[GRASS-dev] Re: What to call 3D

[Michael Barton]

>>
>> Can anybody please say what is the official name for GRASS 3d
>> raster data, which should be used in the raster intro? So far I
>> have found the following:
>>
>> $ cd /usr/local/grass-6.3.svn/docs/html$
>>
>> $ grep -r -i "3d raster" . | wc -l
>> 89
>> $ grep -r -i voxel . | wc -l
>> 50
>> $grep -r -i g3d . | wc -l
>> 46
>> $ grep -r -i GRID3D . | wc -l
>> 17
>> $ grep -r -i "3d cell" . | wc -l
>> 6
>>
>> "3d cell" (which r3.info uses in it's output too BTW) seems kindoff
>> strange - 3d rasters are supposed to be only FP data type, whereas
>> in 2D raster GRASS lingo "CELL" designates the integer data type.
>
> we have used "3D raster is called GRID3D" (similarly as 2D integer
> raster is called CELL) in the GRASSbook,
> but we have used voxel in few places too (I am not sure whether that
> was good).
> g3d is historical and 3d cell sounds confusing - it could get
> mixed up with CELL.
>
> Helena

In the element list actually used by GRASS ($GISBASE/etc/ 
element_list), it is "officially" listed as ...

grid3:rast3d:raster3D:raster3D files

Although "grid3d" is the "main_elemant" name, some combination of  
"raster" and "3D" (including rast3d and raster3D) seems the most  
common variant used as alias, description, and menu item. I'd suggest  
"3D raster" as a text version to standardize on. It's the most  
clearly understandable (IMHO).

Michael