embARC (Metadata Embedded for Archival Content)
Audio-Visual Working Group

embARC (metadata embedded for archival content) is a free, open source application that enables users to manage (i.e., audit, validate and correct) embedded metadata in Digital Picture Exchange (DPX) files as individual files or an entire DPX sequence as well as RDD 48 compliant Material Exchange Format (MXF) files, while not impacting the image data. Functionality for other formats will be added over time.

First released in 2019, embARC is in active development to support two major FADGI guideline projects:

• Guidelines for Embedded Metadata within DPX File Headers for Digitized Motion Picture Film (as well as required SMPTE 268 metadata rules)
• SMPTE RDD 48: MXF Archive and Preservation Format
  • Including RDD 48 Amendment 1: Mapping FFV1 to MXF

Comments about all aspects of embARC are very welcome. Please submit comments to Kate Murray ([email protected]).

embARC is developed by AVP (Bertram Lyons and Rebecca Chandler) and PortalMedia (Dan Fischer and Caroline Shea) with product testing by Metaglue (Oliver Morgan) on behalf of FADGI.

embARC carries a CC0 1.0 Universal public domain dedication.

embARC News

• Blog post on The Signal: FADGI’s embARC Now Supports FFV1!, by Kate Murray and Bert Lyons, October 11, 2022
• AMIA Webinar: FADGI’s embARC: Extending embedded metadata support and validation for DPX and MXF files. March 24th, 2022.
• FADGI’s embARC: Extending embedded metadata support and validation for DPX and MXF files: link to video (57:21, .mp4 file) of presentation and demo at IASA Annual Conference, September 28 2021.
• Blog post on The Signal: FADGI’s embARC: Extending embedded metadata support and validation for DPX and MXF files, by Kate Murray and Bert Lyons, September 23, 2021

Downloads

Current Versions

Version 1.2.0 GUI Downloads for Windows and Mac (04/11/2023). Includes FFV1 in MXF.

• embARC for Windows, version 1.2.0 (ZIP)
• embARC for Mac, version 1.2.0 (ZIP)
• embARC GUI User Guide for both Windows and Mac: https://bit.ly/embARC-GUI; includes change log from previous versions

Version 0.3.2 beta CLI. Includes FFV1 in MXF. NB: there is no published v0.3.1 as this consistented only of code clean up and no functionality changes. See change log in User Guide for details.

• embARC Java Jar, version 0.3.2 beta (ZIP)
• Updated source code on GitHub to come. Current source code is v 0.2.0
• embARC CLI User Guide: https://bit.ly/embARC-CLI

Previous Versions

Version 1.1.0 GUI Downloads for Windows and Mac (08/29/2022). Includes FFV1 in MXF.

• embARC for Windows, version 1.1.0 (ZIP)
• embARC for Mac, version 1.1.0 (ZIP)

Version 0.3.0 beta CLI. Includes FFV1 in MXF.

• embARC Java Jar, version 0.3.0 beta (ZIP)
• Updated source code on GitHub to come. Current source code is v 0.2.0
• embARC CLI User Guide: https://bit.ly/embARC-CLI

Version 1.0.3 GUI Downloads for Windows and Mac (03/24/2022)

• embARC for Windows, version 1.0.3 (ZIP)
• embARC for Mac, version 1.0.3 (ZIP)
• embARC GUI User Guide for both Windows and Mac: https://bit.ly/embARC-GUI; includes change log from previous versions

Version 0.2.0 beta CLI

• embARC Java Jar, version 0.2.0 beta (ZIP)
• Source code on GitHub
• embARC CLI User Guide: https://bit.ly/embARC-CLI

Version 1.0.2 GUI Downloads for Windows and Mac (03/10/2022)

• embARC for Windows, version 1.0.2 (ZIP)
• embARC for Mac, version 1.0.2 (ZIP)

Version 1.0.0 GUI Downloads for Windows and Mac (08/30/2021)

• embARC for Windows, version 1.0.0 (ZIP)
• embARC for Mac, version 1.0.0 (ZIP)

Beta 0.1.5

• embARC for Windows, beta version 0.1.5
• embARC for Mac, beta version 0.1.5
• embARC User Guide for both Windows and Mac, beta version 0.1.5: https://bit.ly/2VYznNT; includes change log from previous beta versions
• Source code available in GitHub, beta version 0.1.5
  • Instructions for building the source code are detailed in the README file

Older beta versions

• embARC for Windows, beta version 0.1.3
• embARC for Mac, beta version 0.1.3
• embARC for Windows, beta version 0.1.1
• embARC for Mac, beta version 0.1.1
• embARC_source_code.zip, beta version 0.1.1
• embARC for Windows, beta version 0.1.0
• embARC for Mac, beta version 0.1.0

Working Groups

Still Image Working Group
This group is involved in a cooperative effort to develop common digitization guidelines for still image materials.

Audio-Visual Working Group
This group works collaboratively on common and sustainable technical guidelines, methods, and practices for digitized and born digital sound recordings and moving images.