MMZx is the MiraMon software implementation of the Geospatial Open Packaging Convention (OPC) standard. MiraMon is a free Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing software. It allows visualization, query, edition and analysis of raster (remote sensing images, orthophotos, digital terrain models, conventional thematic maps with raster structure, etc), and vector (topographic and thematic maps that contain points, lines or polygons, with explicit topological relationships or no, etc) datasets. It also allows accessing geoservices (WMS/WMTS servers).
The typical MiraMon entry part to the data is the map project. The MiraMon Maps are text files with MMM extension, that describe groups of raster and/or vector files matched in a specific way, that is, with an specific order of overlaying, visualization (color, scale) and printing characteristics, etc.
The MMZ is a binary file able to compress different files and links to Internet resources in a single file. It was initially intended for the compression of MiraMon maps(MMM) containing raster, images, vector, tables, symbolization, etc. The separated parts are compressed with a gzip algorithm and stored together in a multipart file with a specific header format including metadata about the original files (Read the MMZ format specification).
The idea of the MMZ was conceived and implemented in 1997-98 thanks to the boost given by the Government of Catalonia (Generalitat). The MMZ has been really helpful in the geographic information distribution for the public administration, universities and research centers, private companies, students, etc., and won the jury mention of the Möbius International Award to the best application in science and technology on Internet in the year 2000.
The new MMZx format keeps the idea and the spirit of the original MMZ, but above all it improves the former through taking a format based on an ISO specification (specifically the ISO 19165:2018 of Preservation of Geographic Information) to convert it not only into an open format, but also to an standardized one and with a number of additional properties, such as the support to different entry points of the "maps" (map project) for the different formats (proprietary or free) it may contain, or the inclusion of thumbnails of the map itself.
The idea, which might seem at first sight overcome by the modern geoservices (WFS, WCS, WMS / WMTS, KML, etc), takes a renewed strength for the added repesenting contribution to the preservation of data following the needs marked by the preservation standard Open Archival Information System (OAIS). Indeed, the MMZx can be used, with its great simplicity of creation and use, to save "time frozen versions" of layers or maps used for an investigation, an administrative process, legal issues, etc; and also with the sophistication of supporting different data models, metadata, symbolization, etc., which are generally not allowed simultaneously by other alternatives. The use of the specification ISO 29500-2 as a geographic information preservation format (the underlying MMZx idea) could also be introduced in the ISO 19165 standard, entitled "Geographic information - Preservation of digital data and metadata" that is still in the early stages of discussion. We will continue working for keeping it in future revisions.
Xavier Pons and Joan Masó are the authors of the article A comprehensive package open format for preservation and distribution of geospatial data and metadata, published in Open Access in the journal Computers & Geosciences. The paper describes the evolution of the MMZ format for compression and distribution of geographic data to the format MMZx, improved and appropriate to ensure the preservation of this type of information. To cite this paper: Pons X, Masó J (2016) A comprehensive open package format for preservation and distribution of geospatial data and metadata. Computers & Geosciences 97: 89-97. DOI: 10.1016/j.cageo.2016.09.001 and it can be downloaded from the following link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2016.09.001.
The MMZ application of MiraMon can be used to both compressing and uncompressing MMZX and MMZ files.