Re: Re[2]: proposed new Media Type application/iges

Keith Moore (moore@cs.utk.edu)
Tue, 21 Mar 1995 19:19:07 -0500


> There have been a number of suggestions to use a new type instead of
> an existing one for CGM and 3D (and IGES too?).

> The matter is not clear for me. So far I have only observed
> arguements by assertion; perhaps I missed some messages. Yes, 3-D
> and vector graphics are different than raster graphics but that
> doesn't mean that we can't use subtypes of Image or Application.
> Someone needs to identify where, for 3-D and vector, the existing
> MIME types break. Let's not let the fact that there are no current
> vector subtypes blind us to the availability of the usefulness of
> the EXISTING environment.

I suspect that 3-D models don't fit well into (2-D) image/*. Can you
usefully display a 3-D model with a fax machine? Seems like you at
least need to be able to interact with the model so you can change
perspective, etc.

By definition, *any* new type fits into application/* if it doesn't
fit into some other category. The question is, do these types need
some special handling beyond application/*?

Keith