MNG (Multiple-image Network Graphics) Format Version 1.0

For list of authors, see Credits (Chapter 19).

Status of this Memo

This document is a specification by the PNG development group. It has been approved by a vote of the group. Future technical changes will require formal approval by a vote of the group. It is the intent of the group to maintain backward compatibility if possible.

Comments on this document can be sent to the MNG specification maintainers at one of the following addresses:

Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

At present, the latest version of this document is available on the World Wide Web from

   ftp://swrinde.nde.swri.edu/pub/mng/documents/.

Abstract

This document defines the MNG (Multiple-image Network Graphics) format. It also defines the MNG-LC (Low Complexity), MNG-VLC (Very Low Complexity), and JNG (JPEG Network Graphics) formats. These are proper subsets of MNG.

MNG is a multiple-image member of the PNG (Portable Network Graphics) format family. It can contain animations, slide shows, or complex still frames, comprised of multiple PNG or JNG single-image datastreams.

The MNG and JNG formats use the same chunk structure that is defined in the PNG specification, and they share other features of the PNG format. Any MNG decoder must be able to decode PNG and JNG datastreams.

The MNG format (but not MNG-LC or MNG-VLC) provides a mechanism for reusing image data without having to retransmit it. Multiple images can be composed into a "frame" and a group of images can be used as an animated "sprite" that moves from one location to another in subsequent frames. "Palette animations" are also possible. MNG can also store images in a highly compressible "Delta-PNG" format, defined herein.

A MNG frame normally contains a two-dimensional image or a two-dimensional layout of smaller images. It could also contain three-dimensional "voxel" data arranged as a series of two-dimensional planes (or tomographic slices), each plane being represented by a PNG or Delta-PNG datastream.

A Delta-PNG datastream defines an image in terms of a parent PNG or Delta-PNG image and the differences from that image. This provides a much more compact way of representing subsequent images than using a complete PNG datastream for each.

This document includes examples that demonstrate various capabilities of MNG. These include simple movies, composite frames, loops, fades, tiling, scrolling, storage of voxel data, and converting GIF animations to MNG format.

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Table of Contents

1. Introduction

This specification defines the format of a MNG (Multiple-image Network Graphics) format. It also defines low-complexity and very-low-complexity versions (MNG-LC and MNG-VLC), and the JNG (JPEG Network Graphics) format, which are proper subsets of MNG.

Note: This specification depends on the PNG (Portable Network Graphics) [PNG] and the JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) specifications. The PNG specification is available at the PNG web site,

   http://www.libpng.org/pub/png/

MNG is a multiple-image member of the PNG format family that can contain

comprised of multiple PNG or JNG single-image datastreams.

Like PNG, a MNG datastream consists of an 8-byte signature, followed by a series of chunks. It begins with the MHDR chunk and ends with the MEND chunk. Each chunk consists of a 4-byte data length field, a 4-byte chunk type code (e.g., "MHDR"), data (unless the length is zero), and a CRC (cyclical redundancy check value).

A MNG datastream describes a sequence of zero or more single frames, each of which can be composed of zero or more embedded images or directives to show previously defined images.

The embedded images can be PNG, JNG, or Delta-PNG datastreams. MNG-LC and MNG-VLC datastreams do not contain JNG datastreams, but MNG-LC and MNG-VLC applications can be enhanced to recognize and process JNG datastreams as well.

A typical MNG datastream consists of:

MNG is fundamentally declarative; it describes the elements that go into an individual frame. It is up to the decoder to work out an efficient way of making the screen match the desired composition whenever a nonzero interframe delay occurs. Simple decoders can handle it as if it were procedural, compositing the images into the frame buffer in the order that they appear, but efficient decoders might do something different, as long as the final appearance of the frame is the same.

Images can be "concrete" or "abstract". The distinction allows decoders to use more efficient ways of manipulating images when it is not necessary to retain the image data in its original form or equivalent in order to show it properly on the target display system.

MNG is pronounced "Ming."

When a MNG datastream is stored in a file, it is recommended that ".mng" be used as the file suffix. In network applications, the Media Type "video/x-mng" can be used. Registration of the media type "video/mng" might be pursued at some future date.

The MNG datastream begins with an 8-byte signature containing

    138  77  78  71  13  10  26  10  (decimal)
     8a  4d  4e  47  0d  0a  1a  0a  (hexadecimal)
   \212   M   N   G  \r  \n \032 \n  (ASCII C notation)

which is similar to the PNG signature with "\212 M N G" instead of "\211 P N G" in bytes 0-3.

MNG does not yet accommodate sound or complex sequencing information, but these capabilities might be added at a later date, in a backward-compatible manner. These issues are being discussed in the mng-list@ccrc.wustl.edu mailing list.

Chunk structure (length, name, data, CRC) and the chunk-naming system are identical to those defined in the PNG specification. As in PNG, all integers that require more than one byte must be in network byte order.

The chunk copying rules for MNG employ the same mechanism as PNG, but with rules that are explained more fully (see below, Chapter 8). A MNG editor is not permitted to move unknown chunks across the SAVE and SEEK chunks, across any chunks that can cause images to be created or displayed, or into or out of a IHDR-IEND or similar sequence.

Note that decoders are not required to follow any decoding models described in this specification nor to follow the instructions in this specification, as long as they produce results identical to those that could be produced by a decoder that did use this model and did follow the instructions.

Each chunk of the MNG datastream or of any embedded object is an independent entity, i.e., no chunk is ever enclosed in the data segment of another chunk. MNG-compliant decoders are required to recognize and decode independent PNG or JNG datastreams.

Because the embedded objects making up a MNG are normally in PNG format, MNG shares the good features of PNG:

In addition:

2. Terminology

See also the glossary in the PNG specification.

requirement levels
The words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", and "OPTIONAL" in this document, which are to be interpreted as described in RFC-2119. The word "CAN" is equivalent to the word "MAY" as described therein. "NOT ALLOWED" and "NOT PERMITTED" describe conditions that "MUST NOT" occur. "ALLOWED" and "PERMITTED" describe conditions that "CAN" occur.

abstract image or object
An image whose pixels have a private representation, and which does not necessarily carry PNG or JNG chunk data. An image delta cannot be applied to an abstract image. All abstract objects are viewable. Object 0 is always abstract, since it is never stored.

animation
A sequence of images meant to be played at a framing rate that will give the impression of motion. We use the more generic term "sequence" to include any group of images meant to be played at some specified framing rate or under user control, not necessarily an animation, such as a slide show, as well as animations.

cheap transparency
Image transparency data conveyed via the PNG tRNS chunk rather than via a full alpha channel.

child, or child image
An image produced by applying an image delta to a parent object.

clipping boundaries
Limits within which a pixel must fall to be displayed. The left and top boundaries are inclusive, while the right and bottom boundaries are exclusive.

color encoding
File gamma and chromaticity values, an sRGB rendering intent, an iCCP profile, or whatever is involved in mapping between RGB values and colors.

concrete image or object
An image or object whose pixels have a publicly known representation, and which uses a publicly known color encoding. A concrete PNG or JNG image also carries data from other known PNG or JNG chunks that are present.

embedded object or image
A concrete object or image that appears in-line in a MNG datastream.

frame
A composition of zero or more layers that have zero interframe delay time followed by a layer with a specified nonzero delay time or by the MEND chunk. A frame is to be displayed as a still picture or as part of a sequence of still images or an animation. An animation would ideally appear to a perfect observer (with an inhumanly fast visual system) as a sequence of still pictures.

In MNG-VLC datastreams, each frame (except for the first, which also includes the background layer) contains a single layer, unless the framing rate (from the MHDR ticks_per_second field) is zero. When the framing rate is zero, the entire datastream describes a single frame.

When the layers of a frame do not cover the entire area defined by the width and height fields from the MHDR chunk, the layers are composited over the previous frame to obtain the new frame.

When the frame includes the background layer, and the background layer is transparent, the transparent background is composited against the outside world and the subsequent layers are composited against the result to obtain the new frame.

frame origin
The upper left corner of the output device (frame buffer, screen, window, page, etc.) where the pixels are to be displayed. This is the {0,0} position for the purpose of defining frame clipping boundaries, image locations, and image clipping boundaries. Note that in a windowing system, the frame origin might be moved offscreen, but the locations in DEFI, MOVE, and CLIP chunks would still be measured from this offscreen origin. In MNG-VLC, all images must be placed with the image's upper left corner at the frame origin.

framing rate
The rate, measured in frames per second, at which frames are displayed on the output device. In a MNG datastream, the framing rate is the interframe delay, in ticks, divided by the number of ticks per second, from the MHDR chunk. The FRAM chunk can be used to change the framing rate for a portion of the datastream.

frozen object
An object whose set of object attributes and whose object buffer are not allowed to be discarded, replaced, or modified.

image delta
An object that can be applied to a concrete image or object to produce another concrete image. For any two concrete images, there exists an image delta that will produce one from the other.

image N or object N
Shorthand for "the object with the set of object attributes pointed to by `object_id=N'". In MNG-LC and MNG-VLC, only image 0 is permitted.

interframe delay
The amount of time a layer should be visible when a sequence of frames or an animation is played. A layer with a zero interframe delay is combined with the subsequent layer or layers to form a frame; the frame is completed by a layer with a nonzero interframe delay or by the MEND chunk. In reality, it takes a nonzero amount of time to display a frame. No matter which moment is picked as the "start" of the frame, the interframe delay measures the time to the "start" of the next frame. There is no interframe delay prior to the implicit background layer at the beginning of the sequence nor after the final frame.

interpolate
To determine the color or alpha values for new pixels that have been created in the interval between two pixels with known values. In this document, interpolation always means linear interpolation (the new values are evenly spaced between the two known values).

iteration
One cycle of a loop. In this document, as is customary among computer programmers, the number of iterations of a loop includes the first cycle. A loop can have zero iterations, which means it is not executed at all.

layer
One of

Note that a layer can be completely empty if the image is entirely outside the clipping boundaries.

A layer can be thought of as a transparent rectangle with the same dimensions as the frame, with an image composited into it, or it can be thought of as a rectangle having the same dimensions (possibly zero) and location as those of the object after it has been located and clipped.

The layers in a MNG datastream are gathered into one or more subframes for convenience in applying frame parameters to a subset of the layers (see the definition of "subframe" below).

An embedded visible PNG or JNG datastream generates a single layer, even though it might be interlaced or progressive. If the background consists of both a background color and a background image, these are combined into a single layer.
 

MNG-LC
A low-complexity subset of MNG that does not use stored object buffers or certain other complex features. The "simplicity profile" in the MHDR chunk must meet certain requirements (see the MHDR chunk specification below, Paragraph 4.1.1).

MNG-VLC
A very-low-complexity subset of MNG that does not use stored objects, variable framing rates, location of images at positions other than (0,0), or other complex features. The "simplicity profile" in the MHDR chunk must meet certain requirements (see the MHDR chunk specification below, Paragraph 4.1.1).

nullify
To nullify a chunk is to undo its effect, restoring the datastream to the condition it would have had if the chunk being nullified had never appeared.

object, object_id
An image or a nonviewable basis object. The object_id is an unsigned sixteen-bit number that serves as the identifier of a set of object attributes. In MNG-LC and MNG-VLC only object 0 is permitted.

object attributes
Properties of an object such as its existence, potential visibility, location, clipping boundaries, and a pointer to an object buffer. See Object attributes, below.

object buffer
A 2D array of pixels or pixel deltas, each of which has color and transparency information. More than one object can point to a given object buffer. See Object buffers, below.

parent, parent object, or parent image
An object to which a delta is applied.

pixel sample depth and alpha sample depth
The sample depth used for decoding IDAT data in Delta-PNG and JNG datastreams and JDAA data in JNG datastreams. They are not necessarily the same as the sample depth of the object, which is called "sample depth" or "object sample depth" in this document.

potentially visible image
One of  
prologue segment
The first segment, when there is more than one segment.

regular segment
Any segment other than the first (also the first segment, when there is only one).

replication
Making an additional copy. If you replicate something N times, you end up with N+1 of them.

segment
A part of a MNG datastream starting with the MHDR chunk or with a SEEK chunk and extending to just before the next SEEK chunk (or the MEND chunk if there is no next SEEK chunk). The MHDR, MEND, SAVE, SEEK, and TERM chunks are not considered to be a part of any segment.

signal
An entity with a number that can arrive asynchronously at the decoder. More detailed semantics, like whether multiple signals of the same number (or even different numbers) can be queued, are beyond the scope of this specification.

subframe
A subset of the layers defined by a MNG datastream, gathered for convenience in applying frame parameters (i.e., clipping information, interframe delay, timeout, termination condition, and a name. See the definition of "frame" above). The extent of a subframe depends on the framing mode; it can be See the FRAM chunk specification below (Paragraph 4.3.2).
 
viewable image
A stored object or embedded object that is capable of being made visible. An image is viewable, while some objects resulting from decoding a BASI datastream are not viewable.

visible image
Actually drawn on a display. If an object is visible, a person looking at the display can see it.

3. Objects

An "object", which is identified by an object_id, is an image or it is a nonviewable entity that is created by the BASI chunk. The object_id is an unsigned sixteen-bit number that serves as the identifier of a set of object attributes.

An "image" is a viewable object.

Object 0 is a special object whose pixel data is not available for later use (see below).

3.1. Embedded objects

An embedded object is:

3.2. Object attributes

Objects have object attributes that can be defined and modified by the contents of various MNG chunks. Decoders are responsible for keeping track of them. The simplest decoder might establish a 65,536-element array for each attribute, but real applications will undoubtedly use a more memory-efficient method. Object attributes include:

Existence
A nonzero object comes into existence when

A nonzero object ceases to exist when it does not have the "frozen" attribute and

Object 0 always exists.
 

Pointer to an object buffer
Every object (except for object 0) has an object buffer. Multiple objects can point to the same object buffer. The representation of a pointer is decided by the application; pointers never appear explicitly in a MNG datastream. Decoders can also create an object buffer for object 0, if that is more convenient, but the information in that buffer cannot be depended upon to exist after the image has been displayed, nor can that buffer become "frozen".

Frozen or not frozen
All objects are initially "not frozen". Any objects in existence (except for object 0) when the SAVE chunk is encountered become "frozen", along with the object buffers that they point to.

Potential visibility
The "potential visibility" of an object is determined by the do_not_show byte of the DEFI or CLON chunk that introduced it. The "potential visibility" of viewable objects can be changed by the SHOW chunk. When an embedded object is "potentially visible," it can be displayed "on-the-fly" as it is being decoded. Later, the SHOW chunk can direct that a "potentially visible" viewable object be displayed. It is permitted to change the potential visibility of "frozen" objects; if this is done, the potential visibility must be restored to its "saved" condition by the encoder prior to the end of the segment.

Viewability.
An object is viewable if it has a viewable object buffer. It is nonviewable if it has a nonviewable object buffer or if its object buffer has not yet been created or has been destroyed. Any attempt to display a nonviewable object must be ignored and not treated as an error.

A nonviewable object becomes viewable immediately when the decoder receives a viewable object buffer or when an image delta makes it viewable, and if the object is potentially visible it can be displayed "on-the-fly" while the object buffer is being decoded or updated. Note that object 0 is only viewable while its embedded image is being decoded and displayed on-the-fly, after which it becomes nonviewable again because no object buffer is ever created for object 0.

Location
The X and Y location of an object is determined by the DEFI chunk that introduced it, and can be changed by the MOVE chunk. It is permitted to change the location of "frozen" objects, provided that the encoder includes a MOVE or DEFI chunk prior to the end of the segment that restores their locations to their "saved" positions.

Clipping boundaries
The clipping boundaries of an object are determined by the DEFI chunk that introduced it, and can be changed by means of the CLIP chunk. It is permitted to change the clipping boundaries of "frozen" objects, provided that the encoder includes a CLIP chunk prior to the end of the segment that restores the boundaries to their "saved" values.

Additional information
While not required by this specification, applications may wish to store other information about the object, such as whether it is eligible to be updated by block-alpha-addition, for error-checking purposes.

3.3. Object buffers

An object buffer is created by the appearance of an embedded object in the datastream, with a nonzero object_id, or by the appearance of a CLON chunk that specifies a "full clone". The contents of an object buffer can be modified by processing an image delta or a PAST chunk.

Object buffers contain a 2D array of pixel data and can contain additional information. In addition, decoders are responsible for keeping track of some properties of the data in the object buffer:

Object 0 conceptually never has an object buffer. Decoding applications can create one for their own convenience, but such an object buffer must never be made available to the rest of the MNG datastream or be considered viewable after it has been processed.

When the "stored object buffers" flag (bit 9 of the simplicity profile) is 0 and valid (i.e., bit 6 is 1 and bit 9 is 0), an object buffer need not be created even when an embedded object with a nonzero object_id appears, since the flag promises that the object buffer will never be used again. There is no requirement not to create an object buffer; no harm will be done except for some unnecessary memory consumption.

Viewability of object buffer
Any object that points to a viewable object buffer can be displayed, but one that points to a nonviewable one cannot. Any attempt to do so must be ignored.

Format of data in the object buffer
The data format can be:

Frozen or not frozen
All object buffers are initially "not frozen". Any object buffers in existence when the SAVE chunk is encountered become "frozen". Decoders do not actually have to store this flag except as a sanity check, because they can depend on the fact that a "frozen" object buffer will always have at least one "frozen" object whose "buffer pointer" points to it.

A reference count
When an object buffer is first created, its reference count is set to 1.

When a partial clone is made of an object via the CLON chunk, the reference count for the object buffer is incremented, and no new object buffer is created.

When an object is discarded and it points to an object buffer that has a nonzero reference count, that reference count is decremented and the object buffer is also discarded if the resulting reference count is zero.

3.4. Object 0

Object 0 is a special object that has a set of object attributes that control its location, clipping, and visibility properties, and also has a set of magnification factors and methods, but does not have an object buffer. The object attributes and magnification data, which can be modified by the DEFI, MOVE, CLIP, and MAGN chunks, are applied to subsequent embedded objects whose object_id is zero. The pixel data for object 0 is available only for on-the-fly display and not available for later use. If at the end of any segment the attribute values or magnification data are different from the default/saved values, they become undefined when a SEEK chunk appears.

4. MNG Chunks

This chapter describes chunks that can appear at the top level of a MNG datastream. Unless otherwise specified in the Delta-PNG chapter of this specification, they need not be recognized within a Delta-PNG datastream.

Chunk structure (length, name, data, CRC) and the chunk-naming system are identical to those defined in the PNG specification [PNG]. As in PNG, all integers that require more than one byte must be in network byte order.

Unlike PNG, fields can be omitted from some MNG chunks with a default value if omitted. This is permitted only when explicitly stated in the specification for the particular chunk. If a field is omitted, all the subsequent fields in the chunk must also be omitted and the chunk length must be shortened accordingly.

4.1. Critical MNG control chunks

This section describes critical MNG control chunks that MNG-compliant decoders must recognize and process. "Processing" a chunk sometimes can consist of simply recognizing it and ignoring it. Some chunks have been declared to be critical only to prevent them from being relocated by MNG editors.

4.1.1. MHDR MNG datastream header

The MHDR chunk is always first in all MNG datastreams except for those that consist of a single PNG or JNG datastream with a PNG or JNG signature.

The MHDR chunk contains 28 bytes, none of which can be omitted:

   Frame_width:         4 bytes (unsigned integer).
   Frame_height:        4 bytes (unsigned integer).
   Ticks_per_second:    4 bytes (unsigned integer).
   Nominal_layer_count: 4 bytes (unsigned integer).
   Nominal_frame_count: 4 bytes (unsigned integer).
   Nominal_play_time:   4 bytes (unsigned integer).
   Simplicity_profile:  4 bytes:(unsigned integer).
                          bit 0: Profile Validity
                            0: Absence of any features is unspecified.
                               All other bits of the simplicity profile
                               must be zero (i.e, all other even numbers
                               are invalid).
                            1: Absence of certain features is specified by
                               the remaining bits of the simplicity profile.
                            (must be 1 in MNG-LC and MNG-VLC
                            datastreams)
                          bit 1: Simple MNG features
                            0: Simple MNG features are absent.
                            1: Simple MNG features may be present.
                            (must be 0 in MNG-VLC datastreams)
                          bit 2: Complex MNG features
                            0: Complex MNG features are absent.
                            1: Complex MNG features may be present.
                            (must be 0 in MNG-LC and MNG-VLC datastreams)
                          bit 3: Internal transparency
                            0: Transparency is absent or can be ignored.
                               All images in the datastream are opaque or
                               can be rendered as opaque without affecting
                               the final appearance of any frame.
                            1: Transparency may be present.
                          bit 4: JNG
                            0: JNG and JDAA are absent.
                            1: JNG or JDAA may be present.
                            (must be 0 in MNG-LC and MNG-VLC
                            datastreams)
                          bit 5: Delta-PNG
                            0: Delta-PNG is absent.
                            1: Delta-PNG may be present.
                            (must be 0 in MNG-LC and MNG-VLC datastreams)
                          bit 6: Validity flag for bits 7, 8, and 9
                            0: The absence of background transparency,
                               semitransparency, and stored object buffers
                               is unspecified; bits 7, 8, and 9 have no
                               meaning and must be 0.
                            1: The absence or possible presence of
                               background transparency is expressed by
                               bit 7, of semitransparency by bit 8, and of
                               stored object buffers by bit 9.
                          bit 7: Background transparency
                            0: Background transparency is absent (i.e., the
                               first layer fills the entire MNG frame with
                               opaque pixels).
                            1: Background transparency may be present.
                          bit 8: Semi-transparency
                            0: Semitransparency (i.e., an image with an
                               alpha channel that has values that are
                               neither 0 nor the maximum value) is absent.
                            1: Semitransparency may be present.
                            If bit 3 is zero this field has no meaning.
                          bit 9: Stored object buffers
                            0: Object buffers need not be stored.
                            1: Object buffers must be stored.
                            (must be 0 in MNG-LC and MNG-VLC
                             datastreams)
                            If bit 2 is zero, this field has no meaning.
                          bits 10-15: Reserved bits
                            Reserved for public expansion.  Must be zero in
                            this version.
                          bits 16-30: Private bits
                            Available for private or experimental expansion.
                            Undefined in this version and can be ignored.
                          bit 31: Reserved bit. Must be zero.

Decoders can ignore the "informative" nominal_frame_count, nominal_layer_count, nominal_play_time, and simplicity_profile fields.

The frame_width and frame_height fields give the intended display size (measured in pixels) and provide default clipping boundaries (see Recommendations for encoders, below). It is strongly recommended that these be set to zero if the MNG datastream contains no visible images.

The ticks_per_second field gives the unit used by the FRAM chunk to specify interframe delay and timeout. In MNG-VLC datastreams, it gives the framing rate. It must be nonzero if the datastream contains a sequence of images. When the datastream contains exactly one frame, this field should be set to zero. When this field is zero, the length of a tick is infinite, and decoders will ignore any attempt to define interframe delay, timeout, or any other variable that depends on the length of a tick. If the frames are intended to be displayed one at a time under user control, such as a slide show or a multi-page FAX, the tick length can be set to any positive number and a FRAM chunk can be used to set an infinite interframe delay and a zero timeout. Unless the user intervenes, viewers will only display the first frame in the datastream.

When ticks_per_second is nonzero, and there is no other information available about interframe delay, viewers should display the sequence of frames at the rate of one frame per tick.

If the frame count field contains a zero, the frame count is unspecified. If it is nonzero, it contains the number of frames that would be displayed, ignoring the fPRI chunks and the TERM chunk. If the frame count is greater than 231-1, encoders should write 231-1, representing an infinite frame count. In MNG-VLC datastreams, the frame count is the same as the number of embedded images in the datastream (or one, the background layer, if there are no embedded images).

If the nominal_layer_count field contains a zero, the layer count is unspecified. If it is nonzero, it contains the number of layers (including all background layers) in the datastream, ignoring any effects of the fPRI chunks and the TERM chunk. If the layer count is greater than 231-1, encoders should write 231-1, representing an infinite layer count. In MNG-VLC datastreams, the layer count is the number of embedded images, plus one (for the background layer).

If the nominal_play_time field contains a zero, the nominal play time is unspecified. Otherwise, it gives the play time, in ticks, when the file is displayed ignoring the fPRI chunks and the TERM chunk. Authors who write this field should choose a value of ticks_per_second that will allow the nominal play time to be expressed in a four-bit integer. If the nominal play time is greater than 231-1 ticks, encoders should write 231-1, representing an infinite nominal play time. In MNG-VLC datastreams, the nominal play time is the same as the frame count, except when the ticks_per_second field is zero, in which case the nominal play time is also zero.

When bit 0 of the simplicity_profile field is zero, the simplicity (or complexity) of the MNG datastream is unspecified, and all bits of the simplicity profile must be zero. The simplicity profile must be nonzero in MNG-LC and MNG-VLC datastreams.

If the simplicity profile is nonzero, it can be regarded as a 32-bit profile, with bit 0 (the least significant bit) being a "profile-validity" flag, bit 1 being a "simple MNG" flag, bit 2 being a "complex MNG" flag, bits 3, 7, and 8 being "transparency" flags, bit 4 being a "JNG" flag, bit 5 being a "Delta-PNG" flag, and bit 9 being a "stored object buffers" flag. Bit 6 is a "validity" flag for bits 7, 8, and 9, which were added at version 0.98 of this specification. These three flags mean nothing if bit 6 is zero.

If a bit is zero, the corresponding feature is guaranteed to be absent or if it is present there is no effect on the appearance of any frame if the feature is ignored. If a bit is one, the corresponding feature may be present in the MNG datastream.

Bits 10 through 15 of the simplicity profile are reserved for future MNG versions, and must be zero in this version.

Bits 16 through 30 are available for private test or experimental versions. The most significant bit (bit 31) must be zero.

When bit 1 is zero ("simple" MNG features are absent), the datastream does not contain the DEFI, FRAM, MAGN, or global PLTE and tRNS chunks, and filter method 64 is not used in any embedded PNG datastream.

When bit 2 is zero, the datastream does not contain any "complex MNG features". These are the BASI, CLON, DHDR/IEND, PAST, DISC, MOVE, CLIP, and SHOW chunks, or any chunk in a future version of this specification that defines or uses stored objects. If the DEFI chunk is present, it only defines object 0. If the BACK chunk is present, it does not define a background image. If the LOOP chunk is present, it has iteration_min=1. A MNG with a "complex MNG feature" (which has a simplicity profile that has bit 2 set to 1) may contain at least one of these chunks. A simple decoder can display "simple" MNGs (which have a simplicity profile with bit 2 set to 0) without having to store any objects or dealing with the SAVE/SEEK mechanism, and it can ignore the LOOP and ENDL chunks and execute all loops exactly once.

"Transparency is absent or can be ignored" means that either the MNG or PNG tRNS chunk is not present and no PNG or JNG image has an alpha channel, or if they are present they have no effect on the final appearance of any frame and can be ignored (e.g., if the only transparency in a MNG datastream appears in a thumbnail that is never displayed in a frame, or is in some pixels that are overlaid by opaque pixels before being displayed, the transparency bit should be set to zero).

"Semitransparency is absent" means that if the MNG or PNG tRNS chunk is present or if any PNG or JNG image has an alpha channel, they only contain the values 0 and the maximum (opaque) value. It also means that the JDAA chunk is not present. The "semitransparency" flag means nothing and must be 0 if bit 3 is 0 or bit 6 is 0.

"Background transparency is absent" means that the first layer of every segment fills the entire frame with opaque pixels, and that nothing following the first layer causes any frame to become transparent. Whatever is behind the first layer does not show through.

When "Background transparency" is present, the application is responsible for supplying a background color or image against which the MNG background layer is composited, and if the MNG is being displayed against a changing scene, the application should refresh the entire MNG frame against a new copy of the background layer whenever the application's background scene changes. The "background transparency" flag means nothing and must be 0 if bit 6 is 0. Note that bit 3 does not make any promises about background transparency.

The "stored object buffers" flag is only useful when bit 2 is nonzero (i.e., "complex MNG features" are present). This flag promises that even though such features are present, no chunk will ever use the information in an existing object buffer; therefore it is not necessary to store an object buffer for any object. A set of object attributes is necessary for each object, however. Therefore, the MOVE, CLIP, DISC, deterministic LOOP, partial CLON, and immediately-displayed BASI chunk are permissible. The "stored object buffers" flag means nothing if bit 2 is 0 or bit 6 is 0.

A MNG-LC (i.e., a "low-complexity MNG") datastream must have a simplicity profile with bit 0 equal to 1 and all other bits except possibly for bits 1, 3, 6, 7, and 8 ("simple MNG" MNG features and transparency) equal to zero. If bit 4 (JNG) is 1, the datastream is a "MNG-LC that might contain a JNG" datastream carrying an image or an alpha channel. MNG-LC decoders are allowed to reject such datastreams unless they have been enhanced with JNG capability.

A MNG-VLC (i.e., a "very low-complexity MNG") datastream must have a simplicity profile with bit 0 equal to 1 and all other bits except possibly for bits 3, 6, 7, and 8 (transparency) equal to 0. If bit 4 (JNG) is 1, the datastream is a "MNG-VLC with JNG" datastream. It might contain a JNG datastream carrying an image or an alpha channel. MNG-VLC decoders are allowed to reject such datastreams unless they have been enhanced with JNG capability.

Encoders that write a nonzero simplicity profile should endeavor to be accurate, so that decoders that process it will not unnecessarily reject datastreams or avoid possible optimizations. For example, the simplicity profile 351 (0x15f) indicates that JNG, critical transparency, semitransparency, and at least one "complex" MNG feature are all present, but Delta-PNG, stored object buffers, and background transparency are not. This example would not qualify as a MNG-LC or a MNG-VLC datastream because a "complex" MNG feature might be present. If the simplicity profile promises that certain features are absent, but they are actually present in the MNG datastream, the datastream is invalid.

4.1.2. MEND End of MNG datastream

The MEND chunk's data length is zero. It signifies the end of a MNG datastream.

4.1.3. LOOP, ENDL Define a loop

The LOOP chunk provides a "shorthand" notation that can be used to avoid having to repeat identical chunks in a MNG datastream. The LOOP chunk can be ignored by MNG-LC and MNG-VLC decoders, along with the ENDL chunk. Its contents are the first two or more of the following fields. If any field is omitted, all subsequent fields must also be omitted:

   Nest_level:      1 byte (unsigned integer).
   Iteration_count: 4 bytes (unsigned integer),
                      range [0..2^31-1].
   Termination_condition:
                    1 byte (unsigned integer).
                      Must be omitted if termination_condition=0, which
                      means Deterministic, not cacheable, or if
                      iteration_count=0.
                      1: Decoder discretion, not cacheable.
                      2: User discretion, not cacheable.
                      3: External signal, not cacheable.
                      4: Deterministic, cacheable.
                      5: Decoder discretion, cacheable.
                      6: User discretion, cacheable.
                      7: External signal, cacheable.
   Iteration_min:   4 bytes(unsigned integer).  Must be present if
                      termination_condition is 3 or 7.  If omitted, the
                      default value is 1.
   Iteration_max:   4 bytes (unsigned integer).  Must be present if
                      termination_condition is 3 or 7; must be omitted if
                      iteration_min is omitted; if omitted, the default
                      value is infinity.
   Signal_number:   4 bytes (unsigned integer).  Must be present if
                      termination_condition is 3 or 7.  Must not be present
                      otherwise.
   Additional
     signal_number: 4 bytes.  May be present only if termination_condition
                      is 3 or 7.
   ...etc...

Decoders must treat the chunks enclosed in a loop exactly as if they had been repeatedly spelled out. Therefore, during the first iteration of the loop, the parent objects for any Delta-PNG datastreams in the loop are the images in existence prior to entering the LOOP chunk, but in subsequent iterations these parent objects might have been modified. The termination_condition field can be used to inform decoders that it is safe to change the number of loop iterations.

Simple decoders can ignore all fields except for the iteration_count.

When the LOOP chunk is present, an ENDL chunk with the same nest_level must be present later in the MNG datastream. Loops can be nested. Each inner loop must have a higher value of nest_level than the loop that encloses it, though not necessarily exactly one greater.

The termination condition specifies how the actual number of iterations is determined. It is very similar to the termination condition field of the FRAM chunk, and can take the same values:

Deterministic
This is the default behavior, when the termination_condition field is omitted or has a value that is unrecognized by the decoder. The loop terminates after exactly the number of iterations specified by the iteration count. This value must be used if altering the number of repetitions would mess up the MNG datastream, but can be used merely to preserve the author's intent.

Decoder-discretion
The number of iterations can be chosen by the decoder, and must not be less than iteration_min nor more than iteration_max. If the decoder has no reason to choose its own value, it should use the iteration_count. One example of a decoder wishing to choose its own value is a real-time streaming decoder hovering at a loop while waiting for its input buffer to fill to a comfortable level.

User-discretion
The number of iterations should be chosen by the user (e.g., by pressing the <escape> key), but the decoder must enforce the iteration_min and iteration_max limits. Some decoders might not be able to interact with the user, and many decoders will find that nested user-discretion loops present too great of a user-interface challenge, so the <user-discretion> condition will probably usually degenerate into the <decoder-discretion> condition.

External-signal
The number of iterations must not be less than iteration_min nor more than iteration_max. The exact number can be determined by the arrival of a signal whose number matches one of the signal_number fields.

When the value of the termination_condition field is 4 or more, the loop is guaranteed to be "cacheable", which means that every iteration of the loop produces the same sequence of frames, and that all objects and object buffers are left in the same condition at the end of each iteration. Decoders can use this information to select a different strategy for handling the loop, such as storing the composited frames in a cache and replaying them rather than decoding them repeatedly.

The iteration_min and iteration_max can be omitted. If the condition is <deterministic> the values are not used. Otherwise, defaults of 1 and <infinity> are used. The iteration_count, iteration_min, and iteration_max can be any non-negative integers or <infinity>, but they must satisfy iteration_min <= iteration_count <= iteration_max. Infinity is represented by 0x7fffffff. If all of the loops in a MNG datastream have iteration_min=1, the datastream can qualify as a "simple" MNG for the purpose of setting bits 1 and 2 of the "simplicity profile" to zero, unless there are other reasons for setting them to one.

If iteration_count is zero, the termination_condition, the subsequent fields must be omitted, and the loop is done zero times. Upon encountering a LOOP chunk whose iteration_count is zero, decoders simply skip chunks until the matching ENDL chunk is found, and resume processing with the chunk immediately following it.

The signal_number can be omitted only if the termination condition is not <external-signal>. There can be any number of signal_number fields. Signal_number=0 is reserved to represent any input from a keyboard or pointing device, and 1-255 are reserved to represent the corresponding character code, received from a keyboard or simulated keyboard, and values 256-1023 are reserved for future definition by this specification.

An infinite or just overly long loop could give the appearance of having locked up the machine. Therefore a decoder should always provide a simple method for users to escape out of a loop or delay, either by abandoning the MNG entirely or just proceeding to the next SEEK chunk (the SEEK chunk makes it safe for a viewer to resume processing after it has jumped out of the interior of a segment).

MNG editors that extract a series of PNG or JNG files from a MNG datastream are expected to execute the loop only iteration_min times, when the termination condition is not <deterministic>.

The ENDL chunk ends a loop that begins with the LOOP chunk. It contains a single one-byte field:

   Nest_level: 1 byte (unsigned integer), range [0..255].

When the ENDL chunk is encountered, the loop iteration count is decremented, if it is not already zero. If the result is nonzero, processing resumes at the beginning of the loop. Otherwise processing resumes with the chunk immediately following the ENDL chunk.

When the ENDL chunk is present, a LOOP chunk with the same nest_level must be present earlier in the MNG datastream. See below. Loops must be properly nested: if a LOOP chunk with higher nest_level appears inside a LOOP/ENDL pair, a matching ENDL chunk must also appear to close it.

The SAVE and SEEK chunks are not permitted inside a LOOP-ENDL pair. To rerun an entire datastream that includes these chunks, use the TERM chunk instead. See below (Paragraph 4.2.11).

4.2. Critical MNG image defining chunks

The chunks described in this section create objects and initialize their object attributes, or change their object attributes or the data in their object buffers. Some of them also may cause images to be immediately displayed.

4.2.1. DEFI Define an object

The DEFI chunk sets the default set of object attributes (object_id, do_not_show flag, concrete_flag, location, and clipping boundaries) for any subsequent images that are defined with IHDR-IEND, BASI-IEND, or JHDR-IEND datastreams.

If bit 1 of the MHDR simplicity profile is 0 and bit 0 is 1, the DEFI chunk must not be present.

The DEFI chunk contains 2, 3, 4, 12, or 28 bytes. If any field is omitted, all subsequent fields must also be omitted.

   Object_id:     2 bytes (unsigned integer) identifier to be given to the
                    objects that follow the DEFI chunk.  This field must be
                    zero in MNG-LC files.
   
   Do_not_show:   1 byte (unsigned integer)
                    0:  Make the objects potentially visible.
                    1:  Make the objects not potentially visible.
   
   Concrete_flag: 1 byte (unsigned integer)
                    0:  Make the objects "abstract" (image cannot be the
                        source for a Delta-PNG)
                    1:  Make the objects "concrete" (object can be the
                        source for a Delta-PNG).
                    MNG-LC decoders can ignore this flag.
   
   X_location:    4 bytes (signed integer).
                    The X_location and Y_location fields can be omitted as
                    a pair.
   
   Y_location:    4 bytes (signed integer).
   
   Left_cb:       4 bytes (signed integer).  Left clipping boundary.  The
                    left_cb, right_cb, top_cb, and bottom_cb fields can be
                    omitted as a group.
   
   Right_cb:      4 bytes (signed integer).
   
   Top_cb:        4 bytes (signed integer).
   
   Bottom_cb:     4 bytes (signed integer).

If the object number for an object is nonzero, subsequent chunks can use this number to identify it.

When the object number for an object is zero, its object buffer can be discarded immediately after it has been processed, and it can be treated as an "abstract" image, regardless of the contents of the concrete_flag field.

Negative values are permitted for the X and Y location and clipping boundaries. The left and top boundaries are inclusive, while the right and bottom boundaries are exclusive. The positive directions are downward and rightward from the frame origin (see Recommendations for encoders, below).

Multiple IHDR-IEND, JHDR-IEND, and BASI-IEND objects can follow a single DEFI chunk. When object_id is nonzero, the DEFI chunk values remain in effect until another DEFI chunk or a SEEK chunk appears, unless they are modified by SHOW, MOVE, or CLIP chunks. The object_id and concrete_flag can only be changed by using another DEFI chunk. If no DEFI chunk is in effect (either because there is none in the datastream, or because a DISC or SEEK chunk has caused it to be discarded), the decoder must use the following default values:

                Object_id = 0
              Do_not_show = 0
            Concrete_flag = 0
               X location = 0
               Y location = 0
                  Left_cb = 0
                 Right_cb = frame_width
                   Top_cb = 0
                Bottom_cb = frame_height

The object attributes for all existing unfrozen objects except for object 0 become undefined when a SEEK chunk is encountered.

The object attributes for object 0 become undefined when a SEEK chunk is encountered, only if they have been reset to values other than these defaults. It is the encoder's responsibility to reset them explicitly to these values prior to the end of every segment in which they have been changed, or to include a full DEFI chunk prior to embedding object 0 in any segment.

These default values are also used to fill any fields that were omitted from the DEFI chunk, when an object with the same object_id has not been previously defined or a DISC or SEEK chunk has caused it to be discarded.

An set of object attributes is created or an existing one is modified when the DEFI chunk appears, but an object buffer is neither created nor discarded. If object_id is an identifier that already exists when a DEFI chunk appears, the set of object attributes (except for the pointer to the object buffer) is immediately replaced. The contents of the object buffer do not change, however, until and unless an IHDR, JHDR, BASI, or PAST chunk is encountered. When one of these chunks appears, all of the contents of the object buffer previously associated with the identifier are discarded and the new data is stored in the object buffer.

Note that if the object has partial clones, the object buffer of the clones is naturally affected by the new data because it is shared, but the object attributes sets of the clones are not affected.

4.2.2. PLTE and tRNS Global palette

The PLTE chunk has the same format as a PNG PLTE chunk. It provides a global palette that is inherited by PNG datastreams that contain an empty PLTE chunk.

The tRNS chunk has the same format as a PNG tRNS chunk. It provides a global transparency array that is inherited along with the global palette by PNG datastreams that contain an empty PLTE chunk.

If a PNG datastream is present that does not contain an empty PLTE chunk, neither the global PLTE nor the global tRNS data is inherited by that datastream.

If the global PLTE chunk is not present, each indexed-color PNG in the datastream must supply its own PLTE (and tRNS, if it has transparency) chunks.

The global PLTE chunk is not permitted in MNG-VLC datastreams.

4.2.3. IHDR, PNG chunks, IEND

A PNG (Portable Network Graphics) datastream.

See the PNG specification [PNG] and the Extensions to the PNG Specification document [PNG-EXT] for the format of the PNG chunks.

The IHDR and IEND chunks and any chunks between them are written and decoded according to the PNG specification, except as extended in this section. These extensions do not apply to standalone PNG datastreams that have the PNG signature, but only to PNG datastreams that are embedded in a MNG datastream that begins with a MNG signature. Nor are they allowed in MNG-VLC datastreams.

If do_not_show is zero for the image when the IHDR chunk is encountered, a viewer can choose to display the image while it is being decoded, perhaps taking advantage of the PNG interlacing method, or to display it after decoding is complete.

If object_id is zero, there is no need to store the pixel data after decoding it and perhaps displaying it.

If concrete_flag=1 is 1 and object_id is nonzero, the decoder must store the original pixel data losslessly, along with data from other recognized PNG chunks, because it is possible that a subsequent Delta-PNG datastream might want to modify it. If concrete_flag is zero, the decoder can store the pixel data in any form that it chooses. If the "stored object buffers" flag in the simplicity profile is valid and zero, there is no need to store the pixel data and other chunk data after decoding and perhaps displaying the image.

If an object already exists with the same object_id, the contents of its object buffer are replaced with the new data.

4.2.4. JHDR, JNG chunks, IEND

A JNG (JPEG Network Graphics) datastream.

See the JNG specification below (Chapter 5) for the format of the JNG datastream.

The JHDR and IEND chunks and any chunks between them are written and decoded according to the JNG specification.

The remaining discussion in the previous paragraph about PNG datastreams also applies to JNG datastreams.

MNG-LC and MNG-VLC applications are not expected to process JNG datastreams unless they have been enhanced with JNG capability.

4.2.5. BASI, PNG chunks, IEND

The BASI chunk introduces a basis object that, while it might be incomplete, can serve as a parent object to which a delta image can be applied.

The first 13 bytes of the BASI chunk are identical to those of the IHDR chunk. The next 8 bytes, which can be omitted, provide sixteen-bit {red, green, blue, alpha} values that are used to fill the entire basis object when the IDAT chunk is not present, and a 1-byte "viewable" flag can also be present.

   Width:              4 bytes (unsigned integer).
   Height:             4 bytes (unsigned integer).
   Sample_depth:       1 byte (unsigned integer) 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16.
   Color_type:         1 byte (unsigned integer) 0: Gray, 2: RGB, 3: indexed
                         color, 4: Gray-alpha, 6: RGBA
   Compression_method: 1 byte (unsigned integer).
                         0: zlib with deflate
   Filter_method:      1 byte (unsigned integer).
                         0: five basic filter types.
                         64: intrapixel differencing and five basic filter
                             types.
   Interlace_method:   1 byte (unsigned integer).
                         0: none, 1: Adam7
   Red_sample or
     gray_sample:      2 bytes (unsigned integer).
   Green_sample:       2 bytes (unsigned integer).
   Blue_sample:        2 bytes (unsigned integer).
   Alpha_sample:       2 bytes (unsigned integer).
   Viewable:           1 byte (unsigned integer).
                         0: Basis object is not viewable.
                         1: Basis object is viewable.

The sample depth, color type, compression method, and interlace method must be valid PNG types, and the width and height must be within the valid range for PNG datastreams. The filter method must be one of the filter methods allowed in PNG datastreams (currently only 0) or the additional filter method (64) allowed in PNG datastreams that are embedded in MNG datastreams.

The alpha_sample can be omitted if the viewable field is also omitted. If so, and the color_type is one that requires alpha, the alpha value corresponding to an opaque pixel will be used. If the color samples are omitted, zeroes will be used. If the viewable field is omitted, the object is not viewable.

The decoder is responsible for converting the color and alpha samples to the appropriate format and sample depth for the specified color_type.

The color and alpha samples are written as four sixteen-bit samples regardless of the color_type and sample_depth. When the sample_depth is less than sixteen, the least significant bits are used and the remaining bits must be zero filled.

When color_type is 0 or 4, the green and blue samples must be present but must be ignored by decoders.

When color_type is 0 or 2, only the values 0 and 2sample_depth should be written. Any other alpha value must be interpreted as fully opaque.

When color_type is 3, the decoder must generate a palette of length 2sample_depth, whose first entry contains the given {red_sample, green_sample, blue_sample} triple, and whose remaining entries are filled with zeroes. It must also generate an alpha array whose first entry is the given alpha sample and the rest are opaque (i.e., if the alpha sample is not opaque, it creates a one-entry tRNS chunk containing the least significant byte of the given alpha sample).

The BASI datastream contains PNG chunks, but is not necessarily a PNG datastream. It can be incomplete or empty and it can deviate in certain ways from the PNG specification. It can serve as a parent object for a Delta-PNG datastream, which must supply the missing data or correct the other deviations before the image is displayed. The end of the datastream is denoted by an IEND chunk.

The permitted deviations from the PNG format in a BASI datastream are:

The BASI chunk can be used to introduce such things as a library of iCCP chunks from which one or another can be selected for use with any single image, or it can be used to introduce a simple blank or colored rectangle that will be immediately displayed or into which other images will be pasted by means of the PAST chunk.

A BASI chunk appearing in a MNG datastream receives its object_id, location, and potential visibility from the preceding DEFI chunk, if one is present, or the default values for DEFI, if one is not present. The concrete_flag can be either 0 (abstract) or 1 (concrete), depending on whether the basis image is intended for subsequent use by a Delta-PNG datastream or not. When it is abstract, it must also be viewable. When it is viewable, the resulting object, after the pixel samples are filled in, must be identical to an object that would have been obtained by decoding a legal PNG datastream. If viewable is 1 and do_not_show is 0, a viewer is expected to display it immediately, as if it were decoding a PNG datastream.

If an object already exists with the same object_id, the contents of its object buffer are replaced with the new data.

Top-level gAMA, sRGB, cHRM, bKGD, sBIT, pHYs, iCCP, and sPLT chunks are inherited by a BASI datastream in the same manner as by a PNG datastream.

No provision is made in this specification for storing a BASI datastream as a standalone file. A BASI datastream will normally be found as a component of a MNG datastream. Applications that need to store a BASI datastream separately should use a different file signature and filename extension. Better, they can wrap it in a MNG datastream consisting of the MNG signature, the MHDR chunk, the BASI datastream, and the MEND chunk.

4.2.6. CLON Clone an object

Create a clone (a new copy) of an image, with a new object_id. The CLON chunk contains 4, 5, 6, 7, or 16 bytes. If a field is omitted, all subsequent fields must also be omitted.

   Source_id:   2 bytes (nonzero unsigned integer).  Identifier of the
                  parent object to be cloned.
   
   Clone_id:    2 bytes (nonzero unsigned integer).  Identifier of the child
                  object that is created.
   
   Clone_type:  1 byte (unsigned integer).
   
                  0: Full clone of the set of object attributes and the
                     object buffer.
   
                  1: Partial clone; only set of object attributes (the
                     location, clipping boundaries, and potential
                     visibility) are copied and a link is made to the
                     object buffer.
   
                  2: Renumber object (this is equivalent to
                     "CLON source_id clone_id 1
                      DISC source_id").
   
                If this field is omitted, the clone_type defaults to zero
                (full clone).
   
   Do_not_show: 1 byte (unsigned integer).
                  0:  Make the clone potentially visible and display it
                      immediately.
                  1:  Make the clone not potentially visible.
                When this field is omitted, the object retains the
                potential visibility of the parent object.
   
   Concrete_flag:
                1 byte (unsigned integer).
                  0:  Concrete_flag is the same as that of the parent
                      object.
                  1:  Make the clone "abstract" (concrete_flag=0).
                When this field is omitted, the object retains the
                concrete flag of the parent object.
   
   Loca_delta_type:
                1 byte (unsigned integer)
   
                  0: Location data gives X_location and Y_location
                     directly.
   
                  1: New positions are determined by adding the location
                     data to the position of the parent object.
   
                This field, together with the X_location and Y_location
                fields, can be omitted as a group.  When they are omitted,
                the clone has the same location as the parent object.
   
   X_location or delta_X_location:
                4 bytes (signed integer).
   
   Y_location or delta_Y_location:
                4 bytes (signed integer).

The source_id must be an existing object identifier, and the clone_id must not be an existing object identifier.

Negative values are permitted for the X and Y position. The positive directions are downward and rightward from the frame origin.

The clone is initially identical to the parent object except for the location and potential visibility. It has the same clipping boundaries as the parent object. Subsequent DHDR, SHOW, CLON, CLIP, MOVE, PAST, and DISC chunks can use the clone_id to identify it. If the parent object is not a viewable image, neither is the clone.

Subsequent chunks can modify, show, or discard a full clone or modify its potential visibility, location and clipping boundaries without affecting the parent object. They can also modify, show, or discard the parent object or modify its set of object attributes without affecting the clone.

The concrete_flag byte must be zero or omitted when the clone_type byte is nonzero.

If an object has partial clones, and the data in the object buffer of a parent object or any of its partial clones is modified, the parent object and all of its partial clones are changed. Decoders must take care that when the parent object or any partial clone is discarded, the object buffer is not discarded until the last remaining one of them is discarded. Only the location, potential visibility, and clipping boundaries can be changed independently for each partial clone.

If viewable is 1 and do_not_show is 0, the resulting image is displayed immediately.

4.2.7. DHDR, Delta-PNG chunks, IEND

A Delta-PNG datastream.

See The Delta-PNG Format (Chapter 6), below, for the format of the Delta-PNG datastream. Any chunks between DHDR and IEND are written and decoded according to the Delta-PNG format. The object_id of the Delta-PNG DHDR chunk must point to an existing parent object. The resulting image is immediately displayed if its do_not_show is 0. The parent object must be concrete (i.e., concrete_flag must be 1).

4.2.8. PAST Paste an image into another

Paste an image or images identified by source_id, or part of it, into an existing abstract image identified by destination_id.

The PAST chunk contains a 2-byte destination_id and 9 bytes giving a "target location", plus one or more 30-byte source data sequences.

   Destination_id:  2 bytes (unsigned integer).
   
   Target_delta_type:
                    1 byte (unsigned integer).
                      0:  Target_x and target_y are given directly.
                      1:  Target_x and target_y are deltas from their
                          previous values in a PAST chunk with the same
                          destination_id.
                      2:  Target_x and target_y are deltas from their
                          previous values in the previous PAST chunk
                          regardless of its destination_id.
   
   Target_x:        4 bytes (signed integer), measured rightward from the
                       left edge of the destination image.
   
   Target_y:        4 bytes (signed integer), measured downward from the
                       top edge of the destination image.
   
   Source_id:       2 bytes (unsigned nonzero integer).  An image to be
                       pasted in.
   
   Composition_mode:
                    1 byte (unsigned integer).
                      0:  Composite over.
                      1:  Replace.
                      2:  Composite under.
   
   Orientation:     1 byte (unsigned integer).
                       The source image is flipped to another orientation.
   
                      0:  Same as source image.
                      2:  Flipped left-right, then up-down.
                      4:  Flipped left-right.
                      6:  Flipped up-down.
                      8:  Tiled with source image.  The upper left corner of
                          the assembly is positioned according to the
                          prescribed offsets.
   
   Offset_origin:   1 byte (unsigned integer).
                      0: Offsets are measured from the {0,0} pixel in the
                         destination image.
                      1: Offsets are measured from the {target_x,target_y}
                         pixel in the destination image.
   
   X_offset:        4 bytes (signed integer).
   Y_offset:        4 bytes (signed integer).
   
   Boundary_origin: 1 byte (unsigned integer).
                      0: PAST clipping boundaries are measured from the
                         {0,0} pixel in the destination image.
                      1: PAST clipping boundaries are measured from the
                         {target_x,target_y} pixel in the destination image.
   
   Left_past_cb:    4 bytes (signed integer).
   Right_past_cb:   4 bytes (signed integer).
   Top_past_cb:     4 bytes (signed integer).
   Bottom_past_cb:  4 bytes (signed integer).
   ...etc...

The destination image must have the "abstract" property (concrete_flag=0). When destination_id=0, the resulting image is "write-only" and therefore only "composite-over" (composition_mode=0) operations are permitted.

The source images can be "abstract" or "concrete" and have any color_type and sample_depth. They must have the "viewable" property. The number of source images is ((chunk_length-11)/30).

The x_offset and y_offset distances and the PAST clipping boundaries are measured, in pixels, positive rightward and downward from either the {0,0} pixel of the destination image or the {target_x, target_y} position in the destination image. They do not necessarily have to fall within the destination image. Only those pixels of the source image that fall within the destination image and also within the specified clipping boundaries will be copied into the destination image. The coordinate system for offsets and clipping is with respect to the upper lefthand corner of the destination image, which is not necessarily the same coordinate system used by the DEFI, MOVE and CLIP chunks. If the source image has been flipped or rotated, X_offset and Y_offset give the location of its new upper left hand corner. When it is tiled, the offsets give the location of the upper left hand corner of the upper left tile, and tiling is done to the right and down. The PAST left and top clipping boundaries are inclusive, while the right and bottom clipping boundaries are exclusive (see Recommendations for encoders, below).

When composition_mode=0, any non-opaque pixels in the source image are combined with those of the destination image. If the destination pixel is also non-opaque, the resulting pixel will be non-opaque.

When composition_mode=1, all pixels simply replace those in the destination image. This mode can be used to make a transparent hole in an opaque image.

When composition_mode=2, any non-opaque pixels in the destination image are combined with those of the source image. If the source pixel is also non-opaque, the resulting pixel will be non-opaque.

The order of composition is the same as the order that the source_ids appear in the list (but a decoder can do the composition in any order it pleases, or all at once, provided that the resulting destination image is the same as if it had actually performed each composition in the specified order). Decoders must be careful when the destination image equals the source image--the pixels to be drawn are the ones that existed before the drawing operation began.

The clipping information from the DEFI, MOVE or CLIP chunks associated with the destination_id and the source_ids is not used in the PAST operation (but if a decoder is simultaneously updating and displaying the destination_id, the clipping boundaries for the destination_id are used in the display operation).

4.2.9. MAGN Magnify objects

This chunk provides mandatory magnification factors for existing objects and/or for subsequent embedded images whose object id is 0.

The chunk contains 0 to 18 bytes. If any field is omitted, all subsequent fields must also be omitted.

   First_magnified_object_id:
                   2 bytes.  If omitted, any previous MAGN chunk is
                     nullified.
   Last_magnified_object_id:
                   2 bytes.  If omitted, last object_id = first object_id.
   X_method:       1 byte
                     0 or omitted: No magnification
                     1: Pixel replication of color and alpha samples.
                     2: Magnified intervals with linear interpolation of
                        color and alpha samples.
                     3: Magnified intervals with replication of color and
                        alpha samples from the closest pixel.
                     4: Magnified intervals with linear interpolation of
                        color samples and replication of alpha samples from
                        the closest pixel.
                     5: Magnified intervals with linear interpolation of
                        alpha samples and replication of color samples from
                        the closest pixel.
   MX:             2 bytes. X magnification factor, range 1-65535.  If
                     omitted, MX=1.  Ignored if X_method is 0 and assumed to
                     be 1.
   MY:             2 bytes. Y magnification factor.  If omitted, MY=MX.
   ML:             2 bytes. Left X magnification factor.  If omitted, ML=MX.
   MR:             2 bytes. Right X magnification factor.  If omitted, MR=MX.
   MT:             2 bytes. Top Y magnification factor.  If omitted, MT=MY.
                     Ignored if Y_method is 0 and assumed to be 1.
   MB:             2 bytes. Bottom Y magnification factor.  If omitted,
                     MB=MY.
   Y_method:       1 byte.  If omitted, Y_method is the same as X_method.

The MAGN chunk causes the contents of the object buffers pointed to by the specified range of objects to be immediately and irreversibly magnified.

The first_magnified_object_id can be zero. If so, any subsequent embedded objects whose object_id is 0 must be magnified immediately when they appear in the datastream. Magnification factors and methods for object 0 are updated by the appearance of a subsequent MAGN chunk whose first_magnified_object_id is 0. Magnification of object 0 is turned off by the appearance of an empty MAGN chunk or by a MAGN chunk whose first_magnified_object_id is zero and whose X_method and Y_method are zero, explicitly or by omission. The magnification factor for object 0 becomes undefined when a SEEK chunk appears. Therefore, it is the encoder's responsibility either to include a MAGN chunk that turns off magnification of object 0 prior to the end of any segment in which object 0 was magnified, or to include a MAGN chunk for object 0 prior to the first embedded object 0 in every segment that contains an embedded object 0.

The last_magnified_object_id must be greater than or equal to the first_magnified_object_id. It is not an error to include a nonexistent object or an existing "frozen" object in the range; decoders must do nothing to any such objects. If an object is potentially visible and viewable, it is displayed immediately after it is magnified. If any object_id is nonzero, the result of magnifying that object is stored in place of its original object buffer for later use.

If the MAGN chunk is present, all existing objects in the specified range must conceptually be magnified immediately in accordance with the given magnification factors and methods. Decoders may wish to save the magnification factors and delay the magnification until display time, or until the object is used as the parent object of a Delta-PNG, to save memory. There is nothing preventing this, provided that the end effect is the same as if the magnification had been accomplished immediately. If object 0 is in the specified range, then any subsequent embedded objects with object_id=0 must be magnified immediately when they appear in the datastream.

When X_method is 0, all X magnification factors in the MAGN chunk are ignored and can be assumed to be 1.

When X_method is 1, X magnification is done by simple pixel replication. The leftmost pixel of each row is replicated ML-1 times. If the original width is greater than 1, the rightmost pixel is replicated MR-1 times. If the original width is greater than 2, the original interior pixels are replicated MX-1 times. The magnified width W is

   W = ML;
   if (width > 1) W = W + MR;
   if (width > 2) W = W + (width-2)*MX;

When X_method is 2, X magnification is done by linear interpolation between pixels. If the original width of the image is greater than 1, the interval between the leftmost pixel and the second pixel of each row is subdivided into ML equal intervals by inserting ML-1 pixels with color and alpha values that are obtained by linear interpolation. If the original width is 1, then the pixel is simply magnified as if X method is 1. If the original width is greater than 2, the rightmost interval is subdivided into MR equal intervals. If the original width is greater than 3, each original interior interval is subdivided into MX equal intervals. The magnified width W is

   /* The orginal pixels:                        */
      W = width;
   /* Add the new pixels in the left interval:   */
      if (width > 1) W = W + ML-1;
   /* Add the new pixels in the right interval:  */
      if (width > 2) W = W + MR-1;
   /* Add the new interior pixels:               */
      if (width > 3) W = W + (width-3)*(MX-1);

When X_method is 3, intervals are subdivided as in X method 2, and the color and alpha values for the new pixels are obtained by replicating the closest original pixel, with ties being broken by replicating the pixel to the left. The magnified width is calculated in the same manner as in X method 2.

When X_method is 4, the color samples are magnified as in X method 2 and the alpha samples are magnified as in X method 3.

When X_method is 5, the color samples are magnified as in X method 3 and the alpha samples are magnified as in X method 2.

When Y_method is 0, all Y magnification factors in the MAGN chunk are ignored and can be assumed to be 1.

When Y_method is 1, Y magnification is done by simple pixel replication. The topmost pixel of each column is replicated MT-1 times. If the original height is greater than 1, the bottom pixel is replicated MB-1 times. If the original height is greater than 2, the original interior pixels of each column are replicated MY-1 times. The magnified height H is

   H = MT;
   if (height > 1) H = H + MB;
   if (height > 2) H = H + (height-2)*MY;

When Y_method is 2, Y magnification is done by linear interpolation between pixels. If the original height of the image is greater than 1, the interval between the topmost pixel and the second pixel of each column is subdivided into MT equal intervals by inserting MT-1 pixels with color and alpha values that are obtained by linear interpolation. If the original height is 1, then the pixel is simply magnified as if Y method is 1. If the original height is greater than 2, the bottom interval is subdivided into MB equal intervals. If the original height is greater than 3, each original interior interval is subdivided into MY equal intervals. The magnified height H is

   H = height;
   if (height > 1) H = H + MT-1;
   if (height > 2) H = H + MB-1;
   if (height > 3) H = H + (height-3)*(MY-1);

When Y_method is 3, intervals are subdivided as in Y method 2, and the color and alpha values for the new pixels are obtained by replicating the closest original pixel, with ties being broken by replicating the pixel above. The magnified width is calculated in the same manner as in Y method 2.

When Y_method is 4, the color samples are magnified as in Y method 2 and the alpha samples are magnified as in Y method 3.

When Y_method is 5, the color samples are magnified as in Y method 3 and the alpha samples are magnified as in Y method 2.

When the image being magnified is a concrete object, it must not be a JNG or indexed-color PNG (the latter could be promoted to RGB or RGBA via a Delta-PNG PROM chunk first). The result of the magnification is also a concrete object. The Method 2 magnification is conceptually done first in the vertical (Y) direction, the results rounded to the sample depth, then in the horizontal (X) direction. Linear interpolation must be done on the raw pixels, prior to any color correction, using integer arithmetic, to ensure that the result is deterministic. For each channel, the m-1 interpolated samples s[i] are obtained from the two samples s0 and s1 by the following ISO C code or by any other method that obtains the identical results:

   if(s1 == s0)
      for (i=1; i < m; i++)
         s[i] = s0;
   else
      for (i=1; i < m; i++)
         s[i] = ((2*i*(s1-s0)+m)/(m*2) + s0;

Signed arithmetic in a precision large enough to hold the intermediate results must be used, and the final results must be modulo the sample depth.

When the image being magnified is an abstract object, which is always true of object 0, interpolation can be done by any means that achieves a visually similar but not necessarily identical result, such as rounding the results to the sample depth later, using video hardware that is capable of interpolation, or using floating point addition in the loop instead of integer multiplication and division as in:

   float delta = ((float)(s1-s0)/(float)m);
   float sf= (float)s0;
   for (i=1; i < m; i++) {
      sf = sf+delta;
      s[i]=(int)(sf+0.5);
      }

If the abstract object being magnified is being stored in an indexed representation, interpolation must be accomplished by a method that achieves a similar result to that obtained by interpolating between RGB or RGBA pixels.

Note that if an object and partial clones of it appear in the range of objects to be magnified, the object buffer will be magnified repeatedly.

Because the MAGN chunk was added late in the development of MNG-1.0, it is recommended that encoders place an empty MAGN chunk or a nEED MAGN chunk early in the datastream, so that pre-MNG-1.0 applications that do not recognize the MAGN chunk will encounter one quickly.

4.2.10. DISC Discard objects

The DISC chunk can be used to inform the decoder that it can discard the object data associated with the associated object identifiers. Whether the decoder actually discards the data or not, it must not use it after encountering the DISC chunk.

The chunk contains a sequence of zero or more two-byte object identifiers. The number of objects to be discarded is the chunk's data length, divided by two.

   Discard_id: 2 bytes (nonzero unsigned integer).
   ...etc...

If the DISC chunk is empty, all nonzero objects except those preceding the SAVE chunk (i.e., except for the "frozen" objects) can be discarded. If a SAVE chunk has not been encountered, all objects can be discarded. Note that each appearance of a SEEK chunk in the datastream implies an empty DISC chunk.

If the DISC chunk is not empty, the listed objects can be discarded.

When an object is discarded, any location, potential visibility, and clipping boundary data associated with it is also discarded.

It is not an error to include an object_id in the discard_id list, when no such object has been stored, or when the object has already been discarded.

It is an error to name explicitly any "frozen" object in the DISC list.

When the object is a partial clone or is the source of a partial clone that has not been discarded, only the set of object attributes (location, potential visibility, clipping boundaries, etc.) can be discarded. The data in the object buffer must be retained until the last remaining partial clone is discarded.

4.2.11. TERM Termination action

The TERM chunk suggests how the end of the MNG datastream should be handled, when a MEND chunk is found. It contains either a single byte or ten bytes:

   Termination_action:      1 byte (unsigned integer)
                              0: Show the last frame indefinitely.
                              1: Cease displaying anything.
                              2: Show the first frame after the TERM chunk.
                                 If processing the fPRI chunk, use a "cost"
                                 of 255.
                              3: Repeat the sequence starting immediately
                                 after the TERM chunk and ending with the
                                 MEND chunk.
   
   Action_after_iterations: 1 byte
                              0: Show the last frame indefinitely after
                                 iteration_max iterations have been done.
                              1: Cease displaying anything.
                              2: Show the first frame after the TERM chunk.
                                 If processing the fPRI chunk, use a "cost"
                                 of 255.
   
                             This and the subsequent fields must be present
                             if termination_action is 3, and must be omitted
                             otherwise.
   
   Delay:                  4 bytes (unsigned integer).  Delay, in ticks,
                           before repeating the sequence.
   
   Iteration_max:          4 bytes (unsigned integer).  Maximum number of
                           times to execute the sequence.  Infinity is
                           represented by 0x7fffffff.

The loop created by processing a TERM chunk must always be treated by the decoder as if it were a cacheable <user-discretion> loop, with iteration_min=1.

Applications must not depend on anything that has been drawn on the output buffer or device during the previous iteration. Its contents become undefined when the TERM loop restarts.

MNG editors that extract a series of PNG or JNG files from a MNG datastream are expected to execute the TERM loop only once, rather than emitting the files repeatedly.

The TERM chunk, if present, must appear either immediately after the MHDR chunk or immediately prior to a SEEK chunk. The TERM chunk is not considered to be a part of any segment for the purpose of determining the copy-safe status of any chunk. Only one TERM chunk is permitted in a MNG datastream.

Simple viewers and single-frame viewers can ignore the TERM chunk. It has been made critical only so MNG editors will not inadvertently relocate it.

4.3. Critical MNG image displaying chunks

The chunks in this section cause existing objects and embedded objects to be displayed on the output device, and control their location, clipping, and timing and the background against which they are displayed.

4.3.1. BACK Background

The BACK chunk suggests or mandates a background color, image, or both against which transparent, clipped, or less-than-full-frame images can be displayed. This information will be used whenever the application subsequently needs to insert a background layer, unless another BACK chunk provides new background information before that happens.

The BACK chunk contains 6, 7, 9, or 10 bytes. If any field is omitted, all subsequent fields must also be omitted.

   Red_background:   2 bytes (unsigned integer).
   
   Green_background: 2 bytes (unsigned integer).
   
   Blue_background:  2 bytes (unsigned integer).
   
   Mandatory_background:
                     1 byte (unsigned integer).
                        0: Background color and background image are
                           advisory.  Applications can use them if they
                           choose to.
                        1: Background color is mandatory.  Applications
                           must use it.  Background image is advisory.
                        2: Background image is mandatory.  Applications
                           must use it.  Background color is advisory.
                        3: Background color and background image are both
                           mandatory.  Applications must use them.
                        This byte can be omitted if the subsequent fields
                        are also omitted.  If so, the background color is
                        advisory.
   
   Background_image_id:
                     2 bytes (unsigned nonzero integer).  Object_id of an
                     image that is to be used as the background layer or
                     part of it.  If the image does not cover the area
                     defined by the layer clipping boundaries with opaque
                     pixels, the remainder of this area is filled with the
                     background color or application background and the
                     background image is composited against it.  This
                     field can be omitted if the background_tiling byte is
                     also omitted; if so, no background image is defined,
                     and the background image_id from any previous BACK
                     chunk becomes undefined.  This byte must be omitted
                     in MNG-LC and MNG-VLC datastreams, and when the
                     "stored object buffers" flag in the simplicity
                     profile is valid and is zero.
   
   Background_tiling:
                     1 byte (unsigned integer).
                        0: Do not tile the background.
                        1: Tile the background with the background image.
                     This field can be omitted; if so, do not tile the
                     background.  This byte must be omitted in MNG-LC and
                     MNG-VLC datastreams.

The first layer displayed by a viewer is always a background layer that fills the entire frame. The BACK chunk provides a background that the viewer can use for this purpose (or must use, if it is mandatory). If it is not "mandatory" the viewer can choose another background if it wishes. If the BACK chunk is not present, or if the background is not fully opaque or has been clipped to less than full frame, the viewer must provide or complete its own background layer for the first frame. Each layer after the first must be composited over the layers that precede it, until a FRAM chunk with framing mode 3 or 4 causes another background layer to be generated.

Viewers are expected, however, to composite every foreground layer against a fresh copy of the background, when the framing mode given in the FRAM chunk is 3, and to composite the first foreground layer of each subframe against a fresh copy of the background, when the framing mode is 4. Also, when the framing mode is 3 or 4 and no foreground layer appears between consecutive FRAM chunks, a background layer alone is displayed as a separate frame.

The images and the background are both clipped to the subframe boundaries given in the FRAM chunk. Anything outside these boundaries is inherited from the previous subframe. If the background layer is transparent and the subsequent foreground layers do not cover the transparent area with opaque pixels, the application's background becomes re-exposed in any uncovered pixels within the subframe boundaries. The background image (or tiled assembly) is also clipped to its own boundaries and located like any other image, and is only displayed if it is potentially visible. When the background image is used for tiling, the upper left tile is located according to the background image's location attributes and the entire assembly is clipped according to its clipping attributes. Viewers might actually follow some other procedure, but the final appearance of each frame must be the same as if they had filled the area within the subframe boundaries with the background color, then displayed the background image, and then displayed the foreground image (or images), without delay.

Note that any background layer, including the one that begins the first frame of the datastream, must be inserted at the latest possible moment, in case the background image is replaced or is modified by a Delta-PNG datastream or its location or clipping boundaries are changed by a MOVE or CLIP chunk, or in case a new BACK chunk appears, before that moment.

It is an error to specify a background_image_id when the "stored object buffers" flag in the simplicity profile is valid and zero.

It is not an error to specify a background_image_id when such an image is not viewable and potentially visible or does not yet exist or ceases to exist for some reason, or to fail to specify one even when the mandatory_background flag is 2 or 3. Viewers must be prepared to fall back temporarily to using the background color or application background in this event, and to resume using the background image whenever a potentially visible viewable object with the background_image_id becomes available. They also must be prepared for the contents, viewability, location, potential visibility, and clipping boundaries of the background image to change, just like any other object, if it has not been "frozen". The background image is allowed to have transparency, subject to any promises made in the simplicity profile.

The three BACK components are always written as though for an RGBA PNG with 16-bit sample depth. For example, a mid-level gray background could be specified with the RGB color samples {1.09, 1.09, 1.09}. The background color is interpreted in the current color space as defined by any top-level gAMA, cHRM, iCCP, sRGB chunks that have appeared prior to the BACK chunk in the MNG datastream. If no such chunks appear, the color space is unknown.

The color space of the background image, if one is used, is determined in the same manner as the color space of any other image.

The data from the BACK chunk takes effect the next time the decoder needs to insert a background layer, and remains in effect until another BACK chunk appears.

For the purpose of counting layers, when the background consists of both a background color and a background image, these are considered to generate a single layer and there is no delay between displaying the background color and the background image.

Multiple instances of the BACK chunk are permitted in a MNG datastream.

The BACK chunk can be omitted. If a background is needed and the BACK chunk is omitted, then the viewer must supply its own background. For the purpose of counting layers, such a viewer-supplied background layer is counted the same as a background supplied by the BACK chunk.

In practice, most applications that use MNG as part of a larger composition should ignore the BACK data if mandatory_background=0 and the application already has its own background definition. This will frequently be the case in World Wide Web pages, to achieve nonrectangular transparent animations displayed against the background of the page.

4.3.2. FRAM Frame definitions

The FRAM chunk provides information that a decoder needs for generating frames and interframe delays. The FRAM parameters govern how the decoder is to behave when it encounters a FRAM chunk, an embedded image, or a SHOW chunk. The FRAM chunk also delimits subframes.

If bit 1 of the MHDR simplicity profile is 0 and bit 0 is 1, the FRAM chunk must not be present.

An empty FRAM chunk is just a subframe delimiter. A nonempty one is a subframe delimiter, and it also changes FRAM parameters, either for the upcoming subframe or until reset ("upcoming subframe" refers to the subframe immediately following the FRAM chunk). When the FRAM chunk is not empty, it contains a framing-mode byte, an optional name string, a zero-byte separator, plus four 1-byte fields plus a variable number of optional fields.

When the FRAM parameters are changed, the new parameters affect the subframe that is about to be defined, not the one that is being terminated by the FRAM chunk.

   Framing_mode:  1 byte.
   
                    0:  Do not change framing mode.
   
                    1:  No background layer is generated, except for one
                        ahead of the very first foreground layer in the
                        datastream.  The interframe delay is associated
                        with each foreground layer in the subframe.
   
                    2:  No background layer is generated, except for one
                        ahead of the very first image in the datastream.
                        The interframe delay is associated only with the
                        final layer in the subframe.  A zero interframe
                        delay is associated with the other layers in the
                        subframe.
   
                    3:  A background layer is generated ahead of each
                        foreground layer.  The interframe delay is
                        associated with each foreground layer, and a zero
                        delay is associated with each background layer.
   
                    4:  The background layer is generated only ahead of
                        the first foreground layer in the subframe.  The
                        interframe delay is associated only with the final
                        foreground layer in the subframe.  A zero
                        interframe delay is associated with the background
                        layers, except when there is no foreground layer
                        in the subframe, in which case the interframe delay
                        is associated with the sole background layer.
   
   Subframe_name: 0 or more bytes (Latin-1 Text).  Can be omitted; if so,
                  the subframe is nameless.
   
   Separator:     1 byte:  (null).  Must be omitted if the subsequent
                  fields are also omitted.
   
   Change_interframe_delay:
                  1 byte.
                    0:  No.
                    1:  Yes, for the upcoming subframe only.
                    2:  Yes, also reset default.
   
                  This field and all subsequent fields can be omitted as a
                  group if no frame parameters other than the framing mode
                  or the subframe name are changed.
   
   Change_timeout_and_termination:
                  1 byte
                    0:  No.
                    1:  Deterministic, for the upcoming subframe only.
                    2:  Deterministic, also reset default.
                    3:  Decoder-discretion, for the upcoming subframe only.
                    4:  Decoder-discretion, also reset default.
                    5:  User-discretion, for the upcoming subframe only.
                    6:  User-discretion, also reset default.
                    7:  External-signal, for the upcoming subframe only.
                    8:  External-signal, also reset default.
   
                 This field can be omitted only if the previous field is
                 also omitted.
   
   Change_layer_clipping_boundaries:
                 1 byte.
                    0:  No.
                    1:  Yes, for the upcoming subframe only.
                    2:  Yes, also reset default.
   
                 This field can be omitted only if the previous field is
                 also omitted.
   
   Change_sync_id_list:
                 1 byte.
                    0:  No.
                    1:  Yes, for the upcoming subframe only.
                    2:  Yes, also reset default list.
   
                 This field can be omitted only if the previous field is
                 also omitted.
   
   Interframe_delay:
                  4 bytes (unsigned integer).  This field must be omitted
                    if the change_interframe_delay field is zero or is
                    omitted.  The range is [0..2^31-1] ticks.
   
   Timeout:       4 bytes (unsigned integer).  This field must be omitted
                    if the change_timeout_and_termination field is zero or
                    is omitted.  The range is [0..2^31-1].  The value
                    2^31-1 (0x7fffffff) ticks represents an infinite
                    timeout period.
   
   Layer_clipping_boundary_delta_type:
                  1 byte (unsigned integer).
                    0: Layer clipping boundary values are given directly.
                    1: Layer clipping boundaries are determined by adding
                       the FRAM data to the values from the previous
                       subframe.
                  This and the following four fields must be omitted if the
                  change_layer_clipping_boundaries field is zero or is
                  omitted.
   
   Left_layer_cb or Delta_left_layer_cb:
                  4 bytes (signed integer).
   
   Right_layer cb or Delta_right_layer_cb:
                  4 bytes (signed integer).
   
   Top_layer_cb or Delta_top_layer_cb:
                  4 bytes (signed integer).
   
   Bottom_layer_cb or Delta_bottom_layer_cb:
                  4 bytes (signed integer).
   
   Sync_id:       4 bytes (unsigned integer).  Must be omitted if
                    change_sync_id_list=0 and can be omitted if the new
                    list is empty; repeat until all sync_ids have been
                    listed.  The range is [0..2^31-1].

Framing modes:

The framing_mode provides information to the decoder that it uses whenever it is about to display an image, and when it is processing the next FRAM chunk.

Any of these events generates a layer, even if no pixels are actually changed:

When a decoder is ready to perform a display update, it must check the framing mode, to decide whether it should restore the background (framing modes 3 and 4) or not (framing modes 1 and 2), and whether it needs to wait for the interframe delay to elapse before continuing (framing modes 1 and 3) or not (framing modes 2 and 4).

When the interframe delay is zero, viewers are not required actually to update the display but can continue to process the remainder of the frame and composite the next image over the existing frame before displaying anything. The final result must appear the same as if each image had been displayed in turn with no delay.

Regardless of the framing mode, encoders must insert a background layer, with a zero delay, ahead of the first image layer in the datastream, even when the BACK chunk is not present or has been clipped to less than full-frame. This layer must be included in the layer count but not in the frame count.

Also, viewers that jump to a segment must insert a background layer, with a zero delay, ahead of the segment, even when the BACK chunk is not present in the prologue segment, if they jumped from the interior of a segment. Such layers are not included in either the layer count or the frame count.

Framing mode 1
When framing_mode is 1, the decoder must wait until the interframe delay for the previous frame has elapsed before displaying each image. Each foreground layer is a separate subframe and frame.

Framing mode 2
Framing mode 2 is the same as framing mode 1, except that the interframe delay occurs between subframes delimited by FRAM chunks rather than between individual layers. All of the foreground layers between consecutive FRAM chunks make up a single subframe.

In the usual case, the interframe delay is nonzero, and multiple layers are present, so each frame is a single subframe composed of several layers. When the interframe delay is zero, the subframe is combined with subsequent subframes until one with a nonzero interframe delay is encountered, to make up a single frame. The decoder must wait until the interframe delay for the previous frame has elapsed before displaying the frame. When framing_mode=2, viewers are expected to display all of the images in a frame at once, if possible, or as fast as can be managed, without clearing the display or restoring the background.

Framing mode 3
When framing_mode=3, a background layer is generated and displayed immediately before each image layer is displayed. Otherwise, framing mode 3 is identical to framing mode 1. Each foreground layer together with its background layer make up a single subframe and frame.

When the background layer is transparent or does not fill the clipping boundaries of the image layer, the application is responsible for supplying a background color or image against which the image layer is composited, and if the MNG is being displayed against a changing scene, the application should refresh the entire MNG frame against a new copy of the background layer whenever the application's background scene changes (see the "background transparency" bit of the simplicity profile).

Framing mode 4
When framing_mode=4, the background layer is generated and displayed immediately before each frame, i.e., after each FRAM chunk, with no interframe delay before each image. The decoder must wait until the interframe delay for the previous frame has elapsed before displaying the background layer. Otherwise, framing mode 4 is identical to framing mode 2. All of the foreground layers between consecutive FRAM chunks, together with one background layer, make up a single subframe.

A transparent or clipped background layer is handled as in framing mode 3.

The subframe name must conform to the same formatting rules as those for a PNG tEXt keyword: It must consist only of printable Latin-1 characters and must not have leading or trailing blanks, but can have single embedded blanks. There must be at least one (unless the subframe name is omitted) and no more than 79 characters in the keyword. Keywords are case-sensitive. There is no null byte within the keyword. No specific use for the subframe name is specified in this document, except that it can be included in the optional index that can appear in the SAVE chunk. Applications can use this field for such purposes as constructing an external list of subframe in the datastream. The subframe name only applies to the upcoming subframe; subsequent subframes are unnamed unless they also have their own frame_name field. It is recommended that the same name not appear in any other FRAM chunk or in any SEEK or eXPI chunk. Subframe names should not begin with the case-insensitive strings "CLOCK(", "FRAME(", or "FRAMES(", which are reserved for use in URI queries and fragments (see Uniform Resource Identifier below).

The interframe delay value is the desired minimum time to elapse from the beginning of displaying one frame until the beginning of displaying the next frame. When the interframe delay is nonzero, which will probably be the usual case, layers are frames. When it is zero, a frame consists of any number of consecutive subframes, until a nonzero delay subframe is encountered and completed. Decoders are not obligated or encouraged to display such subframes individually; they can composite them offscreen and only display the complete frame.

There is no interframe delay before the first layer (the implicit background layer) in the datastream nor after the final frame, regardless of the framing mode.

The timeout field can be a number or <infinity>. Infinity can be represented by 0x7fffffff. Under certain termination conditions, the application can adjust the interframe delay, provided that it is not greater than the sum of the specified interframe delay and the timeout.

The termination condition given in the change_timeout_and_termination field specifies whether and over what range the normal interframe delay can be lengthened or shortened. It can take the following values:

deterministic
The frame endures no longer than the normal interframe delay. Even though this is the default, a streaming encoder talking to a real-time decoder might write a FRAM with a termination condition of "deterministic" to force the display to be updated while the encoder decides its next move.

decoder-discretion
If the interframe delay is nonzero, the decoder can shorten or lengthen the duration of the frame, to any duration between the interframe delay and the timeout. A streaming decoder could take the opportunity to wait for its input buffer to fill to a comfortable level.

user-discretion
If the interframe delay is nonzero, the decoder should wait for permission from the user (e.g., via a keypress) before proceeding, but must wait no less than the smaller of the timeout and the interframe delay nor no longer than the greater of the timeout and the interframe delay. If the decoder cannot interact with the user, this condition degenerates into "decoder-discretion".

external-signal
If the interframe delay is nonzero, the decoder should wait for the arrival of a signal whose number matches a sync_id, but must wait no less than the smaller of the timeout and the interframe delay nor no longer than the greater of the timeout and the interframe delay. If the decoder cannot receive signals, this condition degenerates into "decoder-discretion".

The sync_id list can be omitted if the termination condition is not "external-signal".

When the sync_id list is changed, the number of sync_id entries is determined by the remaining length of the chunk data, divided by four. This number can be zero, which either inactivates the existing sync_id list for one frame or deletes it.

The initial values of the FRAM parameters are:

     Framing mode             = 1
     Subframe name            = <empty string>
     Interframe delay         = 1
     Left subframe boundary   = 0
     Right subframe boundary  = frame_width
     Top subframe boundary    = 0
     Bottom subframe boundary = frame_height
     Termination              = deterministic
     Timeout                  = 0x7fffffff (infinite)
     Sync id                  = <empty list>

The layer clipping boundaries from the FRAM chunk are only used for clipping, not for placement. The DEFI or MOVE chunk can be used to specify the placement of each image within the layer. The DEFI or CLIP chunk can be used to specify clipping boundaries for each image. Even when the left and top subframe boundaries are nonzero, the image locations are measured with respect to the {0,0} position in the display area. The left and top subframe boundaries are inclusive, while the right and bottom boundaries are exclusive.

If the layers do not cover the entire area defined by the layer clipping boundaries with opaque pixels, they are composited against whatever already occupies the area, when the framing mode is 1 or 2. When the framing mode is 3 or 4, they are composited against the background defined by the BACK chunk, or against an application-defined background, if the BACK chunk is not present or does not define a mandatory background. The images, as well as the background, are clipped to the layer clipping boundaries for the subframe. Any pixels outside the layer clipping boundaries remain unchanged from the previous layer.

The interframe_delay field gives the duration of display, which is the minimum time that must elapse from the beginning of displaying one layer until the beginning of displaying the next (unless the termination condition and timeout permit this time to be shortened). It is measured in "ticks" using the tick length determined from ticks_per_second defined in the MHDR chunk. When the interframe delay is zero, it indicates that the layer is to be combined with the subsequent layer or layers into a single frame, until a nonzero interframe delay is specified or the MEND chunk is reached.

A viewer does not actually have to follow the procedure of erasing the screen, redisplaying the background, and recompositing the images against it, but what is displayed when the frame is complete must be the same as if it had. It is sufficient to redraw the parts of the display that change from one frame to the next.

The sync_id list provides a point at which the processor must wait for all pending processes to reach the synchronization point having the same sync_id before resuming, perhaps because of a need to synchronize a sound datastream (not defined in this specification) with the display, to synchronize stereo images, and the like. When the period defined by the sum of the interframe_delay and the timeout fields elapses, processing can resume even though the processor has not received an indication that other processes have reached the synchronization point.

Note that the synchronization point does not occur immediately, but at the end of the first frame that follows the FRAM chunk.

The identifier sync_id=0 is reserved to represent synchronization with a user input from a keyboard or pointing device. The sync_id values 1-255 are reserved to represent the corresponding ASCII letter, received from the keyboard (or a simulated keyboard), and values 256-1023 are reserved for future definition by this specification. If multiple channels (not defined in this specification) are not present, viewers can ignore other values appearing in the sync_id list.

Note that the rules for omitting the interframe delay, timeout, clipping boundary, and sync id fields of the FRAM chunk are different from the general rule stated in MNG Chunks, above (Chapter 4). These fields are either present in the chunk data or omitted from it according to the contents of the corresponding "change" byte.

4.3.3. MOVE New image location

The MOVE chunk gives a new location of an existing object or objects (replacing or incrementing the location given in the DEFI chunk).

The position is measured downward and to the right of the frame origin, in pixels, where the named object or group of objects is to be located.

The chunk's contents are:

   First_object:       2 bytes (unsigned integer).
   
   Last_object:        2 bytes (unsigned integer).
   
   Location_delta_type:1 byte (unsigned integer).
                         0: MOVE data gives X_location and Y_location
                            directly.
                         1: New locations are determined by adding the MOVE
                            data to the location of the parent object.
   
   X_location or delta_X_location:
                       4 bytes (signed integer).
   
   Y_location or delta_Y_location:
                       4 bytes (signed integer).

The new location applies to a single object, if first_object=last_object, or to a group of consecutive object_ids, if they are different. Last_object must not be less than first_object. Negative values are permitted for the X and Y location. The positive directions are downward and rightward from the frame origin. The MOVE chunk can specify an image placement that is partially or wholly outside the display boundaries. In such cases, the resulting image must be clipped to fit within its clipping boundaries, or not displayed at all if it falls entirely outside its clipping boundaries. The clipping boundaries are determined as described in the specification for the CLIP chunk below (Paragraph 4.3.4). The left and top boundaries are inclusive, while the right and bottom boundaries are exclusive.

It is not an error for the MOVE chunk to name an object that has not previously been defined. In such cases, nothing is done to the nonexistent object. It is permitted to move "frozen" objects provided that the encoder includes chunks to move them back to their original positions prior to then end of the segment.

When an object is discarded, its set of object attributes, which includes the MOVE data, is also discarded.

4.3.4. CLIP Object clipping boundaries

This chunk gives the new boundaries (replacing or incrementing those from the DEFI chunk) to which an existing object or group of objects must be clipped for display. It contains the following 21 bytes:

   First_object:                 2 bytes (unsigned integer).
   
   Last_object:                  2 bytes (unsigned integer).
   
   Clip_delta_type:              1 byte (unsigned integer).
                                   0: CLIP data gives boundary values
                                      directly.
                                   1: CLIP boundaries are determined by
                                      adding the CLIP data to their
                                      previous values for this object.
   
   Left_cb or delta_left_cb:     4 bytes (signed integer).
   
   Right_cb or delta_right_cb:   4 bytes (signed integer).
   
   Top_cb or delta_top_cb:       4 bytes (signed integer).
   
   Bottom_cb or delta_bottom_cb: 4 bytes (signed integer).

The new clipping boundaries apply to a single object, if first_object=last_object, or to a group of consecutive objects, if they are different. the last_object must not be less than first_object.

The clipping boundaries are expressed in pixels, measured rightward and downward from the frame origin.

The left and top clipping boundaries are inclusive and the right and bottom clipping boundaries are exclusive, i.e., the pixel located at {x,y} is only displayed if the pixel falls within the physical limits of the display hardware and all of the following are true:

   0        <= x < frame_width  (from the MHDR chunk)
   0        <= y < frame_height
   Left_lcb <= x < right_lcb    (from the FRAM chunk)
   Top_lcb  <= y < bottom_lcb
   Left_cb  <= x < right_cb     (from the CLIP chunk)
   Top_cb   <= y < bottom_cb

It is not an error for the CLIP chunk to name an object that has not previously been defined. In such cases, nothing is done to the nonexistent object. It is permitted to clip "frozen" objects provided that another CLIP chunk resets them to their original values prior to the end of the segment.

When an object is discarded, its set of object attributes, which includes the CLIP data, is also discarded.

4.3.5. SHOW Show images

The SHOW chunk is used to change the potential visibility of one or more previously-defined objects and to direct that they be displayed. It contains 2, 4, or 5 bytes, or it can be empty. When any field is omitted, all subsequent fields must also be omitted.

   First_image: 2 bytes (nonzero unsigned integer).
   
   Last_image:  2 bytes  (nonzero unsigned integer).  This field can be
                omitted if the show_mode byte is also omitted.  If so,
                decoders must assume the default values, show_mode=0 and
                last_image=first_image.
   
   Show_mode:   1 byte (unsigned integer).
                  0:  Make the images potentially visible and display them
                      (set do_not_show=0).
                  1:  Make the images invisible (set do_not_show=1).
                  2:  Do not change do_not_show flag; display those that are
                      potentially visible.
                  3:  Mark images "potentially visible" (do_not_show=0), but
                      do not display them.
                  4:  Toggle do_not_show flag; display any that are
                      potentially visible after toggling.
                  5:  Toggle do_not_show flag, but do not display even if
                      potentially visible after toggling.
                  6:  Step through the images in the given range, making the
                      next image potentially visible (set do_not_show=0) and
                      display it.  Set do_not_show=1 for all other images in
                      the range.  Jump to the beginning of the range when
                      reaching the end of the range.  Perform one step for
                      each SHOW chunk (in reverse order
                      if last_image < first_image).
                  7.  Make the next image in the range (cycle) potentially
                      visible (do_not_show=0), but do not display it.  Set
                      do_not_show=1 for the rest of the images in the range.
   
                This field can be omitted.  If so, decoders must assume the
                default, show_mode=0.

The decoder processes the objects (or images) named in the SHOW chunk in the order first_image through last_image, and resets the do_not_show flag for each of the objects. If show_mode is even-valued, it also displays the images if they are potentially visible and are viewable images.

When the SHOW chunk is empty, the decoder displays all existing potentially visible images, without changing their do_not_show status. The empty SHOW chunk is equivalent to

   SHOW 1 65535 2

If last_image < first_image the images are processed in reverse order.

When show_mode is odd-valued, nothing is displayed unless a subsequent SHOW chunk with an even-valued show_mode appears.

Interactions with the framing mode
When show_mode is even-valued, each visible image that is displayed generates a separate layer, even if it is offscreen and no pixels are actually displayed. In such cases, the layer is totally transparent. When show_mode is odd, or when no image is potentially visible and show_mode is 2, 4, or empty, no layer is generated.

When show_mode is 1, 4, 5, 6, or 7, images can be made invisible. This is not permitted when the framing mode is 2 or 4 in the FRAM chunk and the images have already appeared in the frame, because simple viewers will have already drawn them and have no way to make them invisible again without redrawing the entire frame.

When show_mode is 6 or 7, the decoder must make the next image in the "cycle" potentially visible and, if show_mode is 6, generate a single layer. To do this, it must examine the do_not_show flag for each image in the range first_image through last_image, and make the next one (the one with the next higher value of image_id that exists and is "viewable") after the first visible one it finds visible and the rest invisible. When first_image > last_image, the cycle is reversed, and the "next" image is the one with the next lower value of image_id. In either case, if the first visible one found was last_id, or none were visible, it must make first_image visible. These modes are useful for manipulating a group of sequential images that represent different views of an animated icon. See Example 8, below (Chapter 18). If no "viewable" object is in the specified range, an empty layer must be generated.

When show_mode is 0, 2, 4, or 6, separate layers will be generated, each containing an instance of one visible image at the location specified by the DEFI, CLON, or MOVE chunk and clipped according to the boundaries specified by the CLIP and FRAM chunks. When the MOVE or CLON chunk is used in the delta form, which will frequently be the case, each image must be displaced from its previous position by the values given in the MOVE or CLON chunk.

Assuming a nonzero interframe delay, any of the following sequences would cause the image identified by object_id=6 in a composite frame to blink:

   LOOP 0 0 10
   FRAM 4       # Show background
   SHOW 1 10    # Show images 1 thru 10.
   FRAM         # Show background
   SHOW 1 5     # Show images 1 thru 5.
   SHOW 7 10    # Show images 7 thru 10.
   ENDL
   
   FRAM 4       # Show background
   LOOP 0 0 10
   SHOW 1 5     # Show images 1 thru 5.
   SHOW 6 6 4   # Toggle potential visibility of image 6
   SHOW 7 10    # and show it; show images 7 thru 10.
   FRAM
   ENDL
   
   FRAM 4       # Show background
   LOOP 0 0 10
   SHOW 6 6 5   # Toggle potential visibility of image 6.
   SHOW 1 10 2  # Show potentially visible images in 1
   FRAM         # through 10.
   ENDL

It is not necessary to follow an IHDR-IEND, JHDR-IEND, BASI-IEND, or DHDR-IEND sequence or PAST chunk with a SHOW chunk to display the resulting image, if it was already caused to appear by do_not_show=0 in the DEFI chunk that introduced the image. Similarly, the CLON chunk need not be followed by a SHOW chunk, if do_not_show=0 in the CLON chunk.

It is not an error for the SHOW chunk to name a nonviewable object or an object that has not previously been defined. In such cases, nothing is done to the nonexistent object. It is permitted to change the potential visibility of "frozen" objects provided that another SHOW chunk resets them to their original values prior to the end of the segment.

4.4. SAVE and SEEK chunks

The SAVE chunk marks a point in the datastream at which objects are "frozen" and other chunk information is "saved". The SEEK chunk marks positions in the MNG datastream where a restart is possible, and where the decoder must restore the "saved" information, if they have jumped or skipped to a SEEK point from the interior of a segment. They only need to restore information that they will use, e.g., a viewer that processes gAMA and global PLTE and tRNS, but ignores iCCP and sPLT, need only restore the value of gamma and the global PLTE and tRNS data from the prologue segment but not the values of the iCCP and sPLT data.

Simple decoders that only read MNG datastreams sequentially can safely ignore the SAVE and SEEK chunks, although it is recommended that, for efficient use of memory, they at least mark existing objects as "frozen" when the SAVE chunk is processed and discard all "unfrozen" objects whenever the SEEK or empty DISC chunk is processed.

4.4.1. SAVE Save information

The SAVE chunk marks a point in the datastream at which objects are "frozen" and other chunk information is "saved"; a decoder skipping or jumping to a SEEK chunk from the interior of a segment must restore the "saved" chunk information if it has been redefined or discarded. In addition, the SAVE chunk can contain an optional index to the MNG datastream.

The SAVE chunk can be empty, or it can contain an index consisting of the following:

   Offset_size: 1 byte (unsigned integer).
                  4: Offsets and nominal start times are expressed as
                     32-bit integers.
                  8: Offsets and nominal start times are expressed as
                     64-bit integers.

plus zero or more of the following index entries:

   Entry_type:  1 byte (unsigned integer).
                  0: Segment with nominal start time, nominal layer number,
                     and nominal frame number.
                  1: Segment.
                  2: Subframe.
                  3: Exported image.
   Offset:     4 or 8 bytes (unsigned integer).  Must be omitted if
                 entry_type > 1, set equal to zero if the offset is
                 unknown.
   Nominal_start_time:
               4 or 8 bytes: (unsigned integer).  Start time of the segment,
                 measured in ticks from the beginning of the sequence,
                 assuming that all prior segments were played as intended on
                 an ideal player, ignoring any fPRI chunks.  Must be omitted
                 if entry_type > 0.
   Nominal_layer_number:
              4 bytes (unsigned integer).  Sequence number of the first
                 layer in the segment, assuming that all prior segments were
                 played as intended on an ideal player, ignoring any fPRI
                 chunks; the first layer of the first segment being layer 0.
                 Must be omitted if entry_type > 0.
   Nominal_frame_number:
             4 bytes (unsigned integer).  Sequence number of the first
                 frame in the segment, assuming that all prior segments were
                 played as intended on an ideal player, ignoring any fPRI
                 chunks; the first frame of the first segment being frame 0.
                 Must be omitted if entry_type > 0.
   Name:       1-79 bytes (Latin-1 text).  Must be omitted for unnamed
                 segments.  The contents of this field must be the same as
                 the name field in the corresponding SEEK, FRAM, or eXPI
                 chunk.
   Separator:  1 byte (null) (must be omitted after the final entry).

The SAVE chunk must be present when the SEEK chunk is present. It appears after the set of chunks that define information that must be retained for the remainder of the datastream. These chunks, collectively referred to as the prologue segment, are no different from chunks in other segments. They can be chunks that define objects, or they can be chunks that define other information such as gAMA, cHRM, and sPLT. If any chunks appear between the SAVE chunk and the first SEEK chunk, these chunks also form a part of the prologue segment, but their contents become undefined when the SEEK chunk appears.

Only one instance of the SAVE chunk is permitted in a MNG datastream. It is not allowed anywhere after the first SEEK chunk.

It is not permitted, at any point beyond the SAVE chunk, to modify or discard any object that was defined ahead of the SAVE chunk.

An object appearing ahead of the SAVE chunk can be the subject of a CLON chunk. If the clone is a partial clone, modifying it is not permitted, because this would also modify the object buffer that the original object points to.

A chunk like gAMA that overwrites a single current value is permitted after the SAVE chunk, even if the chunk has appeared ahead of the SAVE chunk. Decoders are responsible for saving a copy of the chunk data (in any convenient form) when the SAVE chunk is encountered and restoring it when skipping or jumping to a SEEK chunk from the interior of a segment. If no instance of the chunk appeared ahead of the SAVE chunk, the decoder must restore the chunk data to its original "unknown" condition when it skips or jumps to a SEEK chunk from the interior of a segment.

It is the encoder's responsibility, if it changes or discards any "saved" data, to restore it to its "saved" condition (or to nullify it, if it was unknown) prior to the end of the segment. This makes it safe for simple decoders to ignore the SAVE/SEEK mechanism.

Known chunks in this category include DEFI, FRAM, BACK, PLTE, cHRM, tRNS, fPRI, gAMA, iCCP, bKGD, sBIT, pHYg, pHYs, and sRGB. In addition, it is the responsibility of the encoder to include chunks that restore the potential visibility, location, and clipping boundaries of any "frozen" objects to their "saved" condition.

In the case of chunks like sPLT that can occur multiple times, with different "purpose" fields, additional instances of the chunk are permitted after the SAVE chunk, but not with the same keyword as any instances that occurred ahead of the SAVE chunk. The decoder is required to forget such additional instances when it skips or jumps to a SEEK chunk from the interior of a segment, but it must retain those instances that were defined prior to the SAVE chunk. Encoders are required to nullify such additional instances prior to the end of the segment. Known chunks in this category include only sPLT.

If an entry for a segment (entry type 0 or 1) appears in the optional index, there must also be an entry for every segment, whether named or not, except for the prologue segment, that precedes it. All entries must appear in the index in the same order that they appear in the MNG datastream. There must never be a segment entry (type 0 or 1) for the prologue segment, but there can be entries for named images or subframes in the prologue, placed ahead of the first segment entry. Only named images or subframes are permitted, and it is not an error to omit any or all named images or subframes. Nor is it an error to omit a contiguous set of segments at the end of the datastream from the index.

Offsets are calculated from the first byte of the MNG 8-byte signature, which has offset=0. This is true even if the MNG datastream happens to be embedded in some other file and the signature bytes are not actually present.

Applications with direct access to the datastream can use the index to find segments, subframes, and exported images quickly. After processing the prologue segment, they can jump directly to any segment and then process the remaining datastream until the desired subframe, image, or time is found. Applications that have only streaming access to the datastream can still use the index to decide whether to decode the chunks in a segment or to skip over them.

Only one instance of the SAVE chunk is permitted in a MNG datastream. If the SEEK chunk is present, the SAVE chunk must be present, prior to the first SEEK chunk. The only chunks not allowed ahead of the SAVE chunk are the SEEK chunk and the MEND chunk. The SAVE chunk must not appear inside a LOOP-ENDL pair.

4.4.2. SEEK Seek point

The SEEK chunk marks positions ("seek points") in the MNG datastream where a restart is possible, and where the decoder must restore certain information to the condition that existed when the SAVE chunk was processed, if it has skipped or jumped to the SEEK chunk from the interior of a segment.

The SEEK chunk can be empty, or it can contain a segment name.

   Segment_name: 1-79 bytes (Latin-1 string).

The segment name is optional. It must follow the format of a tEXt keyword: It must consist only of printable Latin-1 characters and must not have leading or trailing blanks, but can have single embedded blanks. There must be at least one and no more than 79 characters in the keyword. There is no null byte terminator within the segment name, nor is there a separate null byte terminator. Segment names are case-sensitive. Use caution when printing or displaying keywords (Refer to Security considerations, below, Chapter 17). No specific use for the segment name is specified in this document, but applications can use the segment name for such purposes as constructing a menu of seek points for a slide-show viewer. It can be included in the optional index that can appear in the SAVE chunk. It is recommended that the same name not appear in any other SEEK chunk or in any FRAM or eXPI chunk. Segment names should not begin with the case-insensitive strings "CLOCK(", "FRAME(", or "FRAMES(", which are reserved for use in URI queries and fragments (see Uniform Resource Identifier below).

Applications must not use any information preceding the SEEK chunk, except for:

They also must not depend on anything that has been drawn on the output buffer or device. Its contents become undefined when the SEEK chunk is encountered. Decoders that make random access to a seek point from the interior of a segment must insert a background layer before processing the segment. Encoders must ensure that simple viewers do not need to do this.

When the SEEK chunk is encountered, the decoder can discard any objects appearing after the SAVE chunk, as though an empty DISC chunk were present.

In addition to providing a mechanism for skipping frames or backspacing over frames, the SEEK chunk provides a means of dealing with a corrupted datastream. The viewer would abandon processing and simply look for the next SEEK chunk before resuming. Note that looking for a PNG IHDR chunk would not be sufficient because the PNG datastream might be inside a loop or a Delta-PNG datastream, or it might need data from preceding MOVE or CLIP chunks.

When a decoder jumps to a seek point from the interior of a segment, it must restore the information that it saved when it processed the SAVE chunk, and it must reset the object attributes and magnification factors for object 0 to their default values. When it encounters a SEEK chunk during normal sequential processing of a MNG datastream, it need not restore anything, because the encoder will have written chunks that restore all saved information.

Multiple instances of the SEEK chunk are permitted. The SEEK chunk must not appear prior to the SAVE chunk. The SAVE chunk must also be present if the SEEK chunk is present. The SEEK chunk must not appear between a LOOP chunk and its ENDL chunk.

4.5. Ancillary MNG chunks

This section describes ancillary MNG chunks. MNG-compliant decoders are not required to recognize and process them.

4.5.1. eXPI Export image

The eXPI chunk takes a snapshot of a viewable object (either concrete or abstract), associates the name with that snapshot, and makes the name available to the "outside world" (like a scripting language).

The chunk contains an object identifier (snapshot id) and a name:

   Snapshot_id:   2 bytes (unsigned integer).  Must be zero in
                    MNG-LC and MNG-VLC datastreams.
   Snapshot_name: 1-79 bytes (Latin-1 text).

When the snapshot_id is zero, the snapshot is the first instance of an embedded image with object_id=0 following the eXPI chunk. When the snapshot_id is nonzero, the snapshot is an already-defined object with that object_id as it already exists when the eXPI chunk is encountered.

Note that the snapshot_name is associated with the snapshot, not with the snapshot_id nor its subsequent contents; changing the image identified by snapshot_id will not affect the snapshot. The snapshot_name means nothing inside the scope of the MNG specification, except that it can be included in the optional index that can appear in the SAVE chunk. If two eXPI chunks use the same name, it is the outside world's problem (and the outside world's prerogative to regard it as an error). It is recommended, however, that the snapshot_name not be the same as that appearing in any other eXPI chunk or in any FRAM or SEEK chunk. A decoder that knows of no "outside world" can simply ignore the eXPI chunk. This chunk could be used in MNG datastreams that define libraries of related images, rather than animations, to allow applications to extract images by their snapshot_id.

Names beginning with the word "thumbnail" are reserved for snapshot images that are intended to make good icons for the MNG. Thumbnail images are regular PNG or Delta-PNG images, but they would normally have smaller dimensions and fewer colors than the MNG frames. They can be defined with the potential visibility field set to "invisible" if they are not intended to be shown as a part of the regular display.

The snapshot_name string must follow the format of a tEXt keyword: It must consist only of printable Latin-1 characters and must not have leading or trailing blanks, but can have single embedded blanks. There must be at least one and no more than 79 characters in the keyword. Keywords are case-sensitive. There is no null byte terminator within the snapshot_name string, nor is there a separate null byte terminator. Snapshot names should not begin with the case-insensitive strings "CLOCK(", "FRAME(", or "FRAMES(" which are reserved for use in URI queries and fragments (see Uniform Resource Identifier below).

Multiple instances of the eXPI chunk are permitted in a MNG datastream, and they need not have different values of snapshot_id.

4.5.2. fPRI Frame priority

The fPRI chunk allows authors to assign a priority to a portion of the MNG datastream. Decoders can decide whether or not to decode and process that part of the datastream based on its "priority" compared to some measure of "cost".

The fPRI chunk contains two bytes:

   fPRI_delta_type:  1 byte (unsigned integer).
                       0: Priority is given directly.
                       1: Priority is determined by adding the fPRI
                          data to the previous value, modulo 256.
   
   Priority or delta_priority:
                     1 byte (signed integer).  Value to be assigned to
                       subsequent chunks until another fPRI chunk is
                       reached.

While 256 distinct values of priority are possible, it is recommended that only the values 0 (low priority), 128 (medium priority), and 255 (high priority) be used. Viewers that can only display a single image can look for one with priority=255 and stop after displaying it. If the datastream contains a large number of frames and includes periodic "initial" frames that do not contain Delta-PNG datastreams, each "initial" frame could be preceded by a fPRI with priority=128 and followed by one with priority=0, and the best representative initial frame could be preceded by a fPRI chunk with priority=255. Then single-image viewers would just display the representative frame, slow viewers would display just the "initial" frames, and fast viewers would display everything.

If a viewer has established a nonzero "cost", it must skip any portion of the datastream whose priority is less than that "cost". The "cost" must be established prior to processing the proloque segment. If the decoder changes its "cost" it must process again according to the new "cost", unless it knows that there were no fPRI chunks in the prologue segment.

The SAVE, SEEK, and MEND chunks always have priority=255; decoders must look for these chunks in addition to the fPRI chunk while skipping a low-priority portion of the datastream.

It is not permissible for a portion of the datastream to depend on any portion of the datastream having a lower value, because a decoder might have skipped the lower value portion. Use of the fPRI chunk is illustrated in Example 5 and Example 9.

Viewers that care about the priority must assume priority=255 for any portion of the MNG datastream that is processed prior to the first fPRI chunk.

Multiple instances of the fPRI chunk are permitted.

4.5.3. nEED Resources needed

The nEED chunk can be used to specify needed resources, to provide a quick exit path for viewers that are not capable of displaying the MNG datastream.

The nEED chunk contains a list of keywords that the decoder must recognize. Keywords are typically private critical chunk names.

   Keyword:   1-79 bytes.
   Separator: 1 byte (null).
   ...etc...

The nEED chunk should be placed early in the MNG datastream, preferably very shortly after the MHDR chunk.

The keywords are typically 4-character private critical chunk names, but they could be any string that a decoder is required to recognize. No critical chunks defined in this specification or in the PNG specification should be named in a nEED chunk, because MNG-compliant decoders are required to recognize all of them, whether they appear in a nEED chunk or not. The purpose of the nEED chunk is only to identify requirements that are above and beyond the requirements of this document and of the PNG specification.

Each keyword string must follow the format of a tEXt keyword: It must consist only of printable Latin-1 characters and must not have leading or trailing blanks, but can have single embedded blanks. There must be at least one and no more than 79 characters in the keyword. Keywords are case-sensitive. There is no null byte terminator within the keyword. A null separator byte must appear after each keyword in the nEED chunk except for the last one.

Decoders that do not recognize a chunk name or keyword in the list should abandon the MNG datastream or request user intervention. The normal security precautions should be taken when displaying the keywords.

4.5.4. pHYg Physical pixel size (global)

The MNG pHYg chunk is identical in syntax to the PNG pHYs chunk. It applies to complete full-frame MNG layers and not to the individual images within them.

Conceptually, a MNG viewer that processes the pHYg chunk will first composite each image into a full-frame layer, then apply the pHYg scaling to the layer, and finally composite the scaled layer against the frame. MNG datastreams can include both the PNG pHYs chunk (either at the MNG top level or within the PNG and JNG datastreams) and the MNG pHYg chunk (only at the MNG top level), to ensure that the images are properly displayed either when displayed by a MNG viewer or when extracted into a series of individual PNG or JNG datastreams and then displayed by a PNG or JNG application. The pHYs and pHYg chunks would normally contain the same values, but this is not necessary.

The MNG top-level pHYg chunk can be nullified by a subsequent empty pHYg chunk appearing in the MNG top level.

4.6. Ancillary PNG chunks

The namespace for MNG chunk names is separate from that of PNG. Only those PNG chunks named in this paragraph are also defined at the MNG top level. They have exactly the same syntax and semantics as when they appear in a PNG datastream:

5. The JPEG Network Graphics (JNG) Format

JNG (JPEG Network Graphics) is the lossy sub-format for MNG objects.

MNG-LC and MNG-VLC applications can choose to support JNG or not. Those that do not can check bit 4 (JNG is present/absent) of the MHDR simplicity profile to decide whether they can process the datastream.

Note: This specification depends on the PNG Portable Network Graphics specification [PNG]. The PNG specification is available at the PNG home page,

   http://www.libpng.org/pub/png/

A JNG datastream consists of a header chunk (JHDR), JDAT chunks that contain a complete JPEG datastream, optional IDAT chunks that contain a PNG-encoded grayscale image that is to be used as an alpha mask, and an IEND chunk. The alpha mask, if present, must have the same dimensions as the image itself. The JDAT and IDAT chunks can be interleaved. Some of the PNG ancillary chunks are also recognized in JNG datastreams.

While JNG is primarily intended for use as a sub-format within MNG, a single-image JNG datastream can be written in a standalone file. If so, the JNG datastream begins with an 8-byte signature containing

    139  74  78  71  13  10  26  10  (decimal)
     8b  4a  4e  47  0d  0a  1a  0a  (hexadecimal)
   \213   J   N   G  \r  \n \032 \n  (ASCII C notation)

which is similar to the PNG signature with "\213 J N G" instead of "\211 P N G" in bytes 0-3.

We may at some future time register an Internet Media Type for JNG files. Until then, the interim media type image/x-jng can be used. It is recommended that the file extension ".jng" (lower case preferred) be used.

JNG is pronounced "Jing."

5.1. Critical JNG chunks

This section specifies the critical chunks that are defined in the JNG format.

5.1.1. JHDR JNG header

The format of the JHDR chunk introduces a JNG datastream. It contains:

   Width:      4 bytes (unsigned integer, range 0..65535).
   Height:     4 bytes (unsigned integer, range 0..65535).
   Color_type: 1 byte
                 8: Gray (Y).
                10: Color (YCbCr).
                12: Gray-alpha (Y-alpha).
                14: Color-alpha (YCbCr-alpha).
   
   Image_sample_depth:
               1 byte
                 8: 8-bit samples and quantization tables.
                12: 12-bit samples and quantization tables.
                20: 8-bit image followed by a 12-bit image.
   
   Image_compression_method:
               1 byte
                 8: ISO-10918-1 Huffman-coded baseline JPEG.
   
   Image_interlace_method:
               1 byte.
                 0: Sequential JPEG, single scan.
                 8: Progressive JPEG.
   
   Alpha_sample_depth:
               1 byte.
                 0, 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16, if the Alpha compression method is 0
                   (PNG)
                 8, if the Alpha compression method is 8 (JNG).
   
   Alpha_compression_method:
               1 byte.
                 0: PNG grayscale IDAT format.
                 8: JNG 8-bit grayscale JDAA format.
   
   Alpha_filter_method:
               1 byte.
                 0: Adaptive PNG (see PNG spec) or not applicable (JPEG).
   
   Alpha_interlace_method:
               1 byte.
                 0: Noninterlaced PNG or sequential single-scan JPEG.

The width, height, image_sample_depth, image_compression_method, and image_interlace_method fields are redundant because equivalent information is also embedded in the JDAT datastream. They appear in the JHDR chunk for convenience. Their values must be identical to their equivalents embedded in the JDAT chunk. We use four bytes in the width and height fields for similarity to MNG and PNG, and to leave room for future expansion, even though two bytes would have been sufficient.

When the color_type is 8 or 10 (no alpha channel), the last four bytes, which describe the IDAT or JDAA data, must be set to zero. The alpha_sample_depth must be nonzero when the alpha channel is present.

5.1.2. JDAT JNG image data

A JNG datastream must contain one or more JDAT chunks, whose data, when concatenated, forms a complete JNG JPEG datastream. JNG decoders are required to read all baseline JNG JPEG and eight-bit progressive JNG JPEG datastreams. Twelve-bit capability is not required.

JDAT chunks are like PNG IDAT chunks in that there may be multiple JDAT chunks, the data from which are concatenated to form a single datastream that can be sent to the decompressor. No chunks are permitted among the sequence of JDAT chunks, except for interleaved IDAT chunks. The ordering requirements of other ancillary chunks are the same with respect to JDAT as they are in PNG with respect to the IDAT chunk.

A JNG JPEG is a baseline, extended-sequential, or progressive JPEG as defined by JPEG Part 1 [ISO/IEC-10918-1]. JNG uses only JFIF-compatible [JFIF] component interpretations, and imposes a few additional restrictions that reflect limitations of many existing JPEG implementations. In particular, only Huffman entropy coding is permitted.

Actually, a JNG may contain two separate JNG JPEG datastreams (one eight-bit and one twelve-bit), each contained in a series of JDAT chunks, and separated by a JSEP chunk (see the JSEP chunk specification below, Paragraph 5.1.5). Decoders that are unable to (or do not wish to) handle twelve-bit datastreams are allowed to display the eight-bit datastream instead, if one is present.

The core of the JNG JPEG definition is baseline JNG JPEG, which is JPEG Part 1's definition of baseline JPEG further restricted by JFIF restrictions and JNG-specific restrictions. JNG JPEG also includes progressive JPEG, which is also defined in JPEG Part 1 and has JNG-specific restrictions.

5.1.3. IDAT JNG PNG-encoded alpha data

This chunk is exactly like the IDAT chunk in a PNG grayscale image, except that it is interpreted as an alpha mask to be applied to the image data from the JDAT chunks, when alpha_compression_method=0. The alpha channel, if present, can have sample depths 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16.

The filter method can be any filter method that is defined for PNG datastreams that are embedded in MNG datastreams. The IDAT chunks can be interleaved with the JDAT chunks (see Recommendations for Encoders: JNG interleaving below). No other chunk type can appear among the sequence of IDAT and JDAT chunks. No other chunk type can appear between the sequences of IDAT and JDAT chunks when they are not interleaved. The samples in the IDAT must be presented in noninterlaced order, left to right, top to bottom. As in PNG, zero means fully transparent and 2alpha_sample_depth-1 means fully opaque.

The IDAT chunks must precede the JSEP chunk, if the JSEP chunk is present. Minimal viewers that ignore the twelve-bit JDAT chunks must read the IDAT chunks and apply the alpha samples to the eight-bit image that is contained in the JDAT chunks that precede the JSEP chunk. Viewers that skip the eight-bit JDAT chunks must decode the IDAT chunks that precede the JSEP chunk and apply the alpha samples to the twelve-bit image that is contained in the JDAT chunks that follow the JSEP chunk.

5.1.4. JDAA JNG JPEG-encoded alpha data

This chunk is exactly like the JDAT chunk in a non-progressive JNG 8-bit grayscale image, except that it is interpreted as an alpha mask to be applied to the image data from the JDAT chunks, when alpha_compression_method=8. The alpha channel, if present, can have only sample depth 8. The JDAA chunks can be interleaved with the JDAT chunks (see Recommendations for Encoders: JNG interleaving below).

Like IDAT chunks, the JDAA chunks must precede the JSEP chunk, if the JSEP chunk is present, and are handled similarly.

5.1.5. JSEP 8-bit/12-bit image separator

JNG permits storage of both an 8-bit and a 12-bit JPEG datastream in a single JNG file. This feature allows an 8-bit image to be provided for non-12-bit-capable decoders. The JSEP chunk is used to separate the two datastreams.

The JSEP chunk is empty.

A JSEP chunk must appear between the JDAT chunks of an eight-bit datastream and those of a twelve-bit datastream, when image_sample_depth=20 in the JHDR chunk. When image_sample_depth != 20, the JSEP chunk must not be present. The eight-bit datastream must appear first. Both images must have the same width, height, color type, compression method, and interlace method. Viewers can choose to display one or the other image, but not both.

5.1.6. IEND End of JNG datastream

The JNG IEND chunk is identical to its counterpart in PNG. Its data length is zero, and it serves to mark the end of the JNG datastream.

5.2. Ancillary JNG chunks

Some PNG ancillary chunks can also appear in JNG datastreams, and are used for the same purposes as described in the PNG specification [PNG] and the Extensions to the PNG Specification document [PNG-EXT].

If the bKGD chunk is present, it must be written as if it were written for a PNG datastream with sample_depth=8. It has one 2-byte entry for grayscale JNGs and three 2-byte entries for color JNGs. The first (most significant) byte of each entry must be 0.

The following chunks have exactly the same meaning and have the same syntax as given in the PNG specification: cHRM, gAMA, iCCP, sRGB, pHYs, oFFs, sCAL. If they are present, they must appear prior to the first JDAT chunk. The following chunks also have the same meaning and syntax as in PNG: iTXt, tEXt, tIME, and zTXt. They can appear prior to the first or after the last JDAT chunk.

The PNG PLTE, hIST, pCAL, sBIT, sPLT, tRNS, fRAc, and gIF* chunks are not defined in JNG.

When cHRM, gAMA, iCCP, or sRGB are present, they provide information about the color space of the decoded JDAT image, and they have no effect on the decoded alpha samples from the IDAT or JDAA chunks. Any viewer that processes the gAMA chunk must also recognize and process the sRGB chunk. It can treat it as if it were a gAMA chunk containing the value .45455 and it can ignore its "intent" field.

The chunk copying and ordering rules for JNG are the same as those in PNG, except for the fact that the JDAT chunks and IDAT or JDAA chunks can be interleaved.

6. The Delta-PNG Format

A Delta-PNG datastream describes a single image, by giving the changes from a previous PNG (Portable Network Graphics) image or nonviewable PNG-like object, a JNG (JPEG Network Graphics) image, or another Delta-PNG image.

No provision is made in this specification for storing a Delta-PNG datastream as a standalone file. A Delta-PNG datastream will normally be found as a component of a MNG datastream. Applications that need to store a Delta-PNG datastream separately should use a different file signature and filename extension, or they can wrap it in a MNG datastream consisting of the MNG signature, the MHDR chunk, a BASI chunk with the appropriate dimensions and an IEND chunk, the Delta-PNG datastream, and the MEND chunk.

The decoder must have available a parent (decoded) object that has an object buffer from which the original chunk data is known. The parent object can be the result of decoding a PNG, another Delta-PNG datastream, or it could have been generated by a PNG-like datastream introduced by a BASI chunk.

The child image is always of the same basic type (at present only PNG and JNG are defined) as the parent object. The child is always a viewable image even if the parent is not.

The decoder must not have modified the pixel data in the parent object by applying output transformations such as gAMA or cHRM, or by compositing the image against a background. Instead, the decoder must make available to the Delta-PNG decoder the unmodified pixel data along with the values for the gAMA, cHRM, and any other recognized chunks from the parent object datastream.

A Delta-PNG datastream consists of a DHDR and IEND enclosing other optional chunks (if there are no other chunks, the decoder simply copies the parent image, and displays it if its do_not_show=0).

Chunk structure (length, name, CRC) and the chunk-naming system are identical to those defined in the PNG specification. Definitions of compression_method and interlace_method are also the same as defined in the PNG specification. The definition of filter_method is the same as for PNG datastreams that are embedded in MNG datastreams (see the IHDR chunk specification, above, Paragraph 4.2.3).

6.1. Delta-PNG critical chunks

This section describes critical Delta-PNG chunks. MNG-compliant decoders must recognize and process them.

6.1.1. DHDR Delta-PNG datastream header

The DHDR chunk introduces a Delta-PNG datastream. Subsequent chunks, through the next IEND chunk, are interpreted according to the Delta-PNG format.

The DHDR chunk can contain 4, 12, or 20 bytes:

   Object_id:    2 bytes (nonzero unsigned integer).  Identifies the parent
                   object from which changes will be made.  This is also the
                   object_id of the child image, which can be used as the
                   parent image for a subsequent Delta-PNG.
   
   Image_type:   1 byte.
   
                   0: Image type is unspecified.  An IHDR, JHDR, IPNG, or
                      IJNG chunk must be present.  If JHDR or IJNG is
                      present, delta_type must not be 1, 3, 4, or 6.
   
                   1: Image type is PNG.  IHDR and IPNG can be omitted under
                      certain conditions.
   
                   2: Image type is JNG.  JHDR and IJNG can be omitted under
                      certain conditions.  Delta_type must not be 1, 3, 4,
                      or 6.
   
   Delta_type:   1 byte.
   
                   0: Entire image replacement.
   
                   1: Block pixel addition, by samples, modulo 2^sample_depth.
   
                   2: Block alpha addition, by samples, modulo 2^sample_depth.
                      Regardless of the color type of the parent image, the
                      IDAT data are written as a grayscale image (color type
                      0), but the decoded samples are used as deltas to the
                      alpha samples in the parent image.  The parent image
                      must have (or be promoted to via the PROM chunk) a
                      color type that has an alpha channel.
   
                   3: Block color addition.  Similar to delta type 1 except
                      that only the color channels are updated even when the
                      parent has an alpha channel.
   
                   4: Block pixel replacement.
   
                   5: Block alpha replacement.
   
                   6: Block color replacement.
   
                   7: No change to pixel data.
   
   Block_width:  4 bytes (unsigned integer).  This field must be omitted
                   when delta_type=7.
   
   Block_height: 4 bytes (unsigned integer).  This field must be omitted
                   when delta_type=7.
   
   Block_X_location:
                 4 bytes (unsigned integer), measured in pixels from the
                   left edge of the parent object.  This field must be
                   omitted when delta_type=0 or when delta_type=7.
   
   Block_Y_location:
                 4 bytes (unsigned integer), measured in pixels from the
                   top edge of the parent object.  This field must be
                   omitted when delta_type=0 or when delta_type=7.

The object_id must identify an existing object, and the object must be a "concrete" object, i.e., it must have the property concrete_flag=1.

The image_type, whether given explicitly as 1 or 2 or implied by the presence of an IHDR, IPNG, JHDR, or IJNG chunk, must be the same as that of the parent object.

When delta_type=0, the width and height of the child image are given by the block_width and block_height fields.

For all other values of delta_type, the width and height of the child image are inherited from the parent object.

When delta_type=1-6, the block_width and block_height fields give the size of the block of pixels to be modified or replaced, and block_X_location and block_Y_location give its location with respect to the top left corner of the parent object. The block must fall entirely within the parent object.

Entire image replacement
When delta_type=0 in the DHDR chunk, the pixel data in the IDAT chunks represent a completely new image, with dimensions given by the block_width and block_height fields of the DHDR chunk. Data from chunks other than IDAT or JDAT can be inherited from the parent object. If the IHDR or JHDR chunk is present, all of its fields except width and height (which must be ignored by decoders) provide new values that are inherited by subsequent objects. The "pixel sample depth" and "alpha sample depth" are also reset equal to the IHDR sample_depth value (in the case of a JNG object, the new "alpha sample depth" is taken from the JHDR alpha_sample_depth field). If the IHDR or JHDR chunk is not present, the IDAT chunks are decoded according to the parent object's sample depth, and not according to the "pixel sample depth" or "alpha sample depth" which are used for decoding the IDAT chunks in subsequent Delta-PNG datastreams when delta_type is nonzero.

Block pixel addition
When delta_type=1 in the DHDR chunk, the pixel data in the IDAT chunks represent deltas from the pixel data in a parent object known to the decoder, including the alpha channel, if the parent object has an alpha channel.

The IDAT chunk data contains a filtered and perhaps interlaced set of delta pixel samples. The delta samples are presented in the order specified by interlace_method, filtered according to the filter_method and compressed according to the compression_method given in the IHDR chunk. The pixel data includes alpha samples, if the parent object has an alpha channel.

An encoder calculates the delta sample values from the samples in the parent object and those in the child image by subtracting the parent object samples from the child image samples, modulo 2sample_depth. When decoding the IDAT chunk, the child image bytes are obtained by adding the delta bytes to the parent object bytes, modulo 2sample_depth. This is similar in operation to the PNG SUB filter, except that it works by samples instead of working by bytes.

Only the pixels in the block defined by the block location and dimensions given in the DHDR chunk are changed. The size of the IDAT data must correspond exactly to this rectangle.

When the parent object has color_type=3, the deltas are differences between index values, not between color samples.

The color type must match that of the parent, except that when the parent has PNG color_type=3, the delta can have color_type=0, and vice versa, since the contents of the IDAT chunks of either color type are indistinguishable.

If the pixel_sample_depth does not match the object_sample_depth, the delta must be scaled to the object_sample_depth using the zero-fill or right-shift method described in the PNG specification, before performing the pixel addition.

When the IHDR chunk is present, the compression method, filter method, and interlace method need not be the same as those of the parent object. The new values are used in decoding the IDAT data, and the new values are inherited by the child object.

Whenever the sample depth differs from that of the parent object, the resulting object inherits the original value from the parent. The value from the IHDR chunk is only used for decoding the IDAT data in this and subsequent Delta-PNGs. Implicit in this is the requirement for decoders to remember in the object buffer not only the sample depth of the object but (separately) the "pixel sample depth" for use in decoding the IDAT chunks of subsequent Delta-PNG datastreams that do not contain their own IHDR chunk. The parent object cannot have alpha samples that were carried in JPEG-encoded JDAA chunks.

Block alpha addition
When delta_type=2 in the DHDR chunk, the pixel data in the IDAT chunks represent deltas from the alpha data in a parent object known to the decoder. The color samples are not changed, and the updated alpha samples are calculated in the same manner as the updated pixel samples are calculated when delta_type=1.

The color_type is 0 (grayscale), regardless of the color_type of the parent object. The parent object must have an alpha channel or must have been promoted to a type that has an alpha channel. The compression method, filter method, and interlace method need not be the same. If they are different, the child object inherits the new values, and the new values will be used in decoding the data in any subsequent IDAT chunks. Neither the parent object nor the delta object can have alpha samples that were carried in JPEG-encoded JDAA chunks.

The sample_depth value from the IHDR chunk is interpreted as a new value of alpha_sample_depth and is only used for decoding the IDAT data in this and subsequent Delta-PNGs. Implicit in this is the requirement for decoders to remember in the object buffer not only the sample depth of the object but (separately) the alpha_sample_depth for use in decoding the IDAT chunks in any subsequent Delta-PNG datastreams.

If the alpha_sample_depth does not match the object_sample_depth, the delta must be scaled to the object_sample_depth, using the zero-fill or right-shift method described in the PNG specification, before performing the pixel addition.

Block color addition
delta_type=3 is similar to delta_type=1 except that the alpha channel is not included in the IDAT pixels; the alpha channel is inherited from the parent object. The color type of the parent must be one that has an alpha channel (4 or 6) and the color type of the delta must be the corresponding color type (0 or 2) that does not have an alpha channel.

Block pixel replacement
When delta_type=4 in the DHDR chunk, the pixel data in the IDAT chunks represent replacement values for the pixel samples in the rectangle given by the block location and dimension fields in the DHDR chunk, including the alpha channel, if the parent object has an alpha channel.

If the pixel_sample_depth does not match the object_sample_depth, the pixel data must be scaled to the object_sample_depth before making the replacements, using the left bit replication method described in the PNG specification, or by the right shift method in the unlikely event that the pixel_sample_depth is larger than the object_sample_depth.

The color type must match that of the parent, except for the cases mentioned for delta type 1, above.

Block alpha replacement
When delta_type=5 in the DHDR chunk, the pixel data in the IDAT chunks represent replacement values of the alpha samples in the rectangle given by the block location and dimension fields in the DHDR chunk. The sample depth of the data (i.e. the "alpha sample depth") need not match the sample depth of the parent object, and color_type is 0 (grayscale), regardless of the color_type of the parent object. If the sample depths differ, the samples must be scaled to the object_sample_depth, using the left bit replication method or right shift method described in the PNG specification, depending on whether the alpha_sample_depth is larger or smaller than the object_sample_depth. The parent object must have an alpha channel or must have been promoted to a type that has an alpha channel. The compression method, filter method, and interlace method need not be the same. If they differ, the child object inherits the new values.

It is permitted to use JPEG-encoded JDAA chunks to convey the new alpha data. If this is done, then the alpha channel of the object can no longer be used as the parent for block-pixel-addition or block-alpha-addition.

Block color replacement
delta_type=6 is similar to delta_type=4 except that the alpha channel is not included in the IDAT pixels; the alpha channel is inherited from the parent object. The color type of the parent must be one that has an alpha channel (4 or 6) and the color type of the delta must be the corresponding color type (0 or 2) that does not have an alpha channel.

No change to pixel data
When delta_type=7 in the DHDR chunk, there is no change to the pixel data, and it is an error for IDAT, JDAT, or JDAA to appear. If the IHDR or JHDR chunk appears, the width, height, and color_type fields are ignored, the PNG sample depth (or JNG alpha_sample_depth) is used to update the pixel_sample_depth and alpha_sample_depth, and the data in the remaining fields are inherited by the child object.

Pixel sample depth, alpha sample depth
As mentioned above, the sample depth of the deltas is not necessarily the same as that of the object, when delta_type is 0. The decoder needs to remember the pixel_sample_depth and alpha_sample_depth to use with each object. They are initialized to the sample_depth value from the IHDR chunk that appears when the object is first created but can be changed by the appearance of the IHDR chunk in a Delta-PNG datastream that has a nonzero delta_type. If the object is a JNG image, they are initialized from the value of alpha_sample_depth from the original JHDR chunk, and can be changed by the appearance of the JHDR chunk in a Delta-PNG datastream that has delta_type != 0.

6.1.2. IDAT, JDAT, and JDAA New pixel data

In a Delta-PNG datastream, new pixel data is conveyed by IDAT, JDAT, or JDAA chunks, depending on the image type and delta type in the DHDR chunk. Any remaining part of the Delta-PNG datastream following these chunks must be interpreted as PNG or JNG chunks and not as Delta-PNG chunks. If the image type is 0 (i.e., unspecified), the first IDAT or JDAA chunk must be preceded by an IHDR, JHDR, IPNG, IJNG, PLTE, or PPLT chunk that will serve to identify the image type.

6.1.3. PROM Promotion of parent object

This chunk is used to "promote" a parent object to a higher bit depth or to add an alpha channel, before making changes to it.

   New color type:   1 byte.
   New sample depth: 1 byte.
   Fill method:      1 byte.
                       0: Left-bit-replication
                       1: Zero fill

When a decoder encounters the PROM chunk, it must promote the pixel data. The cases are:

G -> GA (color_type 0 -> 4)
Do not change the gray values. Set all the alpha values to fully opaque, except for pixels marked transparent by cheap transparency--set their alpha values to fully transparent. Discard the cheap transparency information (the PNG tRNS chunk data).

RGB -> RBGA (color_type 2 -> 6)
Do not change the RGB values. Convert the tRNS chunk data to alpha values as in the G -> GA promotion.

G -> RGB (color_type 0 -> 2)
Set R, G, and B equal to the gray value. Apply the same operation to the cheap transparency data (if any). Expand any bKGD or sBIT data.

GA -> RGBA (color_type 4 -> 6)
Set R, G, and B equal to the gray value. Do not change the alpha values. Expand any bKGD or sBIT data.

G -> RGBA (color_type 0 -> 6)
Set R, G, and B equal to the gray value. Handle transparency as in the G -> GA promotion. Expand any bKGD or sBIT data.

indexed -> RGB (color_type 3 -> 2)
Set R, G, and B according to the palette entry corresponding to the index. Discard the cheap transparency information (if any). Expand any bKGD or sBIT data.

indexed -> RGBA (color_type 3 -> 6)
Set R, G, and B as in indexed -> RGB. Set the alpha value according to the cheap transparency information (if any). Discard the cheap transparency information. Expand any bKGD or sBIT data.

JNG-G -> JNG-C (JNG color_type 8 -> 10)
Expand the gray values to color. Expand any bKGD data.

JNG-G -> JNG-GA (JNG color_type 8 -> 12)
Do not change the gray values. Set all the alpha values to fully opaque. The given sample depth is the new sample depth for the alpha channel.

JNG-G -> JNG-CA (JNG color_type 8 -> 14)
Expand the gray values to color. Set all the alpha values to fully opaque. The given sample depth is the new sample depth for the alpha channel. Expand any bKGD data.

JNG-C -> JNG-CA (JNG color_type 10 -> 14)
Do not change the color values. Set all the alpha values to fully opaque. The given sample depth is the new sample depth for the alpha channel.

JNG-GA -> JNG-CA (JNG color_type 12 -> 14)
Expand the gray values to color. Do not change the alpha values. Expand any bKGD data.

No change in color_type
Only the sample depth is changed. The new sample depth must be larger than the old one.

If the sample depth has been changed, the sample values must be widened. The decoder must use left-bit-replication or zero-fill according to the specified fill_method to fill the additional bits of each sample. If cheap transparency information is present in a grayscale or truecolor object, its sample values must also be widened in the same manner. If the image type is JNG, then the new sample depth refers to the alpha_sample_depth and only the alpha channel is affected, if one is present. If the color_type has been promoted from indexed-color, the original bit depth is always considered to be 8. See the PNG specification [PNG] for further information on these filling methods. Any alpha channel added in this manner is eligible to be updated by block-alpha-addition in this or a subsequent Delta-PNG.

If the basis object contains data from the PNG bKGD chunk, this data must be promoted as well. If a grayscale object is being promoted to a truecolor object, the background RGB samples are set equal to the grayscale background sample. If the bit depth has been changed, the background samples are widened in accordance with the specified fill_method. If the basis object is a JNG, the bKGD chunk is not affected.

If the basis object contains data from the PNG sBIT chunk, this data must also be promoted. If a grayscale object is being promoted to a truecolor object, the new RGB bytes are set equal to the grayscale byte. When an alpha channel is added, the alpha byte is set equal to the sample depth of the basis image. If the sample depth has been changed, the sBIT bytes do not change.

The PROM chunk is not permitted to "demote" a parent object to an object with a lesser bit depth or from one with an alpha channel to one without an alpha channel.

The PROM chunk must appear ahead of the IHDR chunk, if IHDR is present, and ahead of any chunks that would have followed IHDR, if IHDR is omitted.

6.1.4. IHDR PNG image header

Inside a Delta-PNG datastream, the IHDR chunk introduces an incomplete PNG (Portable Network Graphics) datastream. The parent object must be a PNG or PNG-based Delta-PNG. The datastream can be introduced by a complete PNG IHDR chunk or by an IPNG chunk, which is empty.

If the IHDR chunk is present, its width and height fields are ignored. The values for these parameters are inherited from the parent object or from the DHDR chunk.

The sample_depth, color_type, compression_method, interlace_method, and filter_method fields, if different from those of the parent object, are used in decoding any subsequent IDAT chunks, and the new values will be inherited by any subsequent image that uses this object as its parent. These do not change the sample_depth and color_type of the object itself; those can only be changed by using the PROM chunk or by using delta_type=0.

See the PNG specification and the Extensions to the PNG Specification document [PNG-EXT] for the format of the PNG chunks. The filter_method can be any filter_method that is allowed in PNG datastreams that are embedded in a MNG datastream. The PNG datastream must contain at least IHDR and IEND (whether actually present in the datastream or omitted and included by implication, as described below), but can inherit other chunk data from the parent object. Except for IDAT and PPLT, any chunks appearing between IHDR and IEND are always treated as replacements or additions and not as deltas.

6.1.5. IPNG Incomplete PNG

The IPNG chunk is empty.

The IPNG chunk can be used instead of the IHDR chunk if the IHDR chunk is not needed for resetting the value of compression_method, filter_method, or interlace_method. The purpose of this chunk is to identify the beginning of the PNG datastream, so decoders can start interpreting PNG chunks instead of Delta-PNG chunks. The decoder must treat this datastream as though the IHDR chunk were present in the location occupied by the IPNG chunk.

The IHDR chunk can also be omitted when image_type=1 and the PNG datastream begins with a PLTE chunk, a PPLT chunk, or an IDAT chunk. In this case, no IPNG chunk is required, either. The decoder must treat this datastream as though the IHDR chunk were present, immediately preceding the first PNG chunk. If the first PNG chunk is neither a PLTE chunk, a PPLT chunk, nor an IDAT chunk, then either the IPNG or IHDR chunk must be present to introduce the PNG datastream.

6.1.6. PLTE and tRNS

If the PLTE chunk is present, it need not have the same length as that inherited from the parent object, but it must contain the complete palette needed in the child image. If it is shorter than the palette of the parent object, decoders can discard the remaining entries and the child image must not refer to them. Decoders can also truncate any tRNS data inherited from an indexed-color parent object. If the new palette is longer than the parent palette, and a new tRNS chunk is not present in an indexed-color image, the tRNS data must be extended with opaque entries. The new palette must not be longer than the object's sample_depth would allow, and must not have more than 256 entries.

When processing the tRNS chunk, if color_type=3 and PLTE is not supplied, then the number of allowable entries is determined from the number of PLTE entries in the parent object. A tRNS chunk appearing in a Delta-PNG datastream is always treated as a complete replacement for the tRNS chunk data in the parent object. All entries beyond those actually supplied are overwritten with the "opaque" value (255).

6.1.7. PPLT Partial palette

If it is desired only to overwrite or add palette entries, the PPLT chunk can be used. This might be useful for palette-animation applications. This chunk can also be used to overwrite or add entries to the transparency (alpha) data from the parent's tRNS chunk.

The PPLT chunk contains a delta_type byte and one or more groups of palette entries:

   PPLT_delta_type: 1 byte.
                      0: Values are replacement RGB samples.
                      1: Values are delta RGB samples.
                      2: Values are replacement alpha samples.
                      3: Values are delta alpha samples.
                      4: Values are replacement RGBA samples.
                      5: Values are delta RGBA samples.
   First_index,
     first group:   1 byte.
   Last_index,
     first group:   1 byte.
   First set of
     samples:       1, 3, or 4 bytes.
   ...etc...
   Last set of
     samples:       1, 3, or 4 bytes.
   First index,
     second group:  1 byte.
   ...etc...

The last_index must be equal to or greater than first_index. The groups are not required to appear in ascending order. If any index of any group is beyond the end of the parent object's palette, the palette and tRNS data must be extended just as if a longer complete PLTE chunk had appeared. If there are gaps in the resulting extended palette, the colors must be filled with {0,0,0} and the alphas filled with 255. If alpha samples are supplied (PPLT_delta_type > 1) and no tRNS data is present in the parent object, a tRNS chunk must be created in the child object as though a complete tRNS chunk had appeared. The new palette must not be longer than the object's sample_depth would allow.

When PPLT_delta_type=0, the values are replacements for the existing samples in the palette.

When PPLT_delta_type=1, the values are added to the existing samples (modulo 256) to obtain the new samples.

If the new entry is beyond the range of the original palette, the values are simply appended, regardless of the contents of PPLT_delta_type.

6.1.8. JHDR JNG image header

Inside a Delta-PNG datastream, the JHDR chunk introduces an incomplete JNG (JPEG Network Graphics) datastream. The parent object must be a JNG or JNG-based Delta-PNG. The datastream is introduced by a complete JHDR chunk.

If the JHDR chunk is present, its width, height, image_sample_depth, image_color_type, image_filter_method, and image_interlace_method fields are ignored. The values for these parameters are inherited from the parent object.

The alpha_compression_method, alpha_interlace_method, and alpha_filter_method fields, if different from those of the parent object, are used in decoding any subsequent IDAT chunks, and the new values will be inherited by any subsequent image that uses this object as its parent. If the alpha_sample_depth differs, it will be used in decoding the IDAT chunk data of the Delta-PNG and subsequent Delta-PNG datastreams; but the child object itself will retain the original sample depth, and must also retain the "alpha sample depth" for use in decoding subsequent Delta-PNG datastreams. The decoded alpha samples must be scaled to the object's sample depth before the replacements or delta calculations are done.

See the JNG specification above for the format of the JNG chunks. The PNG datastream must contain at least JHDR and IEND, but can inherit other chunk data from the parent object. Except for IDAT, any chunks appearing between JHDR and IEND are always treated as replacements or additions and not as deltas.

6.1.9. IJNG Incomplete JNG

The IJNG chunk is empty.

The IJNG chunk can be used instead of the JHDR chunk if the JHDR chunk is not needed for resetting the value of any of the JHDR fields. The purpose of this chunk is to identify the beginning of the JNG datastream, so decoders can start interpreting JNG chunks instead of Delta-PNG chunks. The decoder must treat this datastream as though the JHDR chunk were present in the location occupied by the IJNG chunk.

The JHDR chunk can also be omitted when image_type=2 and the JNG datastream begins with a JDAT or JDAA chunk. In this case, no IJNG chunk is required, either. The decoder must treat this datastream as though the JHDR chunk were present, immediately preceding the first JDAT chunk. If the first JNG chunk is not a JDAT or JDAA chunk, then either the IJNG or JHDR chunk must be present to introduce the JNG datastream.

6.1.10. DROP Drop chunks

All chunks in the parent object with the specified name are inhibited from being copied into the child image.

The DROP chunk contains a one or more 4-byte chunk names:

   Chunk_name: 4 bytes (ASCII text).
   etc.

Multiple DROP chunks are permitted in a Delta-PNG datastream.

If multiple names appear in the DROP chunk, it is shorthand for multiple DROP chunks.

6.1.11. DBYK Drop chunks by keyword

The DBYK chunk contains one or more sequences, each containing a chunk name, polarity byte, and a keyword:

   Chunk_name: 4 bytes (ASCII text).
   
   Polarity:   1 byte (unsigned integer).
                 0: Only.
                 1: All-but.
   
   Keywords (null-separated Latin-1 text strings).
   
   etc.

The chunk name must be the name of a chunk whose data begins with a null-terminated text string. Some parent object chunks with the specified chunk name are inhibited from being copied into the child image. If polarity is <only>, then any parent chunk whose keyword appears in the keywords list is inhibited. If polarity is <all-but>, then any parent object chunk whose keyword does not appear in the keywords list is inhibited.

The format of the keyword is the same as that specified for the parent chunk. Comparisons of keywords in the parent chunk and the DBYK chunk are case sensitive.

Use caution when printing or displaying keywords (Refer to Security considerations, below, Chapter 17).

6.1.12. ORDR Ordering restrictions

The ORDR chunk informs the applier of the Delta-PNG of the ordering restrictions for ancillary chunks. It contains one or more 5-byte sequences:

   Chunk_name: 4 bytes (ASCII text).
   Order_type: 1 byte.
                 0: Anywhere.
                 1: After IDAT and/or JDAT or JDAA.
                 2: Before IDAT and/or JDAT or JDAA.
                 3: Before IDAT but not before PLTE.
                 4: Before IDAT but not after PLTE.
   etc.

Critical chunk names must not appear in the ORDR chunk. The applier needs to know everything about them anyway.

If a chunk name appears in the ORDR chunk, it is a promise that any chunk of that name appearing in the parent object which is not inhibited by DROP/DBYK will not be broken by this Delta-PNG, and therefore the applier must copy it into the child image at a location compatible with its ordering restrictions.

If any ancillary chunk appears in the parent object, and it is not inhibited, and its name does not appear in the ORDR chunk, then the applier should copy it into the child only if it knows the chunk well enough to be sure that it is consistent with the changes made by the Delta-PNG, and knows where it can be placed in the child. Those conditions are always true of safe-to-copy chunks.

If any critical chunk defined in neither this specification nor the PNG specification appears in the parent object or in the Delta-PNG, it is a fatal error unless the applier knows how to handle it. The specification of the critical chunk can include provisions for this scenario.

6.2. Ancillary Delta-PNG chunks

This section describes ancillary Delta-PNG chunks. MNG-compliant decoders should recognize and process them, but are not required to.

6.2.1. gAMA, cHRM, iCCP, sRGB Color space chunks

A gAMA, cHRM, iCCP, sRGB or similar chunk existing in the parent object would not affect the pixel data in a concrete object inherited by this Delta-PNG datastream because they are not used in decoding the pixel data. Applications are responsible for ensuring that the pixel values that are inherited from the parent object are the raw pixel data that existed prior to any transformations that were applied while displaying the parent image. These color transformations are applied to the resulting pixel data for display purposes.

6.2.2. oFFs and pHYs

MNG viewers must ignore oFFs and pHYs chunks that appear inside a PNG or JNG datastream or are inherited from the MNG top level. MNG editors are expected to treat them as if they were unknown copy-safe chunks.

6.2.3. Other ancillary PNG chunks

Any other ancillary PNG chunks that the decoder recognizes when processing a PNG datastream should also be recognized and handled when processing a delta-PNG datastream. Any chunks that it does not recognize should be processed as instructed by the ORDR, DROP, and DBYK chunks. MNG viewers are free to ignore any ancillary chunks, while MNG editors should handle them in accordance with the copying rules.

6.2.4. IEND End of Delta-PNG datastream

End of Delta-PNG datastream. An IEND chunk must be present for each DHDR chunk in a MNG datastream. A single IEND terminates both the Delta-PNG datastream and any embedded PNG or JNG datastream within it.

The IEND chunk is empty.

6.3. Chunk ordering requirements

The PNG specification places ordering requirements on many chunks with respect to the PLTE and IDAT chunks. If neither of these two chunks is present, and the ORDR chunk is not present, known chunks (always including all standard chunks described in the PNG specification) are considered to have appeared in their proper order with respect to the critical chunks. Unknown chunks are ordered as described above (Paragraph 6.1.12).

7. Extension and Registration

New public chunk types, and additional options in existing public chunks, can be proposed for inclusion in this specification by contacting the PNG/MNG specification maintainers at , , or at .

New public chunks and options will be registered only if they are of use to others and do not violate the design philosophy of PNG and MNG. Chunk registration is not automatic, although it is the intent of the authors that it be straightforward when a new chunk of potentially wide application is needed. Note that the creation of new critical chunk types is discouraged unless absolutely necessary.

Applications can also use private chunk types to carry data that is not of interest to other applications.

Decoders must be prepared to encounter unrecognized public or private chunk type codes. If the unrecognized chunk is critical, then decoders should abandon the segment, and if it is ancillary they should simply ignore the chunk. Editors must handle them as described in the following section, Chunk Copying Rules.

8. Chunk Copying Rules

The chunk copying rules for MNG are the same as those in PNG, except that a MNG editor is not permitted to move unknown chunks across any of the following chunks, or across any critical chunk in a future version of this specification that creates or displays an image:

The copy-safe status of an unknown chunk is determined from the chunk name, just as in PNG. If bit 5 of the first byte of the name is 0 (Normally corresponding to an uppercase ASCII letter), the unknown chunk is critical and cannot be processed or copied. If it is 1 (usually corresponding to a lowercase ASCII letter), the unknown chunk is ancillary and its copy-safe status is determined by bit 5 of the fourth byte of the name, 0 meaning copy-unsafe and 1 meaning copy-safe.

If an editor makes changes to the MNG datastream that render unknown chunks unsafe-to-copy, this does not affect the copy-safe status of any chunks beyond the next SEEK chunk or prior to the previous one. However, if it makes such changes prior the SAVE chunk, this affects the copy-safe status of all top-level unknown chunks in the entire MNG datastream.

Changes to the MHDR chunk do not affect the copy-safe status of any other chunk.

The SAVE, SEEK, and TERM chunks are not considered to be a part of any segment. Changes to the data in the SAVE or SEEK chunks do not affect the copy-safe status of any other chunks. Adding or removing a SEEK chunk affects the copy-safe status of unknown chunks in the newly-merged or newly-separated segments. Adding, removing, or changing the TERM chunk has no effect on the copy-safe status of any chunk.

As in PNG, unsafe-to-copy ancillary chunks in the top-level MNG datastream can have ordering rules only with respect to critical chunks. Safe-to-copy ancillary chunks in the top-level MNG datastream can have ordering rules only with respect to the SAVE, SEEK, SHOW, and PAST chunks, DHDR-IEND, BASI-IEND, IHDR-IEND, JHDR-IEND sequences, or with respect to any other critical "header-end" sequence that might be defined in the future that could contain IDAT or similar chunks.

The copying rules for unknown chunks inside IHDR-IEND, BASI-IEND, DHDR-IEND, and JHDR-IEND sequences are governed by the PNG and JNG specifications, and any changes inside such sequences have no effect on the copy-safe status of any top-level MNG chunks.

The copy-safe status of chunks inside a DHDR-IEND sequence depends on the copy-safe status of the chunks in its parent object.

9. Minimum Requirements for MNG-Compliant Viewers

This section specifies the minimum level of support that is expected of MNG, MNG-LC, or MNG-VLC-compliant decoders, and provides recomendations for viewers that will support slightly more than the minimum requirements. All critical chunks must be recognized, but some of them can be ignored after they have been read and recognized. Ancillary chunks can be ignored, and do not even have to be recognized.

Anything less than this level of support requires subsetting. Applications that provide less than minimal MNG support should check the MHDR "simplicity profile" for the presence of features that they are unable to support or do not wish to support. A specific subset, in which "complex MNG features" and JNG are absent, is called "MNG-LC". In MNG-LC datastreams, bit 0 of the simplicity profile must be 1 and bits 2 and 4 must be 0. Another subset is called "MNG-VLC". In MNG-VLC datastreams, "simple MNG features" are also absent, and bit 1 must therefore also be 0.

Subsets are useable when the set of MNG datastreams to be processed is known to be (or is very likely to be) limited to the feature set in MNG-LC or MNG-VLC. Limiting the feature set in a widely-deployed WWW browser to anything less than MNG with 8-bit JNG support would be highly inappropriate.

Some subsets of MNG support are listed in the following table, more or less in increasing order of complexity.

   MHDR Profile bits        Profile  Level of support
   31-10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 value
   
     0   0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1   65    MNG-VLC without transparency
     0   0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1  457    MNG-VLC
     0   0 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 1  473    MNG-VLC with JNG
     0   0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1  459    MNG-LC
     0   0 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 1  475    MNG-LC with JNG
     0   0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1  479    MNG without stored object buffers
     0   1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1  975    MNG without JNG or Delta-PNG
     0   1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1  991    MNG without Delta-PNG
     0   1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1007    MNG without JNG
     0   1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1023 or 0  MNG
     0   1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1023 or 0  MNG with 12-bit JNG support
         | | | | | | | | | |
         | | | | | | | | | +- Validity
         | | | | | | | | +--- Simple MNG features
         | | | | | | | +----- Complex MNG features
         | | | | | | +------- Transparency
         | | | | | +--------- JNG
         | | | | +----------- Delta-PNG
         | | | +------------- Validity of bits 7,8, and 9
         | | +--------------- Semitransparency
         | +----------------- Background transparency
         +------------------- Stored objects

One reasonable path for an application developer to follow might be to develop and test the application at each of the following levels of support in turn:

  1. MNG-VLC,
  2. MNG-LC,
  3. MNG-LC with JNG,
  4. MNG.

An equally reasonable development path might be

  1. MNG-VLC with JNG,
  2. MNG-LC with JNG,
  3. MNG with JNG, but without stored object buffers,
  4. MNG.

On the other hand, a developer working on an application for storing multi-page fax documents might have no need for more than "MNG-VLC without transparency".

We are allowing conformant decoders to skip twelve-bit JNGs because those are likely to be rarely encountered and used only for special purposes. There is no profile flag to indicate the presence or absence of 12-bit JNGs.

9.1. Required MNG chunk support

MHDR
The ticks_per_second must be supported by animation viewers. The simplicity profile, frame count, layer count, and nominal play time can be ignored. Decoders that provide less than minimal support can use the simplicity profile to identify datastreams that they are incapable of processing.

MEND
The MEND chunk must be recognized but does not require any processing other than completing the last frame.

Global PLTE and tRNS
Must be fully supported. Bit 1 of the simplicity profile can be used to promise that these chunks are not present.

LOOP, ENDL
The iteration_count must be supported. The nest_level should be used as a sanity check but is not required. When iteration_min=1 either explicitly or when it is omitted and the termination_condition is not 0 or 4, the LOOP chunk and its ENDL chunk can be ignored (bit 2 of the simplicity profile can be used to promise that this is true for all loops).

DEFI, CLON
Must be fully supported. All objects can be treated as "concrete" if the decoder does not wish to take advantage of the distinction between "abstract" and "concrete". Bit 2 of the simplicity profile can be used to promise that the CLON chunk is not present and that if the DEFI chunk is present it only defines object 0, which does not have an object buffer that needs to be stored. Bit 1 of the simplicity profile can be used to promise that the DEFI chunk is not present.

BASI, BACK, MAGN, DISC, PAST
Must be fully supported. Bit 2 of the simplicity profile can be used to promise that the BASI, DISC, and PAST chunks are not present, and that if the BACK chunk is present it does not define a background image. Bit 1 can be used to promise that the MAGN chunk is not present.

FRAM
The framing_mode and clipping parameters must be supported. The interframe_delay must be supported except by single-frame viewers. The sync_id and timeout data can be ignored. Bit 1 of the simplicity profile can be used to promise that the FRAM chunk is not present.

MOVE, CLIP, SHOW
Must be fully supported. Bit 2 of the simplicity profile can be used to promise that none of these chunks are present, and bit 9 of the simplicity profile can be used to promise that the SHOW chunk is not present.

SAVE and SEEK
Partial support is required: All existing objects must be marked "frozen" when the SAVE chunk is processed, so that unneeded objects can be discarded when the SEEK chunk or an empty DISC chunk is processed. The SEEK chunk must be processed as if it were an empty DISC chunk, as a minimum. Chunk information need only be "saved" and "restored" when the viewer is able to skip or jump to random SEEK chunk locations from the interior of a segment, such as when recovering from a corrupted datastream or from a segment containing an unknown critical chunk, or when escaping from a deterministic loop in response to a user request. The optional index can be ignored. Slide-show controllers may wish to support SAVE and SEEK fully. Bit 2 of the simplicity profile can be used to promise that the SAVE and SEEK chunks can be ignored entirely (because there will be nothing to discard).

TERM
Must be recognized but can be ignored.

9.2. Required PNG chunk support

IHDR, PLTE, IDAT, IEND
All PNG critical chunks must be fully supported. All values of color_type, bit_depth, compression_method, filter_method and interlace_method must be supported. Interlacing, as in PNG, need not necessarily be displayed on-the-fly; the image can be displayed after it is fully decoded. The alpha-channel must be supported, at least to the degree that fully opaque pixels are opaque and fully transparent ones are transparent. It is recommended that alpha be fully supported. Alpha is not present, or can be ignored because it has no effect on the appearance of any frame, if bit 3 of the simplicity profile is 0. Bit 1 of the simplicity profile can be used to promise that only filter methods defined in the PNG specification are present.

tRNS
The PNG tRNS chunk, although it is an ancillary chunk, must be supported in MNG-compliant viewers, at least to the degree that fully opaque pixels are opaque and fully transparent ones are transparent. It is recommended that alpha data from the tRNS chunk be fully supported in the same manner as alpha data from an RGBA image or a JNG with an alpha channel contained in IDAT chunks. The tRNS chunk is not present (or can be ignored because it has no effect on the appearance of any frame) if bit 3 of the simplicity profile is 0.

Other PNG ancillary chunks
Ancillary chunks other than PNG tRNS can be ignored, and do not even have to be recognized.

Color management
It is highly recommended that decoders support at least the gAMA chunk to allow platform-independent color rendering. If they support the gAMA chunk, they must also support the sRGB chunk, at least to the extent of interpreting it as if it were a gAMA chunk with gamma value 0.45455.

9.3. Required JNG chunk support

Bit 4 of the simplicity profile can be used to promise that JNG chunks are not present. Viewers that choose not to support JNG can check this bit before deciding to proceed. MNG-compliant decoders must support JNG, but MNG-LC and MNG-VLC decoders are not required to support JNG.

JHDR, JDAT, IDAT, JDAA, JSEP, IEND
All JNG critical chunks must be fully supported. All values of color_type, bit_depth, compression_method, filter_method and interlace_method must be supported. Interlacing, as in PNG, need not necessarily be displayed on-the-fly; the image can be displayed after it is fully decoded. The alpha-channel must be supported, at least to the degree that fully opaque pixels are opaque and fully transparent ones are transparent. It is recommended that alpha be fully supported.

JNG ancillary chunks
All JNG ancillary chunks can be ignored, and do not even have to be recognized.

JNG image sample depth
Only image_sample_depth=8 must be supported. The JSEP chunk must be recognized and must be used by minimal decoders to select the eight-bit version of the image, when both eight-bit and twelve-bit versions are present, as indicated by image_sample_depth=20 in the JHDR chunk. When image_sample_depth=12, minimal decoders are not obligated to display anything. Such decoders can choose to display nothing or an empty rectangle of the width and height specified in the JHDR chunk. This can be done by processing the JNG as though a viewable transparent BASI object had appeared:
   BASI width height 1 4 0 0 0 0 00 00 00 00 1
   IEND

9.4. Required Delta-PNG chunk support

MNG-compliant decoders are required to support Delta-PNG, but MNG-LC and MNG-VLC decoders are not. Bit 2 or 5 of the simplicity profile can be used to promise that Delta-PNG datastreams are not present.

DHDR, PROM, IHDR, IDAT, IPNG, PLTE, tRNS, IEND, PPLT
Must be fully supported if Delta-PNG is supported.

JHDR, JDAT, JDAA, JSEP, IJNG
Must be fully supported if JNG is also supported outside of Delta-PNG datastreams. Bit 4 of the simplicity profile can be used to promise that no JNG chunks are present.

DROP, DBYK, ORDR
Can be recognized and ignored. These are only of concern to MNG editors and to MNG viewers that handle private chunks or chunks that can be selected by keyword, such as pCAL and iCCP. If you decide to support such chunks, then you will also have to support these three chunks.

Ancillary chunks
Ancillary chunks appearing in Delta-PNG datastreams must be treated in the same manner as if they appeared in a PNG or JNG datastream. See the recommendations, above. Note that the PNG tRNS chunk must be supported, despite its being an ancillary chunk in PNG.

10. Recommendations for Encoders

The following recommendations do not form a part of the specification.

10.1. Use a common color space

It is a good idea to use a single color space for all of the layers in an animation, where speed and fluidity are more important than exact color rendition. This is best accomplished by defining a single color space at the top level of MNG, using either an sRGB chunk or the gAMA and cHRM chunks and perhaps the iCCP chunk, and removing any color space chunks from the individual images after converting them to the common color space.

When the encoder converts all images to a single color space before putting them in the MNG datastream, decoders can improve the speed and consistency of the display.

For single-frame MNG datastreams, however, decoding speed is less important and exact color rendition might be more important. Therefore, it is best to leave the images in their original color space, as recommended in the PNG specification, retaining the individual color space chunks if the images have different color spaces. This will avoid any loss of data due to conversion.

10.2. Use the right framing mode

Always use framing mode 1 or 2 when all of the images are opaque. This avoids unnecessary screen clearing, which can cause flickering.

10.3. Immediate frame sync point

If it is necessary to establish a synchronization point immediately, this can be done by using two consecutive FRAM chunks, the first setting a temporary interframe_delay=0, timeout, and sync_id, and the second establishing the synchronization point:

   FRAM 2 0 1 1 0 1 0000 timeout sync_id
   FRAM 0 name

10.4. Embedded images in LOOPs

Embedded images should not be enclosed in loops unless absolutely necessary. It is better to store them ahead of time and then use SHOW chunks inside the loops. Otherwise, decoders will be forced to repeatedly decode them. See Examples 2, 8, 11, and 12, below (Chapter 18).

10.5. Including optional index in SAVE chunk

Authors of MNG files that are intended for transmission over a network should consider whether it is more economical for the client to rebuild the index from scratch than it is to transmit it. Web pages that are likely to be downloaded over slow lines, and whose clients are unlikely to use the index anyway, generally should have empty SAVE chunks. No information is lost by deleting the index, because the MNG datastream contains all of the information needed to build the index. If an application does build an index, and the file is going to be kept as a local file, the application should replace the empty SAVE chunk with one containing the index. See above (Paragraph 4.4.1).

10.6. Interleaving JDAT, JDAA, and IDAT chunks

When a JNG datastream contains an alpha channel, and the file is intended for transmission over a network, it is useful to interleave the IDAT or JDAA and the JDAT chunks. In the case of sequential JPEG, the interleaving should be arranged so that the alpha data arrives more or less in sync with the color data for the scanlines. In the case of progressive JPEG, the alpha data should be interleaved with the first JPEG pass, so that all of the alpha data has arrived before the beginning of the second JPEG pass.

10.7. Use of the JDAA chunk

It is recommended that the JDAA chunk be used only to convey smoothly varying alpha channels and not to convey binary transparency which is more precisely and efficiently conveyed in IDAT chunks.

11. Recommendations for Decoders

11.1. Using the simplicity profile

The simplicity profile in the MHDR chunk can be ignored or it can be used for

11.2. ENDL without matching LOOP

If a decoder reads an ENDL chunk for which the matching LOOP chunk is missing, or has been skipped for some reason, any active loops with a higher nest_level should be terminated, and processing can resume after the next SEEK chunk. Simple viewers that do not process the SAVE chunk should abandon the MNG datastream. See above.

11.3. Note on compositing

The PNG specification gives a good explanation of how to composite a partially transparent image over an opaque image, but things get more complicated when both images are partially transparent.

Pixels in PNG and JNG images are represented using gamma-encoded RGB (or gray) samples along with a linear alpha value. Alpha processing can only be performed on linear samples. This chapter assumes that R, G, B, and A values have all been converted to real numbers in the range [0..1], and that any gamma encoding has been undone.

For a top pixel {Rt,Gt,Bt,At} and a bottom pixel {Rb,Gb,Bb,Ab}, the composite pixel {Rc,Gc,Bc,Ac} is given by:

   Ac = 1 - (1 - At)(1 - Ab)
   if (Ac != 0) then
     s = At / Ac
     t = (1 - At) Ab / Ac
   else
     s = 0.0
     t = 1.0
   endif
   Rc = s Rt + t Rb
   Gc = s Gt + t Gb
   Bc = s Bt + t Bb

When the bottom pixel is fully opaque (Ab = 1.0), the function reduces to:

   Ac = 1
   Rc = At Rt + (1 - At) Rb
   Gc = At Gt + (1 - At) Gb
   Bc = At Bt + (1 - At) Bb

When the bottom pixel is not fully opaque, the function is much simpler if premultiplied alpha is used. A pixel that uses non-premultiplied alpha can be converted to premultiplied alpha by multiplying R, G, and B by A.

For a premultiplied top pixel {Rt,Gt,Bt,At} and a premultiplied bottom pixel {Rb,Gb,Bb,Ab}, the premultiplied composite pixel {Rc,Gc,Bc,Ac} is given by:

   Ac = 1 - (1 - At)(1 - Ab)
   Rc = Rt + (1 - At) Rb
   Gc = Gt + (1 - At) Gb
   Bc = Bt + (1 - At) Bb

As mentioned in the PNG specification, the equations become much simpler when no pixel has an alpha value other than 0.0 or 1.0, and the RGB samples need not be linear in that case.

11.4. Retaining object data

The decoder must retain information about each object (except for objects with object_id=0) for possible redisplay with the SHOW chunk or for possible use as the parent object for a subsequent Delta-PNG datastream.

The following information must be retained, for each nonzero object that is defined and not subsequently discarded:

When the encoder knows that data in the object buffer will not be needed later, it help decoders operate more efficiently by using object_id=0 or by using the DISC or the SEEK chunk. Abstract images rather than concrete objects should be used if the encoder knows that the data will not later be used as the parent object for a Delta-PNG. If no object buffer in the entire datastream will be needed later, the "stored object buffers" flag can be set appropriately in the simplicity profile field of the MHDR chunk.

11.5. Decoder handling of fatal errors

When a fatal error is encountered, such as a bad CRC or an unknown critical MNG chunk, minimal viewers that do not implement the SAVE/SEEK mechanism should simply abandon the MNG datastream. More capable MNG viewers should attempt to recover gracefully by abandoning processing of the segment and searching for a SEEK chunk. If such errors occur before the SAVE chunk is reached, the viewer should abandon the MNG datastream.

When an error occurs within a image datastream, such as an unknown critical PNG chunk or a missing parent object where one was required, only that image should be abandoned and the associated object should be discarded. If a bad CRC is found, indicating a corrupted datastream, the entire segment should be abandoned, as above.

MNG editors, on the other hand, should be more strict and reject any datastream with errors unless the user intervenes.

11.6. Decoder handling of interlaced images

Decoders are required to be able to interpret datastreams that contain interlaced PNG images, but are only required to display the completed frames; they are not required to display the images as they evolve. Viewers that are decoding datastreams coming in over a slow communication link might want to do that, but MNG authors should not assume that the frames will be displayed in other than their final form.

11.7. Decoder handling of palettes

When a PLTE chunk is received, it only affects the display of the PNG datastream that includes or inherits it. Decoders must take care that it does not retroactively affect anything that has already been decoded.

If PLTE or PPLT is present in a Delta-PNG datastream, the new palette is used in displaying the image defined by the Delta-PNG; if no IDAT chunk is present and the image type is PNG indexed-color, then the resulting image is displayed using the old pixel samples as indices into the new palette, which provides a "palette animation" capability.

If a frame contains two or more images, the PLTE chunk in one image does not affect the display of the other, unless one image is a subsequent Delta-PNG that has no PLTE chunk and has been declared by the DHDR object_id field to depend on the other.

A composite frame consisting only of indexed-color images should not be assumed to contain 256 or fewer colors, since the individual palettes do not necessarily contain the same set of colors. Encoders can supply a top-level sPLT chunk with a suggested reduced global palette, to help decoders build an appropriate palette when necessary.

11.8. Behavior of single-frame viewers

Viewers that can only display a single frame must display the first frame that they encounter. It is strongly recommended that such viewers understand the fPRI chunk above (Paragraph 4.5.2), which will enable them to find and display the best representative frame, if the encoder has identified one.

11.9. Clipping

MNG provides four types of clipping, in addition to any clipping that might be required due to the physical limitations of the display device.

Frame width and frame height
The frame_width and frame_height are defined in the MHDR chunk and cannot be changed by any other MNG chunk.

This is the only type of clipping available in MNG-VLC datastreams.

Decoders can use these parameters to establish the size of a window in which to display the MNG frames. When the frame_width or frame_height exceeds the physical dimensions of the display hardware, the contents of the area outside those dimensions is undefined. If a viewer chooses, it can create "scroll bars" or the like, to enable persons to pan and scroll to the offscreen portion of the frame. If this is done, then the viewer is responsible for maintaining and updating the offscreen portion of the frame.

In the case of a MNG datastream that consists of a PNG or JNG datastream, with the PNG or JNG signature, the frame_width and frame_height are defined by the width and height fields of the IHDR (or JHDR) chunk.

Layer clipping boundaries
The layer clipping boundaries are optionally defined in the FRAM chunk, and cannot be changed within a subframe. When the framing mode is 3 or 4, viewers must, prior to displaying the foreground layers of each frame, clear the area within the layer clipping boundaries to the background color, and display the background image if one has been defined, thus creating a separate layer at the beginning of each frame. Viewers must not change any pixels outside the layer boundaries; encoders must be able to rely on the fact that the part of the display that is outside the layer clipping boundaries (but inside the area defined by frame_width and frame_height) will remain on the display from frame to frame without being explicitly redisplayed. See Example 8, which displays a large background image once, and then, in each frame, only redisplays the portion of the background surrounding the moving sprite.

Image clipping boundaries
The image clipping boundaries are defined in the DEFI and CLIP chunks. They are associated with individual objects, not with the layers, and they can be changed within a subframe of layers. They are useful for exposing only a portion of an image in a frame, to achieve effects such as scrolling, panning, or gradual exposure.

The clipping boundaries are expressed in pixels, measured rightward and downward from the frame origin.

The left and top clipping boundaries are inclusive and the right and bottom clipping boundaries are exclusive, i.e., the pixel located at {x,y} is only displayed if the pixel falls within the physical limits of the display hardware and all of the following are true:

   0        <= x < frame_width  (from the MHDR chunk)
   0        <= y < frame_height
   Left_lcb <= x < right_lcb    (from the FRAM chunk)
   Top_lcb  <= y < bottom_lcb
   Left_cb  <= x < right_cb     (from the DEFI or CLIP chunk)
   Top_cb   <= y < bottom_cb

PAST clipping boundaries
One type of clipping performed in PAST gives a fourth type that has no dependencies on the other types, since the object CLIP data is ignored and the PAST chunk defines its own clipping boundaries within the destination object. The left and top of this type of clipping is also inclusive, and the right and bottom are exclusive.

Clipping to PAST destination object dimensions
A second type of clipping performed in PAST gives a fifth type that also has no dependencies on the other types. The result of all PAST operations is clipped to fall within the dimensions of the destination object. The left and top of this type of clipping is also inclusive, and the right and bottom are exclusive. After this internal clipping is completed, the destination object is clipped in the same manner as other objects when it is displayed.

12. Recommendations for Editors

12.1. Editing datastreams with optional index

Editors must recreate or delete the optional SAVE chunk index whenever they make any change that affects the offsets of chunks following the portion of the datastream that is changed. If the changes do not involve the addition, deletion, or relocation of segments, frames, and images, then it is sufficient to zero out the offsets.

The SAVE chunk is not considered to be in any MNG segment, so changing it has no effect on the copy-safe status of unknown chunks in any other part of the MNG datastream.

When the SAVE chunk is expanded to include an index, all chunks that follow will have their offsets changed by an amount equal to the change in the length of the data segment of the SAVE chunk, so the offset table will have to be adjusted accordingly. If a SAVE chunk is already present with zero offsets, the correct offsets can be written without adjustment.

12.2. Handling LOOP and TERM chunks

Editors that create a series of PNG or JNG datastreams from a MNG datastream should check the termination condition of any LOOP chunks and execute loops only iteration_min times. The loop created by the TERM chunk should be executed only once.

13. Miscellaneous Topics

13.1. File name extension

On systems where file names customarily include an extension signifying file type, the extension .mng is recommended for MNG (including MNG-LC and MNG-VLC) files. Lowercase .mng is preferred if file names are case-sensitive. The extension .jng is recommended for JNG files.

13.2. Internet media type

When and if the MNG format becomes finalized, the MNG authors intend to register video/mng as the Internet Media Type for MNG [RFC-2045], [RFC-2048]. At the date of this document, the media type registration process had not been started. It is recommended that implementations also recognize the interim media type video/x-mng.

Although we define a standalone JNG format, we recommend that such files be used only temporarily while compiling or disassembling MNG datastreams. We may at some future time register an Internet Media Type for JNG files. Until then, the interim media type image/x-jng can be used.

13.3. EBNF Grammar for MNG, PNG, and JNG

An Extended Backus-Naur Form (EBNF) description of the chunk ordering in MNG, PNG, and JNG is being developed. The current draft, together with some supporting software, is available at ftp://swrinde.nde.swri.edu/pub/mng/documents/ebnf/.

13.4. Uniform Resource Identifier (URI)

Segments, subframes, and objects are externally accessible via named SEEK, eXPI, and FRAM chunk names. They can be referred to by URI, as in

   SRC=file.mng#segment_name
   SRC=file.mng#subframe_name
   SRC=file.mng#snapshot_name
   SRC=file.mng?segment_name#segment_name
   SRC=file.mng?snapshot_name#snapshot_name

When the URI specializer ("#" or "?") is "#", and the fragment identifier (the string following the specializer) is the name of a segment, i.e., a named SEEK chunk, the viewer should display the sequence from the beginning of the named segment up to the next segment. When it refers to a subframe or an image, i.e., a named FRAM or eXPI chunk, it should display the single frame (as it exists when the next FRAM chunk is encountered) or image that is identified by the fragment identifier. The client can find the needed segment quickly if the SAVE chunk is present and contains the optional index.

When the URI specializer is "?" (server side query), the "query component" is the string following the "?" specializer and up to but not including the "#" if the "#" specializer is also present. The server should find the segment that is named in the query component or the segment that contains the subframe or image named in the query component, and it should return a datastream consisting of:

If no SAVE chunk is present, the server must simply return the entire MNG datastream. Servers that are unwilling to parse the MNG datastream and are unconcerned about bandwidth can return the entire MNG datastream even when the SAVE chunk is present. Authors should defend against this behavior by including both a query and a fragment in the URI even when a segment is being requested.

The client can process this as a complete MNG datastream, either displaying the entire segment, if no fragment identifier is present, or extracting the segment, frame or image that is named in a fragment identifier and displaying it, if a fragment identifier is present (a fragment identifier must be present if a frame or image is being requested). To "extract a frame" means to decode the returned datastream through the end of the frame that contains the named subframe and to display the result as a single still image. If the layers of the named subframe do not cover the entire frame, pixels from the background and from earlier subframes must be included in the resulting composition.

A part of the MNG datastream can also be requested by timecode, as in

   SRC=file.mng#clock(10s-20s)
   SRC=file.mng#clock(0:00-0:15)
   SRC=file.mng?clock(0:00-0:15)#clock(0:00-0:15)

or by frame number, as in

   SRC=file.mng#frame(10)
   SRC=file.mng#frames(30-60)
   SRC=file.mng?frames(30-60)#frames(30-60)

The timecode must consist of starting and ending clock values, as defined in the W3C SMIL recommendation, separated by a hyphen (ASCII code 45).

When the URI specializer is "#", the viewer should play that part of the sequence beginning and ending at the requested times, measuring from zero time at the beginning of the MNG datastream, or beginning and ending with the specified frame numbers. To do this it must start with the segment containing the requested time and decode any part of the segment up to that time, composing but not displaying the frames; this will provide the background against which the desired frames are displayed.

When the URI specializer is "?", the server can send the entire MNG datastream, or, preferably, it should construct a complete MNG file containing:

If the server does not send the entire MNG datastream, and the first segment after the SAVE chunk is not sent but a later segment is sent, the optional index must be written even if it does not exist in the source file. The index must contain at least one "type 0" entry that gives the nominal start time and frame number for the first segment that is sent after the SAVE chunk. The offset field can be set to zero and the segment name can be omitted.

The query component should always be repeated as a fragment identifier, so clients can find the requested item in case the server sends more than what was requested.

MNG datastreams should not contain segment, subframe, or image names that begin with the case-insensitive strings "CLOCK(", "FRAME(", or "FRAMES(", which are reserved for use in URI queries and fragments (see Uniform Resource Identifier below).

See [RFC-2396] and the W3C SMIL recommendation at http://www.w3.org/TR/.

14. Rationale

This (incomplete as of version 1.0) section does not form a part of the specification. It provides the rationale behind some of the design decisions in MNG.

Interframe delay

Explain why the interframe delay has to be provided before the subframes of layers are defined, instead of having a simpler DELA chunk that occurs in the stream where the delay is wanted.

DHDR delta types

Some delta types are not allowed when the parent object is a JNG image. Explain why types 4 and 6 (pixel replacement and color channel replacement) are not allowed under these circumstances.

Additional filter methods

Filter method 64 could have been implemented as a new critical chunk in embedded PNG datastreams.

   FILT
      method (1 byte)
        64: intrapixel differencing
      data (variable, depends on method)
        method 64 requires no data

The FILT chunk would turn on this type of filtering.

The choice of using a new filter method instead of a new critical chunk was made based on simplicity of implementation and possible eventual inclusion of this method in PNG. Also, using the filter-method byte helps implementors avoid confusion about whether this is a color transform (which could affect the implementation of tRNS and other color-related chunks) or part of the filtering mechanism (which would not conceivably affect color-related chunks).

We considered using an ancillary chunk (e.g., fILt or fILT) to turn on the new filtering method. This would have the advantage that existing applications could manipulate the files, but viewers that ignore the chunk would display the image in unacceptably wrong colors, and editors could mistakenly discard the chunk.

MAGN chunk rationale

Q. Why not just use a BASI chunk to encode solid-color rectangles?

A. The MAGN chunk also allows encoding of gradient-filled rectangles.

Q. Why not just use PNG to encode gradient-filled rectangles?

A. While PNG can encode vertical and horizontal gradients fairly efficiently, it cannot do diagonal ones efficiently, and none are as efficient as a 30-byte MAGN chunk plus a 4-pixel PNG.

Q. Why not use full-scale low-quality JPEG/JNG?

A. Low-quality JPEG with reduced dimensions can be much smaller than even the lowest-quality full-sized JPEG. Such images can then be magnified to full scale with the MAGN chunk, for use as preview ("LOWSRC") images. this has been demonstrated to be about 40 to 50 times as efficient as using Adam7 interlacing of typical natural images,

It appears that in general, usable preview images of truecolor photographic images can be made at compression ratios from M*800:1 to M*2500:1, where M is the number of megapixels in the original image, by reducing the original image spatially to width and height in the range 64 to 200 pixels and then compressing the result to a medium-quality JNG.

Q. Why not use the pHYg chunk?

A. It is not mandatory for decoders to process the pHYg chunk and it does not apply to individual images; it is used to scale the entire MNG frame. The pHYs chunk cannot be used either because MNG decoders are required to ignore it.

Q. Why not 4-byte magnification factors instead of 2-byte ones?

A. Encoders can start with a larger object or, except for object 0, magnify it twice.

Q. Why not 1-byte magnification factors, then?

A. With typical screen widths currently 1280 or 1600 pixels and film and printer pages currently about 3000 pixels wide, magnifying a 1x1 image to a width of more than 255 pixels would not be uncommon.

Q. I want to magnify a "frozen" object.

A. You can make a full clone and magnify that.

Q. Why define Methods 4 and 5?

A. Method 4 is useful for magnifying an alpha-encoded image while maintaining binary transparency. Method 5 is useful for making an alpha-gradient while preserving sharp edges in the main image.

Global JPEG tables

It has been suggested that a new global MNG chunk, JTAB, be defined to hold global JPEG quantization and Huffman tables that could be inherited by JNG datastreams from which these have been omitted. This has not been tested, and we are reluctant to add new critical chunks to the MNG specification now.

15. Revision History

15.1. Version 1.0

Released 31 January 2001

15.2. Version 0.99

Released 10 December 2000

15.3. Version 0.98

Released 01 October 2000

15.4. Version 0.97

Released 28 February 2000.

15.5. Version 0.96

Released 18 July 1999.

The changes that are not simple editorial changes were approved by votes of the PNG Development group that closed 16 July 1999 (pHYg and change to treatment of the pHYs chunk), 14 July 1999 (global bKGD and sBIT) and 25 June 1999 (change to LOOP chunk and treatment of the DEFI chunk and nonviewable objects).

15.6. Version 0.95

16. References

[ISO/IEC-10918-1]
International Organization for Standardization and International Electrotechnical Commission, "Digital Compression and Coding of Continuous-tone Still Images, Part 1: Requirements and guidelines" ISO/IEC IS 10918-1, ITU-T T.81.

See also Pennebaker, William B., and Joan L. Mitchell, "JPEG : Still Image Data Compression Standard" Van Nostrand Reinhold, ISBN:0442012721, September 1992

[JFIF]
C-Cube Microsystems, "JPEG File Interchange Format, Version 1.02", September 1992.

[LOCO]
Weinberger, Marcelo J., Gadiel Seroussi, and Guillermo Sapiro, "The LOCO-I Lossless Image Compression Algorithm: Principles and Standardization into JPEG-LS" Hewlett Packard Report HPL-98-193R1, November 1998, revised October 1999, available at http://www.hpl.hp.com/loco/.

[PNG]
Boutell, T., et. al., "PNG (Portable Network Graphics Format) Version 1.0", RFC 2083,
ftp://ftp.isi.edu/in-notes/rfc2083.txt also available at
ftp://swrinde.nde.swri.edu/pub/png/documents/. This specification has also been published as a W3C Recommendation, which is available at
http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-png.html.

See also the PNG-1.2 specification:
Randers-Pehrson, G., et. al., "PNG (Portable Network Graphics Format) Version 1.2", which is available at
ftp://swrinde.nde.swri.edu/pub/png/documents/.

[PNG-EXT]
Randers-Pehrson, G., et al, "Extensions to the PNG 1.2 Specification",
ftp://swrinde.nde.swri.edu/pub/png/documents/pngext-*.

[RFC-2119]
Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate Requirement Levels", RFC 2119/BCP 14, Harvard University, March 1997.

[RFC-2045]
Freed, N., and N. Borenstein, "Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) Part One: Format of Internet Message Bodies", RFC 2045, Innosoft, First Virtual, November 1996.
ftp://ftp.isi.edu/in-notes/rfc2045.txt

[RFC-2048]
Freed, N., Klensin, J., and J. Postel, "Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) Part Four: Registration Procedures", RFC 2048, Innosoft, MCI, USC/Information Sciences Institute, November 1996.
ftp://ftp.isi.edu/in-notes/rfc2048.txt

[RFC-2396]
Berners-Lee, T., R. Fielding, U. C. Irvine, and L. Masinter, "Uniform Resource Identifiers (URI): Generic Syntax", RFC 2396, MIT/LCS, Xerox Corporation, University of Minnesota, August 1998.
ftp://ftp.isi.edu/in-notes/rfc2396.txt

17. Security Considerations

Security considerations are addressed in the PNG specification.

An infinite or just overly long loop could give the appearance of having locked up the machine, as could an unreasonably long interframe delay or a misplaced sync_id with a long timeout value. Therefore a decoder should always provide a simple method for users to escape out of a loop or delay, either by abandoning the MNG entirely or just proceeding to the next SEEK chunk. Decoders should check for user input after each loop iteration (not just after each frame) in case of infinite loops that are empty or that generate layers with zero interframe delay. The SEEK chunk makes it safe for a viewer to resume processing after it encounters a corrupted portion of a MNG datastream or jumps out of the interior of a segment for any reason.

Some people may experience epileptic seizures when they are exposed to certain kinds of flashing lights or patterns that are common in everyday life. This can happen even if the person has never had any epileptic seizures. All graphics software and file formats that support animation and/or color cycling make it possible to encode effects that may induce an epileptic seizure in these individuals. It is the responsibility of authors and software publishers to issue appropriate warnings to the public in general and to animation creators in particular.

No known additional security concerns are raised by this format.

18. Appendix: Examples

We use the "#" character to denote commentary in these examples; such comments are not present in actual MNG datastreams.

18.1. Example 1: A single image

The simplest MNG datastream is a single-image PNG datastream. The simplest way to create a MNG from a PNG is:

   copy file.png file.mng

The resulting MNG file looks like:

   \211 P N G \r \n ^z \n  # PNG signature.
   IHDR 720 468 8 0 0 0 0  # Width and Height, etc.
   sRGB 2
   gAMA 45455
   IDAT ...
   IEND

If file.png contains an sRGB chunk and also gAMA and cHRM chunks that are recommended in the PNG specification for "fallback" purposes, you can remove those gAMA and cHRM chunks from file.mng because any MNG viewer that processes the gAMA chunk is also required to recognize and process the sRGB chunk, so those chunks will always be ignored. Any MNG editor that converts the MNG file back to a PNG file is supposed to insert the recommended gAMA and cHRM chunks.

18.2. Example 2: A very simple movie

This example demonstrates a very simple movie, such as might result from directly converting an animated GIF that contains a simple series of full-frame images:

   \212 M N G \r \n ^z \n  # MNG signature.
   MHDR 256 300   # Width and height.
        1         # 1 tick per second.
        5 4 4     # Layers, frames, play time
        583       # Simplicity profile
   DEFI 1 0 0 IHDR ... IDAT ... IEND # Four PNG datastreams
   DEFI 2 0 0 IHDR ... IDAT ... IEND # are read and stored
   DEFI 3 0 0 IHDR ... IDAT ... IEND # and are displayed as
   DEFI 4 0 0 IHDR ... IDAT ... IEND # they are read.
   SAVE  # This is needed so we can place TERM before SEEK.
   TERM 3 0 120 10   # When done, repeat from TERM 10 times.
   SEEK
   SHOW
   MEND

18.3. Example 3: A simple slideshow

   \212 M N G \r \n ^z \n  # MNG signature.
   MHDR 720 468 1 # Width and height, 1 tick per second.
        6 5 5     # Layers, frames, play time.
        67        # Simplicity profile (MNG-LC no transparency)
   FRAM 1 0 2 2 0  2 1 600 0 # Set interframe_delay to 1,
     # timeout to 600 sec, and sync_id list to {0}.
   SAVE
   SEEK "Briefing to the Workforce"
   IHDR ...  IDAT ...  IEND  # DEFI 0, visible, abstract
   SEEK "Outline"            # is implied.
   IHDR ...  IDAT ...  IEND
   SEEK "Our Vision"       IHDR ...  IDAT ...  IEND
   SEEK "Our Mission"      IHDR ...  IDAT ...  IEND
   SEEK "Downsizing Plans" IHDR ...  IDAT ...  IEND
   MEND

18.4. Example 4: A more storage-efficient slideshow

This slideshow gives exactly the same output as Example 3, but the storage in the datastream is more efficient (the IDAT chunks will be smaller) while the memory requirements in the decoder are larger. Image ID 1 is used to store the ornate logos and frame design that appear on every slide. The DHDR-IEND datastreams only contain deltas due to the text and other information that is unique to each slide.

   \212 M N G \r \n ^z \n  # MNG signature.
   MHDR 720 468     # Width and height.
        1 6 5 5 975 # 1 tick per second, complex, no JNG.
   DEFI 1 1 1       # Define image 1, invisible, concrete.
   IHDR ...  IDAT ...  IEND
   FRAM  1 0  2 2 0 2  1 600 0 # set interframe_delay to 1,
     # timeout to 600 sec and sync_id list to {0}.
   SAVE
   SEEK "Briefing to the Workforce"
   CLON 1 2 DHDR 2 ...  IDAT ...  IEND SHOW 2
   SEEK "Outline"
   CLON 1 2 DHDR 2 ...  IDAT ...  IEND SHOW 2
   SEEK "Our Vision"
   CLON 1 2 DHDR 2 ...  IDAT ...  IEND SHOW 2
   SEEK "Our Mission"
   CLON 1 2 DHDR 2 ...  IDAT ...  IEND SHOW 2
   SEEK "Downsizing Plans"
   CLON 1 2 DHDR 2 ...  IDAT ...  IEND SHOW 2
   MEND

18.5. Example 5: A simple movie

This movie is still fairly simple, but it capitalizes on frame-to-frame similarities by use of Delta-PNG datastreams, and also demonstrates the use of the fPRI chunk.

   \212 M N G \r \n ^z \n  # MNG signature.
   MHDR 720 468   # Width and height.
        30 6 5 15 # 30 ticks per second.
        975       # Delta-PNG, transparent, complex
   tEXtTitle\0Sample Movie
   fPRI 0 128     # Default frame priority is "medium".
   FRAM 1 0  2 0 0 0  3 # Set interframe_delay to 1/10 sec.
   DEFI 1 0 1       # Set default image to 1 (concrete).
   SAVE
   SEEK "start"
   
   IHDR 720 468 8 2 0 0 0   # DEFI 1 is implied.
   IDAT ...
   IEND
   
   DHDR 1 1 1 20 30 100 220   # A PNG-delta frame.
   IDAT ...       # The IDAT gives the 20x30 block
   IEND           # of deltas.
   
   DHDR 1 1 1 20 30 102 222   # Another PNG-delta frame.
   IDAT ...       # This time the deltas are in a 20 x 30
   IEND           # block at a slightly different location.
   
   SEEK "frame 3"  # OK to restart here because a
                   # complete PNG frame follows.
   fPRI 0 255      # This is the representative frame that
   IHDR 720 468 ...# will be displayed by single-frame
   IDAT ...        # viewers.
   IEND
   fPRI 0 128      # Return to medium frame priority.
   
   DHDR 1 1 1 720 468 0 0     # Another PNG-delta frame.
   IDAT ...   # The entire 720x468 rectangle changes
   IEND       # this time.
   
   SEEK "end"
   MEND            # End of MNG datastream.

18.6. Example 6: A single composite frame

Here is an example single-composite-frame MNG, with thumbnails, which takes a grayscale image and draws it side-by-side with a false-color version of the same image:

   \212 M N G \r \n ^z \n # MNG signature.
   MHDR 1024 512 0 # Width, height, ticks per second
        4 1 0 1007 # Layers, frames, time, simplicity
   BACK 16448 16448 52800 1 # Must use sky blue background.
   
   PLTE ...     # Define global PLTE
   gAMA 50000   # Define global gAMA
   DEFI 1 1     # Define invisible abstract thumbnail image.
   IHDR 64 64 4 3 0 0 0 PLTE IDAT ... IEND # use global PLTE
   eXPI 1 "thumbnail 1"
   DEFI 1 1       # Also define a larger thumbnail.
   IHDR 96 96 4 3 0 0 0 PLTE IDAT ... IEND # use global PLTE
   eXPI 1 "thumbnail 2"
   DISC           # Discard the thumbnail image.
   
   FRAM 4 "Two views of the data"
   DEFI 1 0 1 6 6     # Define first (bottom) image.
   IHDR 500 500 16 0 .. # A 16-bit graylevel image.
   IDAT ...
   IEND                 # End of image.
   
   CLON 1 2 0 1 0 0 518 6 # Make full invisible concrete clone.
   SHOW 2 2 3           #  Mark it for immediate display during
                        #  the upcoming delta-PNG operation.
   DHDR 2 1 7           #  Modify it (no change to pixels).
   ORDR faLT 2          #  Establish chunk placement.
   gAMA 100000   # Local gamma value is 100000 (gamma=1.0).
   tEXtComment\0The faLT chunk is described in ftp://swrinde...
   faLT ...             # Apply pseudocolor to parent image.
   IEND                 # End of image.
   DEFI 3 0 0 900 400   # Overlay near lower right-hand corner.
   IHDR 101 101 2 3 ...
   PLTE ...             # Use a local PLTE and global gAMA.
   tRNS ...             # It is transparent (maybe a logo).
   IDAT ...             # Note that the color type can differ
   IDAT ...             # from that of the other images.
   IEND                 # End of image.
   
   MEND                 # End of MNG datastream.

18.7. Example 7: A movie with sprites

Here is another movie, illustrating the use of Delta-PNG datastreams as sprites:

   \212 M N G \r \n ^z \n  # MNG signature.
   MHDR 512 512 30 0 0 0 1007 # Start of MNG datastream.
   FRAM 2 "frame 1" 0  2 0 0 0  3 # First frame
                    # sets interframe_delay=3 ticks.
   DEFI 1           # Define image 1 (abstract, LOCA 0 0).
   IHDR 512 512 ... # It is a full-display PNG image.
   etc              # Chunks according to PNG spec.
   IEND             # SHOW 1 is implied by DEFI 1.
   DEFI 2 0 1 300 200 # Define image 2, concrete.
   IHDR 32 32 ...   # It is a small PNG.
   gAMA 50000
   IDAT ...
   IEND
   FRAM 0 "frame 2"   # Start new frame.
                    # New location for image 1 is still 0,0.
   SHOW 1           # Display image 1 from previous frame.
   MOVE 2 2 1 10 5  # New (delta) location for image 2.
   SHOW 2           # Retrieve image 2 from previous frame,
   CLON 2 3 0 1 0   # make a full clone of it as image 3.
        0 400 500   # Location for image 3.
   DHDR 3 1 7 0 0 0 0 # Modify image 3 (no change to pixels).
   tRNS ...         # Make it semitransparent.
   IEND             # SHOW 3 is implied by CLON visibility.
   FRAM 0 "frame 3" # Next frame (repeat this FRAM-SHOW 1 3
                    #   sequence with different locations to
                    #   move the images around).
                    # New location for image 1 is still 0,0.
   MOVE 2 2 1 10 5  # New (delta) location for image 2.
   MOVE 3 3 1 5 -2  # New location for image 3.
   SHOW 1 3         # Show images 1 through 3.
   FRAM 0 "frame 4" # Another frame.
   etc.
   FRAM 0 "frame 99"
   etc.             # More frames.
   MEND             # End of MNG datastream.

18.8. Example 8: A movie with an animated sprite

This movie illustrates the use of several abstract images with Show_mode=6 to describe an animated sprite, and the PAST chunk to turn it around. The sprite runs back and forth across the background ten times. The FRAM clipping boundaries restrict the screen updates to the small region that changes, with a little "wiggle room" to make sure the disturbed part of the background gets updated.

   \212 M N G \r \n ^z \n  # MNG signature.
   MHDR 512 512 30 0 0 0 975 # Start of MNG datastream.
   FRAM 2 "frame 1" 0  2 0 0 0  3 # First frame.
   DEFI 1 IHDR 512 512 ... # Background PNG image.
   etc ... IEND     # Chunks according to PNG spec.
   
   DEFI 10 1 0 x0 y0 # Static part of sprite.
   IHDR 64 64 ...  IDAT ...  IEND
   DEFI 11 1 0 x0 y1 # View 1 of animated part.
   IHDR 64 32 ...  IDAT ...  IEND # (y1=y0+64)
   DEFI 12 1 0 x0 y1 # View 2 of animated part.
   IHDR 64 32 ...  IDAT ...  IEND
   DEFI 13 1 0 x0 y1 # View 3 of animated part.
   IHDR 64 32 ...  IDAT ...  IEND
   
   FRAM 0  0  0 0 2 0  0 x0-dx x0+64+dx y0-dy y1+32+dy
   LOOP 0 0 10
   LOOP 1 0 150
   FRAM 0 "left-to-right" 0 0 2 0 1 dx dx dy dy
   MOVE 10 13 1 dx dy # Move animated icon {dx, dy}.
   SHOW  1 SHOW 10    # Show background and static part.
   SHOW 11 13 6       # Select the next view of the
   ENDL 1             # animated part and show it.
   
   FRAM SHOW 1
   PAST 10  0 0 0  10  1 4  0 0 0  0 0 64 64
   PAST 11  0 0 0  11  1 4  0 0 0  0 0 64 32
   PAST 12  0 0 0  12  1 4  0 0 0  0 0 64 32
   PAST 13  0 0 0  13  1 4  0 0 0  0 0 64 32
   LOOP 1 0 150
   FRAM 0 "right-to-left" 0 0 2 0 1 -dx -dx -dy -dy
   MOVE 10 13 1 -dx -dy # Move animated icon {-dx, -dy}.
   SHOW  1 SHOW 10    # Show background and static part.
   SHOW 11 13 6       # Select the next view of the
   ENDL 1             # animated part and show it.
   ENDL 0 FRAM
   MEND

18.9. Example 9: "Fading in" a transparent image

The opaque parts of this image will "fade in" gradually. This example also illustrates the use of the PPLT and fPRI chunks.

   \212 M N G \r \n ^z \n   # MNG signature.
   MHDR 64 64 30 0 0 0 1007 # Width, height, ticklength, ....
   BACK 52800 52800 52800   # "Browser gray" default background.
   
   FRAM 3 0  2 0 0 0  3 #  Set interframe_delay=3 ticks.  Use
               # framing mode 3 so background gets restored.
   DEFI 1 1 1  # Invisible and "concrete".
   IHDR ...    # PNG header.
   PLTE ...
   tRNS 0      # Entries are zero for the transparent (0)
               # color and 255 for the nontransparent ones.
   IDAT ...
   IEND
   fPRI 0 0    # Give the fade-in sequence a low priority.
   CLON 1 2    # Make a working concrete copy of the image
               # that will be modified during the low-priority
               # part of the datastream.  It is a full clone.
   DHDR 2 1 7  # No change to pixel data.
   tRNS 0 0 0 0 0 0 ...  # Make all pixels fully transparent.
   IEND
   SHOW 2 2 3  # Make it visible but do not show it now.
   
   LOOP 0 0 15
   DHDR 2 1 7  # A Delta-PNG.
               # Delta-type 7 means no change to pixels.
   PPLT 1 10 3 16 16 16 16 ... # Increment all alphas except
   IEND                        # for entry 0 by 16.
   SHOW 2
   ENDL 0      # Nontransparent pixel alpha=15, 31, ... 240.
   
   DISC 2      # Discard the working copy.
   fPRI 0 255  # Give the final frame the highest value
   FRAM 0 0  1 0 0 0  60 # Hold the last frame for at least
     # 60 ticks (2 sec).  Applications might show it longer.
   SHOW 1      # This copy still has alpha=255 for the
               # opaque pixels and alpha=0 for the others.
   MEND        # End of MNG.

18.10. Example 10: Storing three-dimensional images

In this example, we store a series of twenty-four 150 x 150 x 150 blocks of eight-bit voxels. Each block is stored as a composite frame with the first image being a PNG whose pixels represent the top layer of voxels, which is followed by 149 Delta-PNG images representing the rest of the layers of voxels. Only one image is defined, through which the parent image is passed along from PNG to Delta-PNG to Delta-PNG. This example also illustrates the use of unregistered ancillary chunks that describe the x, y, and z scales and pixel calibration.

   \212 M N G \r \n ^z \n # MNG signature.
   MHDR 150 150 1   # Width, height, ticklength.
        0 0 0 615   # Layers, frames, time, simplicity.
   tEXtTitle\0Weather modeling results
   tEXtComment\0The xxSC, yySC, zzSC, and ttSC chunks
    in this file are written according to the Proposed
    Chunk Specifications version 19970203 and Sci-Vis
    Chunks Specification version 19970203 available at
    ftp://swrinde.nde.swri.edu/pub/png-group/documents/
   xxSC kch\0 [sig\0] kilometers\0 0\0 150
   yySC kch\0 [sig\0] kilometers\0 0\0 150
   zzSC kch\0 [sig\0] Height (kilometers)\0 0\0 15
   ttSC kch\0 [sig\0] Time (hours)\0 0\0 24
   pCAL kch\0 0 255 0 2 Degrees Celsius\0 0\0 45
   DEFI 1 0 1       # All images will have image = 1
   SAVE             # and be visible and "concrete".
   SEEK
   FRAM 2      # Initial composite image.
   IHDR 150 150 16  # Width, height, bit depth for top layer.
        0 0 0 0     # Color, comp, filter, interlace.
   IDAT ...
   IEND             # No DEFI chunk, so it is image 0.
   DHDR 1 1 0       # Source=0, PNG, pixel addition,
        150 150 0 0 # Block is entire image.
   IDAT ...     # IHDR is omitted; everything matches top.
   IEND         # IEND is also omitted.
   etc.         # Repeat DHDR through IEND 148 more times.
   SEEK
   FRAM         # End of first block.
   etc.         # Repeat FRAM through SEEK 19 more times.
   SEEK
   MEND         # End of MNG.

18.11. Example 11: Tiling

Here is another composite frame, illustrating the use of the LOOP syntax to tile a large (1024 by 768) image area with a small (128 by 64) image.

   \212 M N G \r \n ^z \n  # MNG signature.
   MHDR 1024 768 0 # Start of MNG datastream.
        98 1 0 975 # Layers, frames, time, simplicity.
   FRAM 2
   DEFI 1 1 0 0 -64 # Set up an offscreen "abstract" copy
   IHDR 128 64 ... PLTE ... IDAT ... IEND  # of the tile.
   LOOP 0 0 12   # Y loop -- make 12 rows of tiles.
   MOVE 1 1 1 0 64 # Move the first copy down 64 rows.
   SHOW 1        # Display it.
   CLON 1 2 1    # Create a partial clone of the tile.
   LOOP 1 0 7    # X loop - 7 additional columns.
   MOVE 2 2 1 0 128 # Move it to the right 128 columns.
   SHOW 2        # Use the second copy.
   ENDL 1
   ENDL 0
   MEND

Here is a better approach, which creates a reusable tiled image by means of the PAST chunk.

   \212 M N G \r \n ^z \n  # MNG signature.
   MHDR 1024 768 0 # Start of MNG datastream.
        3 1 0 975  # Layers, frames, time, simplicity.
   DEFI 1 1 # Set up an offscreen "abstract" copy
   IHDR 128 64 ...  PLTE ... IDAT ... IEND  # of the tile.
   DEFI 2        # The abstract, visible, viewable image to
   BASI 1024 768 8 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 #  be tiled.  Initially
   IEND          # all pixels are zero.
   PAST 2 0 0 0  # Destination and target location.
     # src mod orient  offset        clipping
        1   0    8     0   0 512   0 0 1024 0 768
     #  End of PAST chunk data.
   MEND

18.12. Example 12: Scrolling

Here is an example of scrolling a 3000-line-high image (perhaps an image of some text, but could be anything) through a 256-line-high window with an alpha-blended border.

   \212 M N G \r \n ^z \n  # MNG signature.
   MHDR 512 256 30   # Width, height, ticks per second
        6513 3257 3257 975 # Layers, frames, time, simplicity.
   BACK 50000 50000 50000 0 #  advisory gray background
   DEFI 1 1 0 0 256  # Define image 1 but do not display now.
                     # Initially it is offscreen, just
                     # below the 512 by 256 window.
   IHDR 512 3000 1 0 ... # A PNG datastream containing the
   PLTE ...          # text (or whatever) to be scrolled.
   IDAT ...
   IEND
   
   DEFI 2
   IHDR 512 256 8 6 ... # A PNG datastream containing some kind
   PLTE ...             # of alpha-blended border that is
   tRNS ...             # transparent in the center.
   IDAT ...
   IEND
   
   LOOP 0 0 3256
   MOVE 1 1 1 0 -1 # Jack image 1 up one scanline, 3256 times.
              # It ends up just above the 512 by 256 window.
              # The border does not move.
   FRAM 1  0  2 0 0 0  0 # Interframe_delay = 0 ticks.
              # We use Framing_mode=1 to avoid unnecessary
              # screen clearing between frames.
   SHOW 1     # Show first image and continue without delay.
   FRAM 1  0  2 0 0 0  1 # Interframe_delay = 1 tick.
   SHOW 2     # Composite second image over first, wait 1 tick.
   ENDL 0
   MEND

Alternatively, we can declare the scrolling object to be the background and use framing-mode 3:

                   (Same as above down to the LOOP chunk.)
   BACK 50000 50000 50000 2 1 #  Advisory gray background.
                              #  Mandatory image background.
   FRAM 3  0  2 0 0 0  1 # Interframe_delay = 1 tick.
   LOOP 0 0 3256
   MOVE 1 1 1 0 -1 # Jack background up one scanline, 3256 times.
   SHOW 2     # Composite the second image over it, wait 1 tick.
   ENDL 0
   MEND

18.13. Example 13: Cycling animations

This demonstrates the use of the SHOW chunk with show_mode=6 to create animations that cycle through a series of ten objects.

This will cycle through the ten objects in the forward direction, 100 times, unless terminated sooner by the user or the decoder.

   \212 M N G \r \n ^z \n  # MNG signature.
   MHDR 400 88 30  # Width, height, ticks per second
        11 1001 1001 583 # Layers, frames, time, simplicity.
   DEFI 1 ...
   etc.         # Define 10 objects.
   DEFI 10 ...
   LOOP 0 100 6 # 100 iterations, user-discretion, cacheable
   SHOW 1 10 6
   ENDL 0
   MEND

This will cycle through the ten objects, back and forth, 50 times, unless terminated sooner by the user or the decoder.

   \212 M N G \r \n ^z \n  # MNG signature.
   MHDR 400 88 6  # Width, height, ticks per second
        11 901 901 583 # Layers, frames, time, simplicity.
   DEFI 1 ...
   etc.         # Define 10 objects.
   DEFI 10 ...
   CLON 11 9 1  # Make partial clones of objects 2-9
   etc.         # in reverse order, as objects 11-18.
   CLON 18 2 1
   
   LOOP 0 50 6 # 50 iterations, user-discretion, cacheable
   SHOW 1 18 6
   ENDL 0
   MEND

18.14. Example 14: Converting a GIF animation

Outline of a program to convert GIF animations to MNG format:

   begin
       write "MHDR" chunk
       saved_images := 0; Interframe_delay := 0
       First_frame := TRUE
       if(loops>1) "write TERM 3 0 0 loops" chunk
       write "BACK" chunk
       for subimage in gif89a file do
          if(interframe_delay != gif_duration) then
            interframe_delay := gif_duration
            write "FRAM 4 0 2 2 0 2 0 interframe_delay 0" chunk
            First_frame := FALSE
          else if(First_frame == TRUE)then
            write "FRAM 4" chunk
            First_frame := FALSE
          else
            write "FRAM" chunk
          endif
          if(X_loc == 0 AND Y_loc == 0) then
             write "DEFI saved_images 1 1" chunk
          else
             write "DEFI saved_images 1 1 X_loc Y_loc" chunk
          write "<image>"
          write "SHOW 0 saved_images" chunk
          if (gif_disposal_method == 0
             OR gif_disposal_method == 2) then
             /* (undefined or restore background) */
                write "DISC" chunk
                saved_images := 0
          else if (gif_disposal_method == 1) then
             /* (keep) */
             saved_images := saved_images + 1
          else if (gif_disposal_method == 3) then
             /* (restore previous) */
             write "DISC saved_images" chunk
          endif
       endfor
       write "FRAM" and "MEND" chunks
   end

Where "<image>" represents a PNG or Delta-PNG containing a GIF frame converted to PNG format.

Caution: if you write such a program, you might have to pay royalties in order to convey it to anyone else.

18.15. Example 15: Converting a simple GIF animation

Outline of a program to convert simple GIF animations that do not use the "restore-to-previous" disposal method to "simple" MNG (or "MNG-LC") format:

   begin
      write "MHDR" chunk
      Interframe_delay := 0; Previous_mode := 1
      Framing_mode := 1
      if(loops>1) "write TERM 3 0 0 loops"
      write "mandatory BACK" chunk
      for subimage in gif89a file do
         if(interframe_delay != gif_duration) then
            interframe_delay := gif_duration
            write "FRAM 0 0 2 2 0 2 0 interframe_delay 0"
         endif
         if(X_loc != 0 OR Y_loc != 0) then
            write "DEFI 0 0 0 X_loc Y_loc" chunk
         endif
         write "<image>"
         if (gif_disposal_method < 1) then
            /* (none or keep) */
            Framing_mode := 1
         else if (gif_disposal_method == 2) then
            /* (restore background) */
            write "FRAM 4 0 1 0 1 0 0 L R T B"
            Previous_mode := 4; Framing_mode := 1
         else if (gif_disposal_method == 3) then
            /* (restore previous) */
            error ("can't do gif_disposal method = previous.")
         endif
         if(Framing_mode != Previous_mode) then
            write "FRAM Framing_mode" chunk
            Previous_mode := Framing_mode
         endif
      end
      write "MEND" chunk
   end

Where "<image>" represents a PNG datastream containing a GIF frame that has been converted to PNG format.

Caution: if you write such a program, you might have to pay royalties in order to convey it to anyone else.

18.16. Example 16: Counting layers and frames

This demonstrates the determination of the layer count and frame count that should be written in the MHDR chunk. For framing_modes 1 and 2, the FRAM chunks themselves do not generate layers. For framing_modes 3 and 4, they do generate layers ("B" for background), and also generate frames if there is no embedded image with which to combine the background layer. Note that every framing_mode creates a "B" layer at the beginning.

Given the following chunk stream:

   MHDR sRGB Fn F I I I F F I I I F F I I I MEND

in which

   Fn represents a FRAM chunk with framing_mode n
   F represents an empty FRAM chunk;
   I represents an embedded image

This table shows the layer count and frame count for each of the four possible values of framing-mode:

   Framing  Layer count                 Frame count
    mode
   
      1     B,I,I,I, I,I,I, I,I,I = 10  BI,I,I, I,I,I, I,I,I =  9
      2     B,I,I,I, I,I,I, I,I,I = 10  BIII,III,III         =  3
      3     3*(B, B,I, B,I, B,I)  = 21  3*(B,BI,BI,BI)       = 12
      4     3*(B,B,I,I,I)         = 15  B,BIII,B,BIII,B,BIII =  6

18.17. Example 17: Storing an icon library

Here is an example of storing a library of icons in a MNG-LC datastream. All of the icons use the same palette, transparency, and colorspace, so these are put in global chunks at the beginning. Empty PLTE chunks in the embedded images are used to import the global palette and transparency data.

   MHDR 96 96 1 6 5 5 459 # Profile 459 is MNG-LC
   sRGB 2                 # Global sRGB
   PLTE ...               # Global PLTE
   tRNS 0                 # Global tRNS
   eXPI 0 "thumbnail"
   IHDR 32 32 ... PLTE IDAT ... IEND
   eXPI 0 "left arrow"
   IHDR 96 96 ... PLTE IDAT ... IEND
   eXPI 0 "right arrow"
   IHDR 96 96 ... PLTE IDAT ... IEND
   eXPI 0 "up arrow"
   IHDR 96 96 ... PLTE IDAT ... IEND
   eXPI 0 "down arrow"
   IHDR 96 96 ... PLTE IDAT ... IEND
   MEND

This is similar, but it uses Delta PNG datastreams to create modified versions by replacing the palette. This can be more storage-efficient, but requires a full MNG decoder because of the presence of Delta PNG datastreams.

   MHDR 96 96 1 6 5 5 1007 # Profile 1007 is MNG without JNG
   sRGB 2                  # Global sRGB
   PLTE ...                # Global PLTE
   tRNS 0                  # Global tRNS
   eXPI 0 "thumbnail"
   IHDR 32 32 ... PLTE IDAT ... IEND
   SAVE
   <index>
   SEEK "left arrows"
   DEFI 1
   IHDR 96 96 ... PLTE IDAT ... IEND
   eXPI 1 "red left arrow"
   DHDR 1 1 7 PPLT ... IEND  # Change some palette entries.
   eXPI 1 "blue left arrow"
   SEEK "right arrows"
   IHDR 96 96 ... PLTE IDAT ... IEND
   eXPI 1 "red right arrow"
   DHDR 1 1 7 PPLT ... IEND
   eXPI 1 "blue right arrow"
   MEND

18.18. Example 18: MAGN methods

This demonstrates the methods used in the MAGN chunk.

Original 3x2 object or embedded image:

   1  9  1
   9 17  9

Magnification method 1, XM = 5, YM = 3. Replicates each pixel 4 additional times in the X direction and 2 additional times in the Y direction; new size is 15x6:

   1  1  1  1  1  9  9  9  9  9  1  1  1  1  1
   1  1  1  1  1  9  9  9  9  9  1  1  1  1  1
   1  1  1  1  1  9  9  9  9  9  1  1  1  1  1
   9  9  9  9  9 17 17 17 17 17  9  9  9  9  9
   9  9  9  9  9 17 17 17 17 17  9  9  9  9  9
   9  9  9  9  9 17 17 17 17 17  9  9  9  9  9

Magnification method 2, XM = 8, YM = 4. Fills the X intervals with 7 new pixels and the Y interval with 3 new pixels and interpolates to get pixel values; new size is 17x5:

   1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1
   3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10 11 10  9  8  7  6  5  4  3
   5  6  7  8  9 10 11 12 13 12 11 10  9  8  7  6  5
   7  8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 14 13 12 11 10  9  8  7
   9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10  9

Magnification method 3, XM = 8, YM = 4 Fills the X intervals with 7 new pixels and the Y interval with 3 new pixels replicating the closest pixel to get pixel values; new size is 17x5:

   1  1  1  1  1  9  9  9  9  9  9  9  9  1  1  1  1
   1  1  1  1  1  9  9  9  9  9  9  9  9  1  1  1  1
   1  1  1  1  1  9  9  9  9  9  9  9  9  1  1  1  1
   9  9  9  9  9 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17  9  9  9  9
   9  9  9  9  9 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17  9  9  9  9

18.19. Example 19: MAGN chunks and ROI

This example demonstrates the use of MNG to display a region of interest (ROI) at a higher quality than the rest of the frame, and the MAGN chunk to convey a highly-compressed but very lossy image, a drop shadow, and a diagonal gradient background.

   MHDR 600 600 0 5 1 0 83
   # Gradient background
   MAGN 00 00 2 599
   sRGB 1
   IHDR IDAT IEND <dblue2x2.png>   # 93 bytes
   
   # Drop shadow
   DEFI 0 0 0 52 52
   BASI 512 512 1 4 0 0 0 51 51 51 153 1
   IEND         # Grey-Alpha object, 46 bytes
   
   # Main image, with most of the region of interest
   # replaced with a solid rectangle, and reduced to
   # 128x128 dimensions, low quality JPEG compression.
   DEFI 0 0 0 36 36
   MAGN 00 00 2 04 04 06 05 06 05
   JHDR 128 128 10 8 8 0 0 0 0 0
   JDAT <lena_q25_fourth.jpg>      # 2514 bytes
   IEND
   
   # Region of interest, full scale, cropped to
   # dimensions 200x313 at location 192,200,
   # high quality JPEG compression.
   MAGN # Turn off magnification of all subsequent object 0
   DEFI 0 0 0 228 236
   JHDR 200 312 10 8 8 0 0 0 0 0
   JDAT <lena_face_q65.jpg>        # 8001 bytes
   IEND
   
   MEND

For this image, the resulting 600x600 frame occupies about 2.6 times the file size when written as a simple JNG and about 26 times the file size when written as a simple PNG. The particular image used in this example was the 512x512 color Lena from
http://links.uwaterloo.ca/bragzone.base.html.

19. Credits

Editor

Contributors

Contributors' names are presented in alphabetical order:

Trademarks

Document source

This document was built from the file mng-master-20010209 on 09 February 2001.

Copyright Notice

Copyright © 1998-2001, by Glenn Randers-Pehrson

This specification is being provided by the copyright holder under the following license. By obtaining, using and/or copying this specification, you agree that you have read, understood, and will comply with the following terms and conditions:

Permission to use, copy, and distribute this specification for any purpose and without fee or royalty is hereby granted, provided that the full text of this NOTICE appears on ALL copies of the specification or portions thereof, including modifications, that you make.

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The name and trademarks of copyright holder may NOT be used in advertising or publicity pertaining to the specification without specific, written prior permission. Title to copyright in this specification and any associated documentation will at all times remain with copyright holder.

End of MNG Specification.