Technical Specification: Portable Avatar Format (MPAI-PAF) Version 1.2 (V1.2) specifies:

  1. The Portable Avatar Format and related Data Types enabling a receiver to decode and render an Avatar and its Environment as intended by the sender.
  2. The Personal Status Display Composite AI Module allowing the conversion of a Text and a Personal Status to a Portable Avatar.
  3. The Audio-Visual Scene Rendering Composite AI Module rendering Audio-Visual Scene Descriptors and/or Portable Avatars as Audio and Visual information.
  4. The AI Framework (MPAI-AIF)-conforming AI Workflows and AI Modules [2] of the Avatar-Based Videoconference Use Case also using Data Types and AI Modules from other MPAI Technical Specifications.

The Use Case normatively defines:

  1. The Functions of the AIWs and of the AIMs.
  2. The Connections between and among the AIMs
  3. The Semantics and the Formats of the input and output data of the AIW and the AIMs.

The word normatively implies that an Implementation claiming Conformance to:

  1. An AIW, shall:
    1. Perform the function specified in the relevant Section of AI Workflows.
    2. Use AIMs connected with the topology and connections conforming with the AI Workflows specifications.
    3. Have input and output data with the formats specified by the relevant AI Workflows specifications.
  2. An AIM, shall:
    1. Perform the AIM function specified in the relevant Section of AI Modules and AI Modules from other Technical Specifications.
    2. Be composed of AIMs specified in the relevant Section of AI Modules and AI Modules from other Technical Specifications in case the AIM is Composite.
    3. Receive and produce the data specified in the relevant Section of Data Types and Data Types from other Technical Specifications

Users of this Technical Specification should note that:

  1. Implementers may use the Reference Software of this Technical Specification to develop their Implementations.
  2. The Conformance Testing specification can be used to test the conformity of an Implemen­tation to this Standard.
  3. Performance Assessors can assess the level of Performance of an Implementation based on the Performance Assessment associated with the MPAI-PAF Technical Specification.
  4. Implementers and Users should consider the notices and disclaimers.

This Technical Specification includes the following elements:

  1. Scope (This Chapter)
  2. Terms and Definitions
  3. References
  4. Ai Workflows for Avatar-Base Videoconference
  5. AI Modules
  6. Data Types.

The current version of the Technical Specification has been developed by the Portable Avatar Format Development Committee (PAF-DC). MPAI may issue new versions of MPAI-PAF that extend or replace the scope of the current Technical Specification.