OME-XML Major Version Release

The Open Microscopy Environment is pleased to announce a major update to the OME-XML schema files. These files provide the authoritative description of the OME Data Model.

This June 2012 release is a major (breaking) version that is NOT backwardly compatible with files created for the June 2011 release.

As this is a major release it makes use of a new namespace: http://www.openmicroscopy.org/Schemas/OME/2012-06/

Full details of the changes made can be found at http://www.openmicroscopy.org/site/support/file-formats/schemas/versions/changes-for-june-2012

Key features with this release include:

• Release in step with release of Bio-Formats 4.4
• Preparation for the Major release of OMERO after 4.4
• Work to allow full code generation of OME Model API direct from the XSD files
• Almost full synchronisation of the OME Model with the OMERO Database structure*
• The direction of references between Screen, Plate & Well and between Project, Dataset & Image have been reversed.
• A major reworking of ROI
• Pixels is DEPRECATED, but it is still required at present.
• OTF and all associated objects REMOVED.

*Note: some differences must remain between OME Model and OMERO Database for database optimisation reasons, these are handled by special cases in our code generation application 'xsd-fu'.

Thank you to everyone who provided input on these changes. We welcome your suggestions for further improvements. Comments can be emailed to us or left on our forums: http://www.openmicroscopy.org/community/