Last Updated: 10 Feb 1997

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) listings are text files posted to one or more Usenet newsgroups. FAQs (pronounced "facts") are primarily used to answer commonly asked questions posted to newsgroups. As Usenet has grown, many FAQs have become primary sources of product listings and consumer information, how-to manuals, and repositories of little-known and unpublished information. All Usenet FAQs are available both on the World Wide Web and via anonymous FTP.

The following is a listing of Usenet FAQs that may be of interest to people researching graphics file formats and software.

Graphics File Formats FAQ

The primary FAQ for information on graphics file formats is the Graphics File Formats FAQ, created and maintained by James D. Murray. This FAQ strives to include any information available on graphical file formats. You can also find this FAQ in the news.answers. Usenet newsgroup and via anonymous FTP.

Pictures and Graphics FAQ

This is the FAQ for the alt.binaries.pictures hierarchy and contains information on general etiquette, posting messages, encoding and decoding image files, and viewing utilities. You can access this FAQ as a Web page or via FTP. This FAQ is maintained by Jim Howard. Check out Jim's home page.

Medical Imaging FAQ

This FAQ describes many graphics and imaging file formats used by the medical technology community. This FAQ is found on the alt.image.medical newsgroup, and is also available as a Web page and as a set of text files via FTP. The Medical Imaging FAQ is maintained by David A. Clunie.

Astronomical Imaging FAQ

This is the FAQ for the alt.sci.astro.apis newsgroup. It contains a brief introduction to AIPS, the Astronomical Image Processing System (a package for reduction and analysis of Radio Astronomy Data), and answers to questions about radio astronomy, interferometry, and related image processing and software. You can obtain this FAQ via FTP. This FAQ is maintained by Patrick P. Murphy.

Data Compression FAQ

This is the FAQ for the comp.compression newsgroup. It contains information on the practical usage of compression programs, how compression algorithms work, and a long list of image compression hardware. This FAQ is available as a Web page or via FTP. The Data Compression FAQ is maintained by Jean-loup Gailly.

JPEG Image Compression FAQ

This FAQ is your primary, free-of-charge source of JPEG information. It is found on the comp.graphics.misc newsgroup, as a Web page, and via FTP. The JPEG FAQ is maintained by the ever-knowledgable Tom Lane.

MPEG Multimedia Compression FAQ

This FAQ contain practically all the information you would ever need to know about MPEG compression. It is available on the comp.compression newsgroup, as a Web page, and via FTP. The MPEG FAQ is maintained by PHADE Software.

Digital Signal Processing FAQ

This is the FAQ for the comp.dsp newsgroup. If you don't think that file formats have anything in common with digital signal processing, then you need to do some basic reading on the subject of DSP. Start by reading this FAQ. You can find this FAQ and may more DSP FAQs as a Web page or via FTP. The comp.dsp FAQ is maintained by Phil Lapsley.

Audio File Formats FAQ

The counterpart of graphics files are files that store audio information. There are far fewer audio formats that graphics file formats, and they tend to be fairly simple in design. However, you better know the basics of digital signal processing to work with them. You can find this FAQ on the comp.dsp newsgroup, on its Web page, and via FTP. The Audio File Formats FAQ is maintained by Guido van Rossum.

Fonts FAQ

This is the FAQ for the comp.fonts newsgroup. You can obtain this FAQ as a Web page or via FTP. The comp.fonts FAQ is maintained by O'Reilly's own Norm Walsh.

Computer Graphics FAQ

This is the FAQ for the comp.graphics.misc newsgroup and is your primary reference for general information on computer graphics on Usenet. This FAQ is available as a Web page (and here as well) or via FTP. This FAQ is maintained by John Grieggs.

Colorspace and Gamma FAQ

This FAQ contains a wealth of information on color models and colorspace transforms. You can find it on the comp.graphics.misc newsgroup, as a Web page or via FTP. This FAQ is maintain by Charles A. Poynton. Check out Charles' home page. For more info on monitor gamma, see the paper by Robert W. Berger, Monitor Gamma.

Computer Animation FAQ

This is the FAQ for the comp.graphics.animation newsgroup. It is available as a Web page or via FTP. This FAQ is maintained by Francisco X DeJesus.

Rendering and Raytracing FAQ

This is the FAQ of the comp.graphics.rendering.raytracing newsgroups. It is a great source of information on 3D graphics and CAD/CAM software. You can find it as a Web page or via an FTP. This FAQ is maintained by Andreas Dilger

Global Information Systems FAQ

This is the FAQ for the comp.infosystems.gis newsgroup. You can find this FAQ as a Web page or via FTP. This FAQ is maintained by Lisa Nyman.

WWW Image Authoring

This FAQ will probably all the question you have on authoring image files for use on the World Wide Web. This FAQ is one in a collection of FAQs found on the comp.infosystems.www.authoring.images newsgroup. This FAQ is also available as a Web page and via FTP, and is maintained by Thomas Boutell.

Multimedia Authoring Systems FAQ

This FAQ is a listing of multimedia authoring systems and software. You can find it on the comp.multimedia newsgroup, as a Web page, or via FTP. This FAQ is maintained by Jamie Siglar

Speech Processing FAQ

This is the FAQ for the comp.speech newsgroup. If you are into audio formats, then this FAQ may also be of interest to you. You can obtain this FAQ as a Web page or via FTP. This FAQ is maintained by Andrew Hunt.

Silicon Graphics FAQs

This FAQ is one of the Silicon Graphics FAQ series and provides information on the customization of Silicon Graphics systems. This FAQ is found on the comp.sys.sgi.misc newsgroup and via FTP. This FAQ is maintained by the SGI FAQ Team.

Scientific Data Formats

This is the FAQ for the sci.data.formats newsgroup. This FAQ contains information on many file and data formats used by the scientific community. This FAQ is available as a Web page or via FTP. This FAQ is maintained by Ilana Stern.

Satellite Imagery FAQ

This FAQ is found on the sci.image.processing newsgroup. It answers many of the questions you may have about the processing of satellite images. You can access this FAQ as a Web page or via FTP. This FAQ is maintain by Nick Kew.

3-D Information for the Programmer

This FAQ contains information that people interested in 3D and VRML topics might find interesting.