ASWF projects accessibility opportunities

Adopted Projects

OpenColorIO

Description: A color management framework for visual effects and animation.

Accessibility needs: TBD

Example workflows with accessibility opportunities:

OpenCue

Description: A render management system you can deploy for visual effects and animation productions.

Accessibility needs: TBD

Example workflows with accessibility opportunities:

OpenEXR

Description: The OpenEXR project provides the specification and reference implementation of the EXR file format, the professional-grade image storage format of the motion picture industry.

Accessibility needs: Likely needs embedded alternative text (possibly two fields to distinguish between human-generated and AI-generated text, and a confidence rating on the latter).

Questions: Does EXR include the ability for animated images?

Example workflows with accessibility opportunities:

• Open EXR in application to view it

OpenVDB

Description: OpenVDB - Sparse volume data structure and tools

Accessibility needs: Embedded alternative text

Example workflows with accessibility opportunities:

• Open VDB in DCC to render it

Incubation Projects

Digital Production Example Library (DPEL)

Description: Library of real world production assets

Accessibility needs: Depends on the assets. Relevant assets can be used to show examples of accessibility metadata and accessible alternatives such as time-coded captions for any videos with dialog.

Example workflows with accessibility opportunities:

MaterialX

Description: MaterialX is an open standard for the exchange of rich material and look-development content across applications and renderers.

Accessibility needs: Probably needs text descriptions of the materials. Note this could help with searchability in addition to the accessibility need.

Example workflows with accessibility opportunities:

• Open material in Preview to see a preview of the material

• List materials in a material browser

Open Shading Language (OSL)

Description: Advanced shading language for production GI renderers

Accessibility needs: Probably no?

Example workflows with accessibility opportunities:

OpenFX

Description: OpenFX effects API

Accessibility needs: Possibly needs text descriptions of the effects? Note this could help with searchability in addition to the accessibility need.

Example workflows with accessibility opportunities:

OpenImageIO

Description: Reading, writing, and processing images in a wide variety of file formats, using a format-agnostic API, aimed at VFX applications.

Accessibility needs: Expose APIs to access accessibility data like common text descriptions?

Example workflows with accessibility opportunities:

• Use OpenImageIO load image in application and receive accessibility metadata

OpenTimelineIO

Description: Open Source API and interchange format for editorial timeline information.

Accessibility needs: Can the format pass-through caption, description, and other time-coded metadata from the source clips or editing process?

Example workflows with accessibility opportunities:

• Add accessibility data to sections of a clip

rawtoaces

Description: RAW to ACES Utility

Accessibility needs: Probably no?

Example workflows with accessibility opportunities:

rez

Description: An integrated package configuration, build and deployment system for software

Accessibility needs: Probably no?

Example workflows with accessibility opportunities:

Sandbox Projects

Open Review Initiative

Description: Unified open source toolset for playback, review, and approval of motion picture and related professional media.

Accessibility needs: TBD.

Example workflows with accessibility opportunities:

OpenAssetIO

Description: An open-source interoperability standard for tools and content management systems used in media production.

Accessibility needs: TBD.

Example workflows with accessibility opportunities:

Working Groups

Continuos Integration (CI) WG

Description: Managing multiple version builds, plus requirements for dependencies via the VFX Reference Platform.

Accessibility needs: TBD. Probably no unless there is user interface.

Example workflows with accessibility opportunities:

Diversity& Inclusion (D&I) WG

Description: Encouraging diversity and inclusion across the open source software ecosystem for VFX and animation.

Accessibility needs: TBD. Need more info as to what the deliverables are.

Example workflows with accessibility opportunities:

Rust WG

Description: The Rust bindings working group is dedicated to creating a foundation for C and Rust bindings for C++ libraries used by the media and entertainment industry.

Accessibility needs: TBD. Do any frameworks/packages developed by this WG generate end user interface or media?

Example workflows with accessibility opportunities:

USD WG

Description: Assisting with issues raised in USD support channels, consolidating and sharing best practices for deployment of USD technologies.

Accessibility needs:

• Method to label an object (container or leave node)

• Method to label a time range (possibly use a caption format? like VTT metadata)

• If this format can include video and/or audio, how is loc/lang handled? We may need something similar same for captions and audio descriptions.

Action Item

• Look into whether UsdThumbnail already addresses some of these suggest

• ions

Example workflows with accessibility opportunities:

• Open USD asset in DCC to render it

• USD asset browser with list of USD assets