OpenWetWare:Software/Image Editor

Current wiki limitations with regards to images

• In MediaWiki, images are only handled as a bunch of pixels (through standards such as PNG, JPEG, GIF ...).
  • MediaWiki is already providing a limited support for SVG; however it is based on a SVG->PNG rasterization (ImageMagic library). Also, as any other XML languages, SVG is really wordy and not so friendly to directly edit as an xml document. Graphical editors are needed.
• No easy way to update/edit an image from the wiki. It is a static piece of information if you don't have a suitable editor to modify the image.
• No way to have a look at differences between versions of a given image.
• No way to link pages to graphical objects in an image.

Practicals

Examples based on the current level of SVG support provided by mediaWiki (ImageMagik SVG-->PNG rasterization):

• Gel annotations
• Petri dish annotations
• Graph

A new way to handle images/drawings

• Use a text-based drawing language to benefit from the wiki history mechanism.
• provide within the wiki a way to view/edit the image/drawing.
• Provide a way to link subregions of an image to wiki pages or URLs.
• Make computer-generated images feasible.

Proposed architecture

• Drawing description would be SVG based and stored on a standard Wiki page.
• PNG, JPEG, GIF images can be handled within SVG.
• A Java applet would implement an image viewer/editor.
• The applet would be embedded into a standard Wiki page where the image has to be shown.
• The applet can switch back and forth between two modes (Viewing/Editing). Once edited, the new SVG file can be saved on its Wiki page.

Benefits

• Can be used to replace powerpoint-like graph.
• Would enable collaborative annotations over real experimental data (gels, culture plates, random pictures).

Related projects

• inkscape: OpenSource SVG Editor
• Batik: SVG library
• iNote (not SVG compliant)
• glipsgraffiti: SVG editor
• Sketsa

Comments

• this xml-type/applet-based architecture could be easily extended to implement new features (graph, gene annotations, ...)

Road Map

Specifications for OWW Image Editor V1

features:

• Applet based.
• SVG handled by Batik library
• Display PNG, JPEG, GIF, Tiff images.
• Display SVG graphics.
• No animation handled.
• Read and display SVG files from a pre-existing OWW pages.
• No editing capabilities.

Specifications for OWW Image Editor V2

features:

• Based on Version 1.
• Define an editing mode to update SVG source file.
• Enable to add, delete, scale Ellipses.
• Enable to add, delete, scale Rectangles.
• Enable to add, delete, scale Text in a unique color.
• Can save changes on the OWW page.

Specifications for OWW Image Editor V3

features:

• Based on Version 2.
• Enable multiple colors.
• Can create OWW page if the SVG file doesn't exist yet