analysis of  incoming and SC24 initiated liaison statements as hoped for, but we expect to bring such a report to the next JTC1 meeting.

Under other matters, SC24 approved a resolution to seek Category C liaison status for both the Object Management Group (OMG) and the Interactive Multimedia Association (IMA) once the PREMO work item is formally approved and assigned to SC24.  The Imaging group was joined by two experts from CEN TC251/WG4 who wish to use the IPI standard as the basis for a profile to support medical image processing and interchange.  SC24 will work with the JTC1 secretariat and ITTF to formalize these liaison activities.

SC24 established study groups for three topics.  The results are to be circulated before the June 1994 meeting of SC24.
  
    1.	We are investigating candidate formal specification languages for use in describing at least the data types in PREMO.

     2.	We will study Graphical User Interfaces, focusing on GUI standardization trends and their impact on the work of SC24.

     3.	We will study the program of work of ITU-TS, in an effort to determine if liaison needs to be established between any of our projects and any "questions" in ITU-TS.

The Steamboat Springs, Colorado USA meeting location provided an extremely pleasant environment in  which to work, and to enjoy our limited time off.  I would like to believe that all the participants not only produced major technical advances in the work of SC24, but also had an enjoyable time.

						Respectfully submitted

						Dr. Barry J Shepherd
						Chairman of  JTC1 SC24 
	ISO/IEC SC24 N1043

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