JPEG 2000 File Format Added to WIDEimageNET and JETimageNET Scanning Software

IDEAL / Contex WIDEimageNET and JETimageNET scanning software both now include the JPEG 2000 file format as one of the many file formats that a user can save their scanned drawing to. This addition has been made in response to customer requests for this critical file format. It is expected that JPEG200 will become the new industry standard for saving scanned files within the wide format industry for GIS, CAD and Photography.

JPEG 2000-The Latest Standard from the JPEG Committee
The original standard for digital images, JPEG was developed 15 years ago. Today's advanced technology requires a new standard capable of handling doing more that simply making the digital image files as small as possible. JPEG 2000 uses 'wavelet' technology, and as well as being better at compressing images (up to, and exceeding 20% more), it can allow an image to be retained without any distortion or loss of data. Simply sending the first part of such a 'lossless' file to a receiver can result in a "lossy" version appearing (like present JPEG) - but continuing to transmit the file results in the fidelity getting better and better until the original image is restored.

One early use of JPEG 2000 will be as a base file format in image archives and databases. Traditionally, image archives store multiple copies of individual files at varying resolutions and quality levels so that they can supply appropriate image data on request. In addition, considerable metadata is held about each image to allow it to be easily classified and retrieved. This is critical to GIS applications, such as maps and aerial photographs, or similar applications where there is a need for extreme file compression of large data files. JPEG 2000 provides virtually no loss of image quality, and more importantly, saves the image without artifacts found in the traditional JPEG format.

High Quality, Little Data Loss
JPEG 2000 files typically can have extensive metadata stored with them, in a standard compliant XML environment. As well as allowing selected metadata from an image database to be distributed to its users, this permits interchange of image files with metadata between databases, and removes the need for an extensive manual data entry stage when cataloguing new images. In addition, the files can be stored at high quality in a lossless, color-managed environment, with conversion to lower resolution or lower quality performed 'on the fly'. The ability of part of a JPEG 2000 file to be used for generation of such modified images also means that it becomes practical to provide other capabilities on demand. One example might be to watermark each image as delivered, not only with details which communicate authorship or ownership, but also transactional information. This could include licensing restrictions, details of the customer, or information which would allow the image to be easily recognized through some automated process designed to test for breaches of copyright.

IDEAL / Contex is currently the only U.S. provider of this compatibility with a wide format scanner.