[gdal-dev] ERDAS ECW JPEG2000 SDK v4.1

[William Kyngesburye]

On Aug 29, 2010, at 11:34 AM, Paul Meems wrote:

> It seems ERDAS has finally released their new ECW and JPEG2000 SDK:
> http://www.erdas.com/tabid/84/currentid/1142/default.aspx
> 
> I'm not a lawyer, not even a native English speaker so I don't fully understand their EULA.
... ugh, looks horrible, not very FOSS-friendly.

- read-only now
- windoze only! (sorry for the derogatory spelling, but *only* windows!?), I hope (or maybe I don't care now) they make Mac and Linux versions
- license acceptance of binary downloads (ie a GDAL plugin) must be done at the download step (I can't/don't want to do that on my website), instead of when the user installs it
- the creator of a binary using the ECW SDK must collect contact info for everyone that downloads the binary
- there's one of those export control restrictions in there also
- for "avoidance of doubt", no server apps using the SDK

Very disappointed, but not surprised.  (We're stuck on OSX with a partially-working SDK 3.3)

> 
> I don't know if it is allowed but will GDAL replace the old libecwj2 (v3.3) with the new one (v4.1)?
> 
> And does anybody already have some experience with this new SDK. It should be must faster and better ;)
> 
It certainly should be easier to use, since it is a binary library, like Lizardtech does for mrsid, so you don't have to worry about compiling the library.  The what's new pdf says it supports the old 3.x interface, so it should not be too much trouble to integrate into the current GDAL.

-----
William Kyngesburye <kyngchaos*at*kyngchaos*dot*com>
http://www.kyngchaos.com/

"Mon Dieu! but they are all alike.  Cheating, murdering, lying, fighting, and all for things that the beasts of the jungle would not deign to possess - money to purchase the effeminate pleasures of weaklings.  And yet withal bound down by silly customs that make them slaves to their unhappy lot while firm in the belief that they be the lords of creation enjoying the only real pleasures of existence....

- the wisdom of Tarzan