[photo-3d] 3D and stereo vocabulary

["Pierre PARREAUX" <pierre.parreaux@xxxxxxxxxx>]

When Tony Alderson write "don't get to upset about abuse of the term 3D",I
agree with him, but not in details : when he says "to talk about
three-dimensional imaging", it's the same, for me, as "to talk about 3D
imaging". In my opinion, neither "3D" nor "three dimensional" must be used
for "stereoscopy".

Definitively, "3D" is a computing word, that means "described in three
dimensions, x, y, z".
Computing world is stronger than stereoscopic world.
In our world, we have to decide to abandon the word "3D". RBT has to erase
"3D" on their cameras. And Minolta is right to call "3D 1500" his (not
stereoscopic) camera, that produces 3D files.

It's inevitable to abandon "3D" for stereoscopy !!! Because the confusion is
total. Now, when we make a 3D file, we have the choice between to view it in
"flat 3D" or in "3D stereo". If we keep the word "3D" for "stereo", how do
we call "3D stereo" ? : "3D 3D" ????

It seems to me that, in each language, we have synonyms for "stereoscopy".
Stereoscopy has to be the international word. And the others, with the
exception of 3D, could be used to avoid repetitions in texts (journalists
like such synonyms). In French : "relief". In German : maybe "Raumbild" ? In
English maybe "depth..." ?
Could we, all together, list the synonyms of stereo in each language ? And
the opposites (flat, etc.) ?

I think that ISU must decide to abandon "3D".
I think that we have all to make an effort no more to use "3D" for stereo.
Including for our mailing list : photo-stereo and not photo-3d !

Pierre Parreaux
Journalist, Paris, France

> Message: 25
>    Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2000 23:23:12 -0700
>    From: Tony Alderson <aifxtony@xxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: wobble stereo / why do people bash?
> >
> First of all, don't get to upset about abuse of the term "3D." In the
> last few decades, this has become meaningless. If you want
> to talk about three-dimensional imaging, use a term such as
> "stereoscopic;" that has so many syllables it will never be pirated by
> the melonheads. But you can't take back "3D." Too late, friends. Words
> are defined by usage, not righteousness. You can still use it in
> context, but it has acquired other contextual meanings beyond our
> control.