The HSF Specification details the structure of the HSF format and provides
a complete description of each object that may be contained in a HSF file. Developers
can use this specification to create or read compatible HSFs without needing
to license the HOOPS Stream Toolkit.
HSF is the format at the center of the OpenHSF Initiative, an industry-wide
effort to establish a common open format for the exchange of visualization data
among and between disparate applications. By supporting the HSF format, applications
are able to exchange 2D/3D models with any other HSF-enabled application.
Prior to implementing from the HSF Specification, we would encourage you to
send an email to info@openhsf.org so that you can be listed as a supporter of
the format.
Specific strengths of the HSF format include:
Comprehensive - The HSF spec supports a rich set of 2D, 3D, raster
and text primitives, and includes support for a wide array of graphical attributes
such as vertex color data, texture mapping, user-defined fonts, unicode text,
and named views. Multiresoluation objects to faciliate streaming and large model
visualization are also supported.
Compactness - HSF supports file-wide and geometry-specific compression
mechanisms. These reduce file size and reduce Internet transmission times
which further facilitate streaming.
Application Independence - Driven by the needs of a wide variety of
engineering applications, with particular emphasis on the CAD/CAM/CAE industry,
HSF specifies a generalized 2D/3D vector format which is highly tailored to
engineering but applicable to many application types.
Stability - HSF remains relatively unchanged over time because it is
application independent and has extensibility built in. Also, it is less likely
to require major changes as it already addresses the requirements of most existing
commercial systems.
Open and Extensible - HSF provides extensibility through the use of
syntax extension mechanisms built into the specification and through a set of
rules for .hsf file reading programs that allow for unforeseen syntax extensions.
For example, new operations can be compatibly added to a .hsf file that will
be gracefully ignored by older HSF-reading applications.