Re: The quest for tentative approval.

[Harry Powell <harry@mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk>]

Hi folks

Just to fill in - I'm working with Andrew Leslie on MOSFLM - paid for by
CCP4. CCP4 (and the PX people at Daresbury) are keen to have a unified
image format for all the reasons that you have got involved with defining
imgCIF/CBF (henceforth referred to as "CBF"), and as such are keen for me
to be actively involved.

I've had a quick look through the mailing list, and I'd guess from that
that all it needs is people to start using the code (and have images
written in the correct form...), maybe in beta- test versions of current
software. I understand that Jim Pflugrath is in a position to implement it
pretty quickly. 

Something that came out of a meeting we had at the end of February was
that a standardized format for storing data exists as NeXus (see
http://lns00.psi.ch/NeXus) and is used by people working with neutrons,
though it is also intended for X-ray users. However, it doesn't seem to
have a recognized area detector image format. It seems to me (but IMWBW) 
that there is a larger group of people working on NeXus than CBF and that
it is already being used as a de facto standard (I honestly don't know
much about it other than what I've read on their bulletin board). 

So, I'd like to get your comments on imgCIF/CBF vs NeXus (apart from all
the hard work that has gone into developing the standards and code!!).

In particular;

* Has anyone involved with CBF also had a look at NeXus?

* How likely is it that synchrotron beamline stations are going to write
  images as CBF?

* What about detector manufacturers?

* Is there a real impetus for implementing CBF?

* The IUCr warnings in the code I've downloaded include this bit:

 * _________________________________________________________________  *
 *                                                                    *
 *  * 1 CIFs and STAR Files may be generated, stored or transmitted,  *
 *    without permission or charge, provided their purpose is not     *
 *    specifically for profit or commercial gain, and provided that   *
                       *************************
 

 so what would be the position if a dataset were to be collected for
 someone for money? Would the "collector" need to get written permission
 from IUCr for this? Might this not impede adoption of this as a standard?

I'd welcome comments! 

Harry 
-- 
Dr Harry Powell, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, MRC Centre, Hills
Road, Cambridge, CB2 2QH