1. What is the difference between WebCGM and CGM?

    The World Wide Web Consortium has released the WebCGM profile, which has been developed in collaboration with CGM Open. A lot of CGM users want to know about the differences between WebCGM and CGM in general, so here is an overview.

  2. Which files can I use in WebCGM viewers?

    Very often, CGM users try to use generic CGM files in WebCGM viewers without success. Here is an overview what you should watch out for.

  3. What is WebCGM?

    WebCGM is a new profile of the CGM standard (ISO/IEC 8632) that describes how CGM vectors, raster, and hybrid graphics are to be used on the Web. It is a consensus of users and vendors of CGM on a way to exchange dynamic, hyperlinked CGM files over the Web.

  4. What is the significance of WebCGM...why is it important?

    WebCGM provides a vendor-neutral standard for 2D graphics that enables creators and consumers to exchange, view, and browse intelligent, vector, raster, or hybrid graphics very reliably. For the first time, users are able to create graphics in one tool and view/browse them in another, without loss or distortion of information.

  5. Who implements WebCGM-based tools and who uses them?

    Several members of the CGM Open OASIS Member Section have committed to support WebCGM in the next release of their respective software products. Support of WebCGM in a wide variety of drawn and viewing packages is anticipated as WebCGM gains acceptance in the Web publishing market. The U.S. Navy is considering WebCGM as a standard and a variety of companies and industry groups, which currently rely on CGM as an exchange standard, have expressed interest in adopting WebCGM.

  6. What will drive WebCGM's implementation and utilization (adoption) and prohibit it from becoming standards "shelf ware"?

    The availability of reasonably priced authoring and viewing tools is essential for its success.

  7. How easy is WebCGM to implement?

    CGM toolkits are available for those who wish to build WebCGM capability into their products. Also, ready-to-use software components and standalone products for creating and viewing WebCGM files are available from a variety of vendors.

  8. How long will it take for CGM vendors to implement WebCGM?

    Please refer to the list of products.

  9. Will users of existing CGM-based products need to purchase WebCGM-compatible tools or will vendors automatically provide WebCGM capabilities as upgrades, without additional cost?

    It depends on the vendor. Some vendors who are already producing intelligent CGM files may choose to offer WebCGM at no additional charge. Others may choose to build new WebCGM products, or offer options to existing products.

  10. How is WebCGM different from other graphics standards?

    WebCGM is based on a stable, open, ISO standard. Unlike raster image file formats, which represent pictures as arrays of pixels, WebCGM represents abstract graphical elements such as lines, circles, ellipses, text strings, and curves. These abstract elements can be grouped together into a variety of graphical objects and these objects can be defined to have prescribed behaviors. This makes it very easy to create graphical presentations, which react to user inputs in interesting ways.

  11. Why was WebCGM issued as a W3C Recommendation?

    A strong working relationship exists between the W3C and ISO/IEC SC24, the ISO subcommittee responsible for developing and maintaining the CGM standard. Many of the CGM Open experts involved in drafting the WebCGM profile are also active in SC24 work and have worked on other joint projects with the W3C. The WebCGM effort is a good example of how ISO and consortia such as OASIS and the W3C can successfully collaborate to bring strong, stable, useful standards to the marketplace in a very short time.