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DIGITAL INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM
TO: Distribution DATE: 27-March-1989
FROM: Don Harbison
DEPT: Core Applications
Product Mgmt
EXT: 381-2408
LOC: ZK02-2/P10
ENET: SARAH::HARBISON
cc: Bill James
Jeff Rudy
SUBJECT: Color Application Taskforce: Meeting #1 MINUTES
These minutes are my attempt to capture the flow of the meet-
ing. If you encounter a wholesale lie, distortion or other
sin to reality please send mail and I will issue the cor-
rection(s). Otherwise I trust that silence will indicate
some measure of agreement to the facts as stated below.
The first COLOR APPLICATION TASKFORCE (CAT) meeting was aimed
at four primary goals:
1. Get to know each other; share work; build consensus re-
garding color application issues.
2. Build list of CAT Goals & Objectives
3. Review the current project work going on in our areas
of expertise
Page 2
4. Begin to define process for developing a coherent strat-
egy for building color applications on Digital systems
into the 1990s.
1 What Is the Problem?
Some comments on the nature of the color problem
o need to ensure color integrity
o need to design state-of-the-art systems architecture for
color
o need to author/create underlying philosophy or mission
statement to provide compass or value system when mak-
ing tradeoff choices
2 Review of Current Work
Peter Davis led a review of the proposed Color Architec-
ture positioning it as a pragmatic solution to a complex
set of problems.
Corrections and additions to the proposed architecture in-
clude:
o the need for a External Reference to assist in the col-
orimetric calibration.
o the need for Input block to the applications
o finalizations of the interrelationships between the ap-
plication color model and the device independent color
model or specification. Whatever the decision it will/must
be in harmony with ISO ODA/ODIF 8613 Colour Addendum and
ANSI X3V1 TG5 efforts.
Page 3
3 Color Integrity aka The Fidelity Problem
"How does one make a faithful reproduction (hardcopy) of
a workstation display?"
Jim Flatten discussed the problems currently encountered
with applications using PHIGS+.
Jay Bolgatz posed the problem of color reduction; e.g. how
to move from a 16.7M color display on a VAXstation 3520 to
an ink jet printer working with (4) colors?
Discussion followed on the sorry state of CRT manufactur-
ing in terms of its lack of consistent attention to col-
orimetry. The impact of video subsystems manufacturing on
color display and the hardcopy fidelity problem is insolu-
able without a reference white component to the color ar-
chitecture.
4 DSG-Color Printer Strategy: Rick Landau
DSG strategy is to work at boosting LJ250 sales via HostScript
efforts and work the long range issues with Kodak and other
color print engine manufactureres for the FY92 timeframe.
DEC-supported devices capable of color are not constrained
if they can live within the Print Systems Model. This in-
cludes Film Recorder devices.
Rick Landau stressed that Digital does NOT do color print
engines. And that any such animals that appear will be buy-
outs or joint development effort with OEMs of such devices.
Digital will continue to focus on how to ATTACH our sys-
tems through physical or software interfaces. If software
Page 4
then the need for a device independent color specification
is requirement.
DSG continues to look for conclusive evidence that it's pos-
sible to make a good business (PROFIT!) with color print-
ing devices.
5 DECchart's Color Problem
Carson Hovey outlined a problem from the DECchart appli-
cations developer's perspective:
User creates a color chart; user decides to mail the color
chart to a user with a B&W workstation display. What does
the color chart look like on the B&W display? How are its
semantics preserved?
Converting to grayscale is inappropriate and insufficient.
The solution requires writing color ->pattern transforma-
tion algorithms that preserve the visual integrity of the
semantics behind the original selection of colors in the
original color chart document. Moreover, the color -> pat-
tern conversion must not conflict with patterns already in
the data.
6 Redux of the Problem Statement
Spirited discussion returned to the floor on the topic of:
"How to refine the problem statement?"
The group agreed that there was more work to refine the prob-
lem statement. In my view, we need to structure the prob-
lem definition into its related parts; e.g. color integrity,
color U.I., color application portability. And then we need
Page 5
to build these statement(s) into a matrix where common work
can be focused to be most effective.
This will not be the (1) global PROBLEM STATEMENT that we
still need but it may help to generate it to everyone's sat-
isfaction. So we still need THE problem statement.
Once past this stage I propose that the classic strategic
business planning template be implemented. It runs as fol-
lows. Use this if you can. I believe it could be very use-
ful as we flesh out the color architecture and identify project
work that needs to be done.
1. a Mission Statement to include:
a. definitions
b. values
c. directions
2. a Strategy Statement to include:
a. definitions of the methodologies to be used
b. identification of the primary determinants for suc-
cessfully accomplishing the Mission
c. description of major phases and timeframes for im-
plementing the strategy
3. a set of Functional Plans from each engineering orga-
nization to ensure:
1. consistency
2. integration
3. full support of the Mission
Page 6
7 Action Items
1. EVERYONE to develop:
1. REFINED PROBLEM STATEMENT
2. MISSION STATEMENT (minimally)
These will be aired, discussed, and debated at the next
CAT meeting
2. Meet at least 1X/month {wishful thinking - dh/30-jun-1989}
3. Don Harbison to schedule CAT Meeting #2
4. Don Harbison to publish minutes
5. Don Harbison to copy the ISO 8613 DP (ODA/ODIF Colour
Addendum) and distribute.
6. Peter Davis and Don Harbison to modify the Color Archi-
tecture diagram as described above...and distribute
7. Jon Stewart to participate on the CAT to ensure link-
age with ODA/ODIF
8. Carson Hovey to establish a CAT Notes conference - pri-
vate membership
8 List of Attendees: CAT Meeting #1
o Eliot Tarlin, XUI Design
o Jay Bolgatz, DECwindows Toolkit Development
o Charles Dyer, ESG
o Bill Burling, Advanced Development, I/O Engr.
o John Ronan, DWICS
Page 7
o Peter Davis, DECpresenter, Paint Development Supv.
o Jim Flatten, Product Mgr., GKS/PHIGS/PHIGS+/PEX
o Rick Landau, Print Systems Program Mgr., (Printers/PostScript)
o Carson Hovey, DECchart Developer
o Don Harbison, Product Mgr., DECpresenter
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| DIGITAL INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM
TO: Distribution DATE: 25-April-1989
FROM: Don Harbison
DEPT: Core Applications
Product Mgmt
EXT: 381-2408
LOC: ZK02-2/P10
ENET: SARAH::HARBISON
cc: Bill James
Jeff Rudy
SUBJECT: Color Application Taskforce: Meeting #2 MINUTES
1 Agenda
1. Review Problem Statements
2. Color Standards Update - Bob Ulichney
3. CDA Color Extensions - Mark Bramhall
4. Wrap Up
2 Introduction
Copies of Problem Statements submitted to date were passed
out at the beginning of the meeting. I'll try and provide
an edited (hopefully condensed) version of these statements
below.
Page 2
New attendees were welcomed. The group doubled from 10 to
20 participants. An attendee list and VMSmail list is at-
tached as well. Cross communications on these issues is a
goal of the CAT, so make use of the lists accordingly.
3 Color Standards Update
Bob Ulichney gave a detailed account of the recent ANSI X3V1
TG5 Color Group Meeting. Please refer to his memo for com-
plete details. Some highlights of Bob's presentation:
o Four color spaces will be supported
o RGB - reference white must always be included; most
flexible color space from a transformation perspec-
tive; e.g. works easily for this broadest class of
color spaces; i.e. YUV, YES, ARgYb and CIEXYZ
o CYMK-included under pressure from print industry rep-
resentatives. Indicative of Adobe/Macintosh customers
& Graphic Arts industry collaboration. The most de-
vice dependent color space.
o CIELAB-Xerox customer base prefers
o CIELUV-Kodak invested here
o Polar coordinate color spaces HLS, HCV - not supported
o Color tolerance parameters necessary and key element for
all color spaces as a means to specify intent. What level
of error is acceptable in color space transformation?
o ANSI X3V1 TG5 represents the U.S. position and will be
advanced as such for the upcoming ISO 8613 (ODA/ODIF)
Colour Addendum
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4 CDA Color Extensions
Mark Bramhall followed Bob's talk with an explanation and
discussion of how CDA does color:
o Text and synthetic graphics = 'Programmers' RGB [ :-)]
o Image or Raster Graphics = the color spaces supported
in the the Image Display Services. These include the (4)
spaces currently supported in the standards work; RGB
+ ref. white, CIELUV, CIELAB.
Particular emphasis was given to the need to unify color
spaces for DDIF so that color is handled the same for all
environments; e.g. text, synthetic graphics and raster graph-
ics. Additionally, future CDA services may support routines
to convert one space to another.
Normalized RGB for display monitor specific RGB was dis-
cussed as an opportunity for the DECwindows Tookit. This
would provide a DECwindows user with a widget with which
to calibrate their personal workstation display.
John Weber's 'color matching algorithm' was mentioned as
a possible solution to the 'carnival color' problem wherein
an application with a private color map wreaks havoc with
the display color map. This shared color map approach has
been applied to raster images but may be most effective if
included in the DECwindows toolkit.
Mark spent time discussing the fallback requirements. Some
highlights:
o fallbacks to grayscale are ineffective and should not
be used by applications
o define DDIF 'patterns' for use with text drawing, line
drawing, filling as:
1. a solid color (including black and white)
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2. a standardized raster pattern
3. a user defined raster pattern
o Fallbacks are for direct color references where a DDIF
Pattern would be substituted in place of an gray scale
value.
o Expand the definition of DDIF solid colors to include
an optional field. This field provides the standard raster
number for use with fallbacks requiring non-color de-
vices.
5 List of Attendees: CAT Meeting #2
o Don Harbison, Core Application Prod. Mgmt, DECpresen-
ter
o Jay Bolgatz, DECwindows Toolkit Dev.
o Carson Hovey, DECchart/DECwrite Dev.
o John Ronan, DWICS
o Mark Bramhall, CDA
o Chris Kent, WRL - PostScript Dev.
o Bill Burling, DSG, Adv. Dev.
o Mark Sornson, ISG, VAXimage Services Dev.
o Bill McDonough, DSG, Color PostScript
o Bob Ulichney, ISG, Adv. Dev.
o Karen Korellis, Corp. Design
o Diane Hodes, Corp. Design
o David Comberg, Corp. Design
o Jim Flatten, Core Application Prod. Mgmt. GKS/PHIGS
o Charles Dyer, ESG
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o Kathy Robinson, CDA
o Eliot Tarlin, Software Useabilty
o Rick Landau, DSG, Print Systems Program Mgr.
o Peter Davis, Dev. Supv., Core Applications, DECpresen-
ter, DECpaint
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COLOR APPLICATION TASKFORCE - DISTRIBUTION LIST -
Note: If I have described your job responsibility/expertise
incorrectly or inaccurately please send me mail.
NM%CLT::TARLIN !ELIOT, USER INTERFACE DESIGN, SUE, ZK02-3/K06
NM%R2ME2::BOLGATZ !JAY, CLT - DECWINDOWS, ZK02-3/R56
NM%CLT::RONAN !JOHN, CLT - DECWINDOWS, ZK02-3/R56
NM%SARAH::P_DAVIS !PETER, CAG, PRESENTER/PAINT DEV. SUPR., ZK02-2/M28
NM%DSSDEV::FLATTEN !JIM, GKS, PHIGS, PROD. MGT., ZK02-2/P10
NM%HANNAH::LANDAU !RICK, PRINT SYSTEMS PROG. MGR., DSG, DSG1-2/C7
NM%PIXEL::HOVEY !CARSON, DECCHART DEV., CAG, ZK02-2/M28
NM%SARAH::HARBISON !DON, DECPRESENTER PROD. MGR., ZK02-2/P10
NM%SKETCH::HODES !DIANE, CORPORATE DESIGN, INDUSTRIAL DESIGN,
!ML011-3/L12
NM%GAUSS::ULICHNEY !BOB ULICHNEY, ISG Adv. Dev.
NM%GAUSS::WALLACE !GREG WALLACE, Mgr. ISG Adv. Dev.
NM%SKETCH::COMBERG !DAVE COMBERG, CORPORATE DESIGN, INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
NM%RAJA::MCDONOUGH !BILL, DSG, DSG1-1/M4
NM%CURIE::DYER !CHARLES, ESG, MRO4-3/C11
NM%DDIF::BRAMHALL !MARK BRAMHALL, CDA DEVELOPMENT
NM%WSL::SUSAN !SUSAN ANGEBRANNDT, ADOBE PRJ LDR., WSE
nm%DECWRL::KENT !CHRIS KENT, DECWRL - POSTSCRIPT DEV.
NM%REX::BURLING !BILL, ADVANCED DEV., I/O ENGR., DSG1-1/M4
nm%NUTMEG::PHADKE !Dilip Phadke, B/OIS Mktg.
NM%NUTMEG::PARADZICK !Chuck Paradzick, B/OIS Mktg.
NM%STAR::ORGOVAN !VINCE ORGOVAN, DECwindows Proj. Ldr.
NM%KOBAL::VANNOY !JAKE VANNOY, DECwindows Architect
NM%4GL::HURD !John Hurd, DECwindows Prod. Mgr.
NM%STAR::STEEVES !PAUL STEEVES, VMS Product Mgr.
NM%SMURF::BULLER !LAURIE BULLER, ULTRIX Product Mgr.
NM%CLT::M_COLLINS !MIKE COLLINS, DECWINDOWS TOOLKIT
NM%NOBOZO::WEBER !JOHN WEBER, IMAGE SYSTEMS GROUP
NM%EPIK::BUEHLER !JOHN BUEHLER, DECWRITE
NM%ORT::ORTHOBER !JEFF ORTHOBER, EPS SYSTEMS ENGINEERING
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DIGITAL INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM
TO: Distribution DATE: 19-July-1989
FROM: Don Harbison
DEPT: Core Applications
Product Mgmt
EXT: 381-2408
LOC: ZK02-2/P10
ENET: SARAH::HARBISON
cc: Bill James
Jeff Rudy
Colleen Goleman
Don Hedman
SUBJECT: Color Application Taskforce: July 13, 1989 - Meet-
ing #3 MINUTES
1 Agenda
1. CAT Organizational Discussion
2. DECwindows Toolkit & ISG Color Map Allocation Routines
3. Color Standards Update
4. Wrap Up & Action Items
Page 2
2 Organizational Proposal
Don Harbison led a discussion to create working groups within
the CAT membership. These workgroups are intended to re-
flect the key focus areas that have emerged over the past
series of meetings. They are:
o Applications Development & User Interface Workgroup
o Color Matching: Display to Hardcopy (Hardcopy Workgroup)
o Base systems toolkits and services: XUI, CDA & ISG (Base
Systems Workgroup)
It was agreed that work in these three areas needs to pro-
ceed with a monthly meeting schedule. The entire CAT group
plus individuals interested in a particular agenda topic
would be invited to participate in a quarterly forum.
If the CAT group remains manageable in size (<20) it would
likely mean that the smaller workgroup structure is unnec-
essary. The chairperson responsibilities for workgroup top-
ics and leadership were assigned as follows:
o Applications Development and User Interface Issues - Pe-
ter Davis/CAG
o Color Matching from Display to Hardcopy - Rick Landau/DSG
o Base Systems: Toolkits and Services - Mark Bramhall/CAG
Don Harbison will schedule a planning meeting with Peter,
Rick and Mark to set the calendar and working topics for
Q1 - Q2/FY90. An announcement will be issued the week of
August 7 - 11.
Page 3
3 Color Map Allocation Routines
John Weber, Image Systems Group, presented his work on color
map allocation routines. Although this work was originally
developed to solve some of the problems related to color
raster image display in DECwindows the methodology and so-
lution appears to be suitable to an X Window System work-
ing session where multiple windows are open running graphic
applications where color map integrity is desirable. De-
tailed discussions focused on the merits of including these
routines in the XUI Toolkit.
'Weber's Routines' are applied in a sequence of operations
which first includes dithering and compression algorithms
followed by histogramic calculation to determine color us-
age on a high - lo frequency basis. This result is used to
determine color map allocation to avoid color competition.
The results are considered to be indistinguishable in most
cases making it possible to retain color legibility and in-
tegrity within inactive windows.
It was noted that this is particularly desirable in the OSF/Motif
situation where window focus is applied simply by dragging
the cursor into a window; ie. changing active focus is even
more dynamic and potentially disruptive if colors maps are
arbitrarily cannibalized.
The CAT group conducted a lengthy discussion in this area
with agreement that the routines performed a valuable ser-
vice to applications and users of applications in the X Win-
dow System environment. Jake Vannoy was strongly urged to
consider including these routines in the XUI Toolkit for
future release.
Jake Vannoy indicated that M.I.T. Consortium would bene-
fit from this work, that Digital had leadership function-
ality here. The Interclient Communication Convention Man-
ual from the Consortium is the policy guide for how to ap-
ply the X Window System. Donna Convers at the M.I.T. Con-
Page 4
sortium is developing policy on how to use RGB and Grayscale
color maps but has no solution as fully developed as We-
ber's Routines. Jake will introduce John Weber to Donna Con-
vers at M.I.T. with the goal of contributing these routines
to the R4 tape via the Consortium.
There was no commitment from Jake to include the routines
in XUI toolkit although he was supportive. The consensus
of the CAT membership was that including these routines was
the right thing to do because of their value to applica-
tions developers and users. The question was more focused
on when.
4 Color Standards Update
Don Harbison gave a presentation on recent color standards
activities. The ANSI X3V1 TG5 taskgroup has been working
the Colour Addendum to ODA/ODIF (ISO 8613). At the recent
meeting of X3V1.5 (June 5 - 9) this group began work on a
new ISO Work Item known as TOSCA - Text & Office Systems
Color Architecture. TOSCA will be the color architecture
for all of SC18. This differs from the Colour Addendum which
only affects ODA. However, many of the same individuals in-
volved in the ODA Colour Addendum are now working to de-
velop TOSCA.
The TOSCA work is expected to take at least two to three
years before it goes to ballot as a Draft International Stan-
dard before ISO/IEC JTC1 SC18. Digital has an opportunity
to influence this standard while it's in its early stages.
Don will distribute his X3V1.5 Trip Report to CAT member-
ship.
Page 5
5 List of Attendees: CAT Meeting #3
o Don Harbison, CAG/PM - DECpresenter, DECchart PM/CAT CHAIR-
PERSON
o Mark Bramhall, CDA Architect/BASE SYSTEM WORKGROUP CHAIR
o Jake Vannoy, DECwindows Architect
o Rick Landau, DSG, Print Systems Program Mgr./HARDCOPY
WORKGROUP CHAIR
o Peter Davis, CAG Engineering/APPLICATIONS DEV. & U.I.
CHAIR
o Jay Bolgatz, CLT - DECwindows Toolkit Dev.
o Carson Hovey, CAG, DECwrite/DECchart Dev.
o Bill Burling, DSG, Ad. Dev.
o Bill McDonough, DSG, Color PostScript
o Charles Dyer, ESG
o Bob Shelley, ISG
o Mike Swatko, CUP Engineering
o John Ronan, CLT - DWICS
o John Weber, ISG
o Eliot Tarlin, CLT/SUE
o Frank Klum, CUP Engineering
o Victor Bahl, ISG Advanced Development
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