Visual Simulations: The system could also facilitate the inclusion of the public in the decision processes that affect historic resources. The ability to convincingly depict historical change and simulate proposed design or management alternatives by using the videographic, 3-D modeling, and image processing capabilities promises to make the public a better informed participant in the cultural resource management process. A viable image management capability requires sophisticated compression software that can reduce digital image file size by more than 99 percent (and decompress them within 1/30 second) if real time video and high resolution images (500 to 2000 lines) are to be practically accommodated. Software with these capabilities is currently in development by a number of companies (Intel, Philips N.V., Sony). Although such products are computer intensive and require considerable processing power, the combination of hardware (chip speed, parallel processing, storage technology) and software (compression and decompression algorithms) advances should combine to make cost effective commercial products suitable for sophisticated image management applications available in the near future. Prototypes Synthesis