WebCGM - The Choice for Technical Illustrations

In 1989 the Air Transport Association (ATA) adopted Computer Graphics Metafile (CGM) as the format for the interchange of 2-dimensional vector based technical illustrations in maintenance documentation. Both The Boeing Company and United Airlines, along with much of the rest of the industry, use CGM internally to transfer 2-dimensional vector data between diverse systems.

The decision to use CGM, both at the industry level and by individual companies, was made after a review of available open and proprietary formats. Requirements for creation, interchange, delivery, and use were considered. In addition, ATArequirements for intelligent graphics and the expansion of CGMto support application structuring played a major role in that decision.

Over the last few years with the explosion of the World Wide Web, delivery of technical documentation is migrating in that direction. Two emerging World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) vector graphic specifications have appeared to address requirements for scalable vector graphics on the Web. WebCGM was developed by the CGM Open Consortium and W3C graphics expertise as an application profile to the CGM standard based on the ATAgraphics interchange profile (GREXCHANGE). Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG)format was developed by a W3C working group and designed specifically for the Web environment.

This paper will review the requirements of the ATA(and companies like The Boeing Company and United Airlines) for graphics in technical documentation. The graphics formats available on the Web will be reviewed and compared against those requirements. In particular WebCGM and SVG will be examined in detail for delivery of technical illustrations in the Web environment. Based on this analysis, the authors will demonstrate why CGM and WebCGM will be the choice of the industry for interchange of 2-dimensional vector illustrations.

Source: GCA