On Tue, Jun 6, 2017 at 2:47 PM, Hendrik Boom hendrik@topoi.pooq.com wrote:
For word processing, I think the only good solution is a document compiler, with the writer editing the source code.
I know of nothing comparable for visual arts.
there are two separate concepts here: revision control of non-text-based documents, and the relevance of "art" to science.
the first is a well-known problem, for which things like "yodl", "tex" and other complex-document-formats-from-easy-text-based-generators already exist.
another example: i wrote pyopenscadobj and am the de-facto maintainer of pyopenscad, because you can write python programs which generate SCAD files which in turn generates 3D models.... and the python programs can be checked into git revision control. can you check in .blend or .iges or .step files into git revision control? no you can't because they're a dog's dinner.
for file formats which do *not* lend themselves to this technique, all i really have to say on the subject is: tough titty. find an alternative program and file-format... or just put up with the fact that your git repository becomes nothing more than a file store with zero ability to store or track "differences".
the second, hendrik, you may have misunderstood why "art" was mentioned in the context of science and engineering. we are *not* discussing "traditional artistic subjects" such as painting, sculpting and so on.
we are referring to (as does the hippocratic oath) the application of artistic *principles* to scientific endeavour, which is something that is, admittedly, quite hard to understand let alone actually do.
some examples include: taking "intuitive" decisions in solving engineering problems; applying "creativity"; and other such things. these are *general principles* which are most commonly used in the "arts", and hippocrates was pointing out that when science does *not* apply them then science suffers.
l.