Most have described their development process as “from napkin drawing to item on the shelf.” That phrase is looking dated. It’s time for an era-relevant update -- “from CAD sketch to product distribution globally.”
Computer-aided design (CAD) is the workhorse behind every single thing made today, but it comes from a humble beginning. CAD has its roots in the 1960s, the decade that saw the development of the first drafting software and the initial commercialization of this technology. This type of software was intended to reduce the amount of repetitive work that was previously done by hand in the now lost art of drafting.
A transition into drafting brought unparalleled precision at a fraction of the time and cost. It could topple many unforeseen complications, it led to the mass manufacturing of electronics we see abundantly today, and also led to innovations that continue to revolutionize industries and society. The software and hardware that built our modern world is evolving.
Click on the image below to start the slideshow.
zSpace tablet and pen. The user wears special glasses to see the 3D image on the tablet’s screen. The pen interface is how most of the interaction with the digital objects occurs. (Source: Infinite z)
The first CAD software, developed as the thesis of PhD candidate Ivan Sutherland in the early 1960s, drew lines on a computer monitor using a light pen. By the end of the decade, elite companies expressed much interest in this new form of drafting, and the commercialization of CAD software was underway. Replacing drafting tables, protractors, compasses, and many other tools with computers was much more economical than had been previously thought, due to the steep rise in productivity that these programs allowed. Still, only elite companies and universities had access to this type of software or computers in general.
The 1970s saw the development of the first 3D solid modeling programs, but these were used more for simulation than for 3D design. The relatively small computing capacity of the time constricted many to rely on 2D drawing until processors and innovative computational software caught up. This happened later in the decade with the advent of minicomputers or midrange computers like 16-bit PDP-11 minicomputer and the VAX series, that used processors like the Motorola 68000 and Texas Instruments MSP430, and could run optimized versions of FORTRAN compilers and graphics.
Though technology was becoming more advanced, drawings were made using simple lines, circles, and text overlaid to create and label designs. These designs at best looked like the traditional designs usually drafted by hand.
The accessibility of CAD programs grew so much via the titans of manufacturing, that by the late 1970s, the National Institute of Standards, supported by companies like GE and Boeing, created the Initial Graphic Exchange Standard (IGES) still used today. This agreement standardized the complex curves and designs between CAD platforms. Creation of IGES could be viewed as one of the major events that lead to the birth of CAD 2.0 -- the vast array of co-compatible software we are all familiar with today.
I agree, Rob. It reminds of the 1949 prediction from Popular Science: "Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons." Actually, they were right.
Now that's a funny prediction. I just recently learned that the first programmable computers were developed by the military to break German wartime codes.
You slipped in that AutoCad Fusion 360 cloud computing with monthly payment is going to save money. Software rental has been a huge sore spot with photographers since Adobe Photoshop went monthly subscription this month. The fear is that other softwares will follow.
These powerful softwares are unlike a renting a car. It takes years to master a particular program, and know the best techniques for fast modeling. You will build a data base of standard parts. Designs are reused. With a small business, you are locked into a software. If is a monthly payment like cable TV, then once your are locked into a single supplier, fees goes up. For a professional, over time, you will be paying more.
Good points, Benmlee. I've seen professionals get deeply locked into software. That's one of the software industry's big advantage. Strong competitors will often offer those who are trapped with a way out -- a similar system that is easy to transfer -- but not always.
Yep, Chuck. But over the years they apparently found some other uses for computers. At one point they tried to used computers to predict the weather. That was back when a good portion of Americans still lived on farms, and the weather was critical -- as opposed to annoying for city folks. Good as computers may be, they were weak in predicting the weather.
I agree. It seems the Evolution of CAD 2.0 is based on how designers and modelers are interacting with their designs using Gesture control devices as shown in the slides. I found zSpace, I believe, to be intriguing because of the holographic approach to design thru HMI. Imagine, being totally immersed in the development of a product through 3D visualization. Talk it about having total ownership in your work! Very nice article, Cabe.
The PBS special was titled "Mind of a Codebreaker". Alan Turing along with mathematicians, crossword puzzle hobbyists, and other super intellects were the brain power behind the Bletchely Park Code Breaker organization. Here's a link to the Mind of a Codebreaker PBS website.
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