Foundation Technologies for the Document Life Cycle

1
Foundation Technologies for the Document Life
Cycle

• Oliver Foehr
• ArchitectDigital Documents PlatformMicrosoft
  Corporation

2
Mike Woods Chief Scientistmike-woods _at_
softwareimaging.com Software Imaging

• Adrian Ford
• Chief Technology Officeradrian.ford _at_
  globalgraphics.com
• Global Graphics

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Session Outline

• The Role of Metro and printing
• Print specific attributes of Metro
• Scalable consumption vs. direct consumption
• Building MetroDrv drivers
• Building Metro-based Raster Image Processors
  (RIPs)

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Session Goals

• Understand the role of Metro in providing
  critical document information to the printer
• Identify potential areas for improved user
  experiences and product differentiation using
  Metro
• Weigh potential approaches of writing Metro-based
  drivers
• Understand some of the important features of the
  filter pipeline
• Understand RIP interpretation of Metro

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Metro Consistent Format, Differing Requirements
Word Document (.doc)
Metro is a document format, a spool file and a
page description language (PDL)
Consume in driver or directly in printer as a PDL
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Metro Consistent Format, Differing Requirements
Print to printer (Metro spool file)
Session Focus
Word Document (.doc)
Metro is a document format, a spool file and a
page description language (PDL)
Consume in driver or directly in printer as a PDL
7
Print Issues

• Fidelity and intent
• Versioning and extensibility
• Scalable consumption
• Efficient page markup
• Interleaving

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Fidelity and Intent

• Matches WinFX imaging model
• Transparencies and gradients
• Bezier curves
• Extended color capabilities
• Planned support for CMYK, scRGB, n-channel
• Planned support for named color (e.g. spot
  colors) for images
• PrintTicket expresses print job intent at job,
  document, and page levels

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Versioning and Extensibility

• Format anticipates future evolution
• Enables backward and forward compatibility
• Permits third-party extensibility

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Efficient Page Markup

• Designed for cost-efficient direct consumption
• Simplicity of XML
• Selective use of abbreviated syntax (for path,
  glyphs, matrix transformations)
• Parsimony Minimal but powerful set of primitives
• Brushes
• Path
• Glyphs
• Canvas
• Transform
• Object sharing

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Metro Consumption in Driver or Device

• Scalable Consumption
• Driver / HW combination
• Content rendering includes driver and device
  combination with flexible division of rendering
  operations
• Direct Consumption
• Direct transfer from device or storage
• Driver only provides device experience for
  application

100 Device Consumption
100 Host Processing
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Direct Consumption

• Requirements
• The device must perform version management
• The device must gracefully degrade based on
  capabilities
• The device must manage resources (storing,
  purging and re-storing as necessary)
• Implementation-specific considerations
• How is the printer receiving the document?
• How can the device resolve external references in
  metadata?
• Device fonts?

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Scalable Consumption Options

• Intelligent driver, less capable device
• Driver queries device capabilities and manages
  what cant be performed on device
• Opens document, rearranges content and calls on
  system services
• Performs Digital Signature-related work on behalf
  of device
• Re-embeds repeated fonts and images during
  streaming
• Removes unnecessary content and reorders content
  
• Performs image processing, rendering operations,
  color space conversions
• Minimal driver role, extremely capable device
• Null filter pipeline that exposes printer to
  applications
• Printer includes RIP for rendering
• Printer manages caching and resource re-use

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Metro and Interleaving

• Interleaving is the aspect of the Metro physical
  format that enables streaming
• Enables simultaneous production and consumption
• Optimizes ordering of resources and content for
  printing and/or incremental download
• Can be optimized based on device constraints

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Status of Metro

• Metro v 0.7 specification publicly available
  today
• Open to feedback
• Windows codenamed Longhorn and WinFX Beta 1
  includes
• Metro Print Path and conversion paths
• Metro Print Driver and Metro viewer
• Companies that can demonstrate prototype devices
  and supporting software
• Fuji Xerox engineers working for the Xerox Group
• Global Graphics
• Software Imaging
• Xerox
• Zoran
• Many others on the way!

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Consuming Metro in a DriverSoftware Imaging
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Session Outline

• Introduction
• Filter essentials
• Building a reusable filter
• Building functionality within the pipeline
• Sample Filter Pipeline

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Software Imaging - Who are We?

• Specialists in printing and imaging technologies
• Founded 1989
• Over 80 million drivers shipped worldwide
• Offices in North America, Japan and Europe
• Unidrv specialists and developers
• Developing solutions for the industry
• MetroDrv host drivers
• MetroDrv wide-gamut color printing (scRGB)

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Filter Essentials Filter Types

• Document modifier
• e.g. booklet printing, watermark
• Markup modifier
• e.g. color conversion
• Renderer
• e.g. Raster conversion, print output formatting
• Markup simplifier
• Handling unsupported features
• Value add
• e.g. print preview, status monitor, accounting,
  archiving

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Filter Essentials Handling the PrintTicket

• Every filter is interested in the PrintTicket
  (PT)!
• Three levels of PT Job, Document, Page
• Validation of the Print Ticket
• Validate job-level PT
• Merge with default PT and validate
• For each document in the job
• Merge doc-level PT with job-level PT and validate
• For each page in the document
• Merge page-level PT with doc-level PT and
  validate
• Extract filter-relevant feature options

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Building a Reusable Filter

• Metro in, Metro out
• Rely on the PrintTicket for control
• No device assumptions or dependencies
• Example 2-up filter

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Building Functionality Within the Pipeline

• Combining filters to build features
• Need inter-filter communication
• Could be PrintTicket
• Can use property bag
• Example Booklet
• Page re-order filter
• 2-up filter

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Sample Filter Pipeline
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Using Metro as a Page Description Language for
Advanced Printing Global Graphics
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Session Outline

• Introduction
• Metro as a PDL
• Benefits of Metro as a PDL
• Requirements for native metro printing
• Implementation of a Metro RIP
• Demonstration

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Global Graphics

• Supply core technology to ISVs, IHVs and OEMs
• Experts in provision of technology for processing
  PDLs
• Focused on technology for print
• In devices and in software solutions
• Metro engagement
• Developing a print reference implementation Metro
  RIP
• Will provide sample implementation of Metro
  rasterization in a MetroDrv driver
• Will provide developer orientated tools for
  assessing alternative Metro consumers
• Can provide independent product implementations

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Recap Metro Implementation Options

• Native Metro consumption in the device
• Using Metro as the PDL
• Metro rasterization in the print driver
• Conversion to alternative PDL
• Example Metro direct to PCL
• Metro to GDI Print Path
• Supports legacy devices

Better experience
Easier implementation
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Benefits of Metro as a PDL

• Richer printing from native applications with
  reduced development effort
• Richer graphical content and higher quality
  output on the device
• More efficient print stream
• Spool format re-use common format through print
  path (no need for expensive conversions)
• Easier data-driven and dynamic print workflows
• Integrated PrintTicket
• Collaborative document workflows with full
  participation from the print device
• More capable processing in the device

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Requirements for Native Metro Printing

• Maintain information in the Metro format for as
  long as possible
• Perform any conversions late in the print process
• Convert Metro direct to print-ready raster
• Maintain Metro on the host
• Provide a MetroDrv print driver
• Consume Metro natively in the device
• Use a native Metro RIP either in the device or
  the supporting controller

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Metro RIP Implementation

• Complete implementation of a native Metro RIP
• Supports Metro container, Metro mark-up
  PrintTicket
• Container
• Streamed and non-streamed modes
• Resource access
• Mark-up
• Supports Metro specification v0.6D
• Complete primitive support
• Native processing
• Color management
• PrintTicket (PT)
• Performs PT validation and PT processing
• Extensible PT processor
• Cross Platform
• Including down level to Windows XP and embedded
  realtime (RT) operating systems

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Some Implementation Pointers

• Streaming
• Requires processing of Metro package to optimize
  content for efficient interleaving
• Collaboration between Metro creators and Metro
  consumers or intermediate processing in
  pipeline filter
• Format Assumptions
• Efficient processing requires a hybrid of Simple
  API for XML (SAX) and Document Object Model (DOM)
  approaches
• Resource Requirements can exceed those of
  existing PDLs
• Example Transparency
• Example Digital Signatures
• Support for scalable consumption via selective
  processing of Metro content stream
• Advanced Functionality use Metro features
• Example out of order page processing
• Example in-RIP imposition for N-UP and booklet

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Demo
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Summary

• Metro-based solutions can be implemented by third
  parties based on the specification
• Implementation doesnt require platform services
• Metro can be consumed off-platform

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Call to Action

• Review the Metro v 0.7 specification and provide
  feedback to prninfo _at_ microsoft.com
• http//www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/print/metro.m
  spx
• Start implementation with Beta 1!
• Explore Longhorn Print Architecture
• Identify strategic devices to target the Metro
  Print Path
• Identify extension scenarios
• Convert GDI/DDI based drivers to MetroDrv drivers
• Explore the sample filters in Longhorn Beta 1 WDK
• Consider on-device rendering with a RIP
  implementation
• A reference implementation is planned for
  Longhorn Beta 1 tools
• Review Metro document framework in upcoming WinFX
  Beta 1 Release Candidate
• Available through MSDN website
• Visit the WinHEC Hardware Showcase and vendor
  booths in the exhibition!

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Community Resources

• Windows Hardware Driver Central (WHDC)
• www.microsoft.com/whdc/default.mspx
• Technical Communities
• www.microsoft.com/communities/products/default.msp
  x
• Non-Microsoft Community Sites
• www.microsoft.com/communities/related/default.mspx
  
• Microsoft Public Newsgroups
• www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups
• Technical Chats and Webcasts
• www.microsoft.com/communities/chats/default.mspx
• www.microsoft.com/webcasts
• Microsoft Blogs
• www.microsoft.com/communities/blogs

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Additional Resources

• Community Sites
• MSDN Developer Community Chats
• Windows Printer Driver Development
  http//msdn.microsoft.com/chats/transcripts/window
  s/windows_092104.aspx
• Windows Drivers Printer Drivers
  http//msdn.microsoft.com/chats/windows/windows_10
  1602.asp
• Windows Drivers Printing and Networking
  http//msdn.microsoft.com/chats/windows/windows_02
  2002.asp
• Web resources
• WinFXhttp//msdn.microsoft.com/downloads/
• WS-Devices Profile
• http//msdn.microsoft.com/webservices/understandi
  ng/specs/default.aspx?pull/library/en-us/dnglobsp
  ec/html/devprof.asp
• Printer Working Group
• http//www.pwg.org
• WHDC Printing home page http//www.microsoft.com/
  whdc/device/print/default.mspx
• WHDC Still Imaging / WIA home page
  http//www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/stillimage/de
  fault.mspx

37
Additional Resources

• E-mail
• For developer print questions prninfo _at_
  microsoft.com
• For developer scan questions wiainfo _at_
  microsoft.com
• For developer color questions mscolor _at_
  microsoft.com

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Related Sessions WinHEC 2005

• April 25
• Advances in Windows Printing
• Foundation Technologies for the Document Life
  Cycle
• Windows Color System Overview
• Ask the Experts
• Windows Printing
• Windows Document Technologies
• Windows Color
• April 27
• New Document Life Cycle Opportunities