The Khronos Group will distribute under an open source license its implementation of OpenML, a cross-platform, portable graphics API for video software and hardware vendors. The implementation is based largely on SGI's OpenML SDK (software development kit). Additionally, Skymicro has joined the Khronos Group, and will help develop OpenML.

OpenML implementation

According to the Khronos group, OpenML provides software and hardware developers with a professional-grade, cross-platform, standardized media framework for capturing, processing, synchronizing, and playing digital media content, including video, audio, and 3D graphics. The Group says its implementation of OpenML contains libraries and utilities to enable OpenML applications to run on Linux, IRIX, and Windows systems; source and header files for the libraries to enable new OpenML applications to be built; source code for example OpenML applications and audio and video device modules; and full documentation.

The Khronos Group says its OpenML implementation is “based largely” on SGI's dmSDK implementation. The Khronos implementation is expected to become available on Sourceforge within two weeks, under a derivative of the SGI FreeB license, which permits full commercial use, the Group says.

Additionally, Skymicro, a manufacturer of digital video equipment for the TV industry, has joined the Khronos Group as a Contributing member, in order to participate in the ongoing evolution of the OpenML API, the Khronos Group says.

A number of vendors and organizations will demonstrate OpenML products at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) tradeshow this week in Las Vegas, including:

• Skymicro is demonstrating an OpenML application that records and plays uncompressed video through a Merlin board
• SGI is demonstrating the use of OpenML to support playback of nominal 4K film and video images in real-time
• DVS is demonstrating OpenML real-time editing, conforming, finishing, and color-correction using its “Clipster” product
• Autodesk MED/Discreet is showing its flame special effects system and smoke DI editing/finishing system

Frank Bernard, OpenML working group chair and technical lead at SGI, said, “As the creator of OpenGL, and the first implementer of OpenML, SGI is firmly committed to the development of open standards. When fragmented, proprietary APIs are replaced by broadly supported industry standards, customers will be the ultimate winners.”

Jean-Luc Dery, product development manager at Autodesk MED/Discreet, said, “The OpenML SDK provides a more coherent way to orchestrate multiple media applications and hardware peripherals.”

The Khronos Group's OpenML SDK first became available in April, 2004. Other Khronos Group standards include OpenGL ES (embedded subset), OpenVG (vector graphics), and OpenMAX (media application primitives).

 
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