"Bill DeWitt" <bde### [at] cflrrcom> wrote in message
news:3d08fb52$1@news.povray.org...

>     I was going to mention that for our purposes, unless it is animated,
any
> 3D symbol is basically the same as a flat symbol.

In fairness to ABX though, and in spite of my diatribe
about 3D terminology, he is looking for some
common icon that indicates computer graphics based
on three dimensional geometry. Best candidates would
be the sphere on checked plane, or even more universal
the polar co-ordinate arrows. The Stanford rabbit is
more of an icon of capturing the geometry of real objects,
than the general domain of three dimensional graphics.

>     Eh... no. HiFi, or high fidelity, is quite different from stereo in
> audio usage. The reason it seems to have supplanted HiFi is that in audio
> equipment, it is hardly necessary to mention that it is high fidelity any
> more, since almost all of it is.

By "replaced" I just meant that it took over in common usage for
reference to high end audio systems. I know they have
different meanings. There are still purists who prefer a
monophonic high fidelity system over anything "stereo".
Unfortunately, most people today equate the word stereo
with sound, although very little audio today effectively creates a
"solid" sound (stereo means solid or having physical form; 3D).
Stereophonic should be sound that accurately recreates spatial
location, or adequately simulates the effect. Few stereo audio
recordings do that.  Binaural recording are true stereo sound.

>     In VCRs you will still find that HiFi and stereo are both noted when
> present. I have a VCR that is stero and HiFi, and another that is Hi Fi
and
> not stereo.

The irony is that the HiFi on a VCR refers to video quality, not
sound, and the stereo part refers to sound, not vision. A stereoscopy
enthusiast should expect a "stereo TV" to present an image with true
3D depth. Instead it is just sound coming from two speakers (and
usually not mixed correctly to provide stereophonic effect). The
changes in terminology have more to do with marketing than
accurate description of technology.

>     Whatever happened to quadraphonic?

Died from lack of interest and incompatible systems. Now living
in a slightly modified form as "surround sound". More and
more audio CDs are mixed for surround sound, although it
usually doesn't even mention it on the packaging.

HB

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