<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><DIV>Hello Aaron,</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>I can provide you with some of the answers.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Most of the information can be encompassed in the current model. Where you will need to add additional information it can be placed inside the CA:CustomAttribute elements. These elements with content type <Any> can be attached to Datasets, Images, Regions, and to the topl level OME element. You can if you wish define you own version of the CA.XSD file with extra objects in the CustomAttribute block that means that files with your additions can be validated. If you do not wish to or your files are validated by someone un-aware for your additions then anything in the CustomAttribute will be accepted as valid provided it is well formed XML.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Where you may have a problem is at the moment an Image requires Pixels, which requires at lease one BinData or TiffData element. I guess you would have a filename/filesize at this point.</DIV><DIV> </DIV><DIV>Now your questions:</DIV><DIV>[1] - Only the minimum specification has been defined and it is in draft. And this is the bare minimum required to display an Image.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>The draft version is:</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><ome:OME xmlns:bf="<A href="http://www.openmicroscopy.org/XMLschemas/BinaryFile/2007-06">http://www.openmicroscopy.org/XMLschemas/BinaryFile/2007-06</A>"</SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"> </SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">xmlns:ome="<A href="http://www.openmicroscopy.org/XMLschemas/OME/2007-06">http://www.openmicroscopy.org/XMLschemas/OME/2007-06</A>"</SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"> </SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">xmlns:xsi="<A href="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance</A>"</SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"> </SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">xsi:schemaLocation="<A href="http://www.openmicroscopy.org/XMLschemas/OME/2007-06">http://www.openmicroscopy.org/XMLschemas/OME/2007-06</A> <A href="file:ome.xsd">file:ome.xsd</A>"></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"> </SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><ome:Image ID="Image:1" Name="Name92" DefaultPixels="Pixels:1"></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"> </SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><ome:CreationDate>2006-05-04T18:13:51.0Z</ome:CreationDate></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"> </SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><ome:Pixels</SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"> </SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"> </SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">ID="Pixels:1"</SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"> </SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"> </SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">DimensionOrder="XYZCT"</SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"> </SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"> </SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">PixelType="int8"</SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"> </SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"> </SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">BigEndian="false"</SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"> </SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"> </SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">SizeX="2"</SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"> </SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"> </SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">SizeY="2"</SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"> </SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"> </SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">SizeZ="2"</SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"> </SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">SizeC="2"</SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"> </SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"> </SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">SizeT="2"></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"> </SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><bf:BinData Compression="none" Length="12">ZGVmYXVsdA==</bf:BinData></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"> </SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"></ome:Pixels></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"> </SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"></ome:Image></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"></ome:OME></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV>Note: the xsi:schemaLocation line is not finalised and the data in this sample is nonsense.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>[2], [3] - Cannot help but the idea is that the levels are not rigid shapes your file must have. They are targets you file can reach for. If your file is level X then it will have everything needed to hit this level but may also contain more.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>[4] - Yes these have been used in the past and are currently, I believe, used internally as part of BioFormats to convert between two OME-XML file shapes to make the import process more efficient. I would hope it would not be too onerous a task to convert other XML files to the OME-XML format using XSLT. You may need some additional pre/post processing to tie up internal file references.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Hope this helps,</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Andrew</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BR><DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"> </BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR></BODY></HTML>