[SIGCIS-Members] Origin of "vector" in vector graphics

[Chuck House]

I support Brian’s description.   I designed and built (one of) the first commercially available “vector displays”, the HP 1300A, in 1966.  

C.f. https://www.hpl.hp.com/hpjournal/pdfs/IssuePDFs/1967-12.pdf 

 

This little box, with an 8” x 10” display, was widely used for a time, including for Alan Kays original Flex projects 

(see the last figure in https://www.mprove.de/visionreality/media/kay69.html )    Its value for Kay, and for many others, was that the CRT beam could be independently addressed from any X,Y co-ordinate, whether repetitive or single-shot.    It proved invaluable for early computer graphics efforts at “Tripe-I” eventually leading to their development of the animation for Tron.  There were lots of other applications that did not depend on the vectorizing capability, such as the first artificial heart transplant surgery room monitor (where the non-flaring brightness capability vs. magnetic deflection systems was crucial).    

 

The common parlance of the day for “computer graphics” at terminals was ‘raster-scan display’ and it was simply vs. that technique that I recall ‘vector graphics’ being used.   Many estimates in ‘computer history land’ aver that less than 1,000 display computer terminals existed before 1971.    They seldom count the HP 1300A or its derivatives, which had sold many tens of thousands by then, mostly as embedded displays for high-speed instrumentation graphics that depended upon vectorization.

 

Chuck House 

www.innovascapesinstitute.com 

www.anywhereanytime.io/covid19 

 

 

http://innovascapes.blogspot.com

805-570-6706

 

 

 

From: Members <members-bounces at lists.sigcis.org> on behalf of Jacob Gaboury <gaboury at gmail.com>
Date: Saturday, February 20, 2021 at 12:49 PM
To: Brian E Carpenter <brian.e.carpenter at gmail.com>
Cc: "members at sigcis.org" <members at sigcis.org>
Subject: Re: [SIGCIS-Members] Origin of "vector" in vector graphics

 

This is a fascinating question Bernie, and makes me even more excited for your new work! I would echo Brian's suggestion that "vector" was probably just the best word in both cases, as its history and use predates the SAGE system itself. An interesting question might be when and why the term "calligraphic display" was used as a synonym for vector displays, as I imagine that did not begin until well into the development of early graphical systems. It's also worth noting that the SAGE system used Charactron tubes for its 19" display consoles, which are extruded beam displays and not vector displays. It's possible vector displays were used elsewhere in the system, but I believe the consoles used by operators were Charactron tubes.

 

-- 

Jacob Gaboury
Assistant Professor of New Media History and Theory
Dept. of Film & Media, University of California, Berkeley

jacobgaboury.com/

 

On Sat, Feb 20, 2021 at 12:30 PM Brian E Carpenter <brian.e.carpenter at gmail.com> wrote:

Bernard,

I think that 'vector' in the sense of directing an intercepting aircraft towards an enemy aircraft was first used by the RAF during WW II. (I'm not an expert but I did read a lot of popular books about WW II as a teenager.) You can find something about this and some references in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dowding_system . So that was certainly not original to SAGE, and appears to go back at least to 1935. Presumably it derived from the use of 'vector' in mathematics, which goes back to the 1840s.

I have no idea whether using it to describe the SAGE displays was an independent choice, but again it very precisely matches the mathematical use of 'vector'. IMHO, it was just the right word for both cases.

(My personal first experience of vector graphics was as an Imlac PDS-1 programmer in 1971. Since I'd been taught about mathematical vectors, it just struck me as the obvious description.)

Regards
   Brian Carpenter

On 20-Feb-21 21:27, Bernard Geoghegan wrote:
> Hi SIGCISers,
> 
>  
> 
> Can anyone advise on the origin of the term “vector graphics.”
> 
>  
> 
> Clearly, it literally describes a production of “vectors” on the screen by a concrete line-drawing technology. However, I’m wondering if there were multiple senses in that term initially. Specifically, looking through SAGE documentation from the 1950s and 1960s, esp, accounts of if operator displays, “vector” describes the physical trajectory of planes on the display. As SAGE was also a key source for early graphical interfaces, I’m wondering of the term “vector graphics” had a double connotation, as an analogy between the flight paths and the manner of illustrating graphics.
> 
>  
> 
> It’s not earth shaking, but it’s etymologically neat-o if one can trace “vector graphics” to multiple connotations at its coinage.
> 
>  
> 
> Best, b
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
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