| Computer Graphics Metafile | |
|---|---|
| Filename extension | .cgm |
| Internet media type | image/cgm[1] |
| Developed by | ANSI,ISO/IEC,W3C |
| Initial release | 1986; 39 years ago (1986) (ANSI X3 122-1986) |
| Type of format | Vector image format |
| Extended from | Graphical Kernel System |
| Standard | ISO/IEC 8632 |
| Website | ISO/IEC 8632 |
Computer Graphics Metafile (CGM) is afree andopeninternational standard file format for 2Dvector graphics,raster graphics, andtext, and is defined byISO/IEC 8632.[2]
Allgraphical elements can be specified in a textualsource file that can be compiled into abinary file or one of two text representations. CGM provides a means of graphics data interchange for computer representation of 2D graphical information independent from any particular application, system, platform, or device.
As ametafile, i.e., a file containing information that describes or specifies another file, the CGM format has numerous elements to provide functions and to represent entities, so that a wide range of graphical information and geometric primitives can be accommodated. Rather than establish an explicitgraphics file format, CGM contains the instructions and data for reconstructing graphical components to render an image using an object-oriented approach.
Although CGM is not widely supported for web pages and has been supplanted by other formats in the graphic arts, it is still prevalent in engineering, aviation, and other technical applications.
The initial CGM implementation was effectively a streamed representation of a sequence ofGraphical Kernel System (GKS) primitive operations. It has been adopted to some extent in the areas oftechnical illustration and professionaldesign, but has largely been superseded by formats such asSVG andDXF.
TheWorld Wide Web Consortium has developedWebCGM, a profile of CGM intended for the use of CGM on the Web.
| Raster | |
|---|---|
| Raw | |
| Vector | |
| Compound | |
| Metadata |
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