Embedded multimedia objects in GEDCOM requires special handling. These objects are normally represented by binary files containing characters which interfere with data transmission protocols. This document describes how the binary characters are encoded for transmission and then decoded to rebuild the multimedia file.
The algorithm for encoding binary images, compatible with GEDCOM transmission, is similar to an encoding scheme that would be used in creating a hexadecimal representation, but it uses a base-64 number representation rather than base-16 number representation.
This algorithm is for converting multimedia images represented in binary numbers into a collection that does not contain any of the ASCII control characters. This conversion eliminates the occurrence of special characters such as the "@" which has special meaning to GEDCOM.
The encoding routine converts a binary multimedia file segment of from 1 to 54 bytes in length into an encoded GEDCOM line value of 2 to 64 bytes in length. This encoded value becomes the <ENCODED_MULTIMEDIA_LINE> used in the MULTIMEDIA_RECORD.
The algorithm accomplishes its goal using the following steps:
Each 3 bytes (24 bits) of the binary 1 to 54 character segment is divided into four (6-bit) values. Each of these (6-bit) values are converted into an (8-bit) character making a character whose hexadecimal representation is between 0x00 and 0x3F (0 to 63 decimal.)
Each of the 4 new characters represents an Encoding key which is used to obtain the new replacement character from an Encoding Table included in this appendix.
Exception processing may be required in processing the last 3 byte chunk of the 1 to 54 character segment, which may consist of 0, 1, or 2 bytes:
Retrieved Action
Repeat until all characters in the received line value has been substituted. The return value of new encoded characters should contain from 4 to 72 characters. The length of the return value will always be a multiple of 4.
The Decoding routine converts the encoded line value back into the original binary character multimedia file segment.
The decoding algorithm can be accomplished in the following steps:
Each encoded multimedia line segment is divided into sets of 4 (8-bit) characters.
Each of these characters becomes a decoding key used to look up a corresponding character from the Decoding Table. A new (24-bit) group is formed by concatenating the low-order 6 bits from each of the 4 characters obtained from the decoding table.
Divide this new 24 bit group created by step 2 into three (8-bit) characters and concatenate them into the stream of characters being built as the decoded results.
Processing ends when the 0xFF padded bytes are encountered.
Encoding Replacement
Key Character
0x00 0x2E .
0x01 0x2F /
0x02 0x30 0
0x03 0x31 1
0x04 0x32 2
0x05 0x33 3
0x06 0x34 4
0x07 0x35 5
0x08 0x36 6
0x09 0x37 7
0x0A 0x38 8
0x0B 0x39 9
---- --
0x0C 0x41 A
0x0D 0x42 B
0x0E 0x43 C
0x0F 0x44 D
0x10 0x45 E
0x11 0x46 F
0x12 0x47 G
0x13 0x48 H
0x14 0x49 I
0x15 0x4A J
0x16 0x4B K
0x17 0x4C L
0x18 0x4D M
0x19 0x4E N
0x1A 0x4F O
0x1B 0x50 P
0x1C 0x51 Q
0x1D 0x52 R
0x1E 0x53 S
0x1F 0x54 T
0x20 0x55 U
0x21 0x56 V
0x22 0x57 W
0x23 0x58 X
0x24 0x59 Y
0x25 0x5A Z
---- --
0x26 0x61 a
0x27 0x62 b
0x28 0x63 c
0x29 0x64 d
0x2A 0x65 e
0x2B 0x66 f
0x2C 0x67 g
0x2D 0x68 h
0x2E 0x69 i
0x2F 0x6A j
0x30 0x6B k
0x31 0x6C l
0x32 0x6D m
0x33 0x6E n
0x34 0x6F o
0x35 0x70 p
0x36 0x71 q
0x37 0x72 r
0x38 0x73 s
0x39 0x74 t
0x3A 0x75 u
0x3B 0x76 v
0x3C 0x77 w
0x3D 0x78 x
0x3E 0x79 y
0x3F 0x7A z
Decoding Replacement
Key Character
0x2E . 0x00
0x2F / 0x01
0x30 0 0x02
0x31 1 0x03
0x32 2 0x04
0x33 3 0x05
0x34 4 0x06
0x35 5 0x07
0x36 6 0x08
0x37 7 0x09
0x38 8 0x0A
0x39 9 0x0B
0x3A - 0x40 not valid
0x41 A 0x0C
0x42 B 0x0D
0x43 C 0x0E
0x44 D 0x0F
0x45 E 0x10
0x46 F 0x11
0x47 G 0x12
0x48 H 0x13
0x49 I 0x14
0x4A J 0x15
0x4B K 0x16
0x4C L 0x17
0x4D M 0x18
0x4E N 0x19
0x4F O 0x1A
0x50 P 0x1B
0x51 Q 0x1C
0x52 R 0x1D
0x53 S 0x1E
0x54 T 0x1F
0x55 U 0x20
0x56 V 0x21
0x57 W 0x22
0x58 X 0x23
0x59 Y 0x24
0x5A Z 0x25
0x5B - 0x60 not valid
0x61 a 0x26
0x62 b 0x27
0x63 c 0x28
0x64 d 0x29
0x65 e 0x2A
0x66 f 0x2B
0x67 g 0x2C
0x68 h 0x2D
0x69 i 0x2E
0x6A j 0x2F
0x6B k 0x30
0x6C l 0x31
0x6D m 0x32
0x6E n 0x33
0x6F o 0x34
0x70 p 0x35
0x71 q 0x36
0x72 r 0x37
0x73 s 0x38
0x74 t 0x39
0x75 u 0x3A
0x76 v 0x3B
0x77 w 0x3C
0x78 x 0x3D
0x79 y 0x3E
0x7A z 0x3F