@sabrinaweb71 & @01micko
Converting image in base64 will be very inefficient... Using text for images perhaps it is not such a brilliant idea…
However, I had another intuition, it could be possible to replicate the same behavior of the raw image files, where the changes are stored into an XML file, in that case it will change only the XML while the picture would be untouched.
Now, cause #Gimp supports non-destructive editing it might be possible for instance...
Dear @GIMP team and @CmykStudent it is not unreasonable, I guess, to consider the idea of a format, that could be called GMF as in "GIMP or GEGL Meta File", where you have a file saved in a compressed format, for instance jpg2000 cause support transparency and can be wrapped into a PDF, and have the GMF file storing all the changes, when you open this GMF file it consolidates everything into Gimp. The key would be in having a good batch processor to flatten these meta files on the fly for software like #Scribus or #Speedata #Publisher.
In terms of version control software you would uploaded or downloaded those images (already compressed) just once, and then only dealing with the XML GMF files. Perhaps won't be the most savvy energy format but it will spare a lot of time and bandwith... 🤔