The history of CADThe history of CAD

Tor DokkenSINTEF

Oslo, Norway, y

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Who am I?Who am I? Tor Dokken, born 1953 in Oslo, Norway

Bachelor study 1972-1975 in mathematics physics numeric Bachelor study 1972 1975 in mathematics, physics, numeric methods, and informatics

My master study on B-splines from 1976-1978 (June) My Dr. Philos dissertation in 1997 on intersection algorithms and

approximate implicitization

Work experience Work experience Employed August 1978 as scientist in Computer Aided Design at

the Central Institute for Industrial Research (SI),Oslo, Norway. SI merged with SINTEF in 1993. Currently Chief Scientist in department of Applied Mathematics within SINTEF’s ICT institute.

2003-2008 20% position as professor at Narvik University College 2003 2008 20% position as professor at Narvik University College 2003- Principal scientist Centre of Mathematics for Applications at

the University of Oslo since (20% position)

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My first contact with CAD 1978My first contact with CAD 1978 February 1978

A friend of mine that graduated in December 1977 and had started to work at Central Institute for Industrial Research (SI) (now part of SINTEF). He ask me to come for an interview for a job in the CAD-) jdepartment of SI.

I graduate as Cand. Real (6 years study) in June 1978, and started to work at SI August 1 1978to work at SI August 1, 1978.

From my study I knew: Numerical mathematics approximation theory including B-splines Numerical mathematics, approximation theory including B splines.

B-spline course (1976) first time it was lectured in Oslo by Tom Lyche Some computer graphics (had used plotters and storage tubes) Object orientation (first object oriented language develop in Oslo)

I had no background in Engineering or Design

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Basis of the talk

Experiences in CAD related research during 3 decades Projects (Industrial research and basic research) Cooperation with industrial companies People I have met

Complemented with some historical facts However, this is a subjective description of CAD history as

i d t 60° th (O l N )experienced at 60° north (Oslo, Norway). Others will tell a different story based on their viewpoint

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Part 1: Batch oriented CAD

195x-1975

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Hardware evolution1960 B t h Hardware evolution(very crude, dates after 1972 represents when I got to know the technology)

960 Batch Computers

1970 16bit Mini Computers Interactive computer graphics

Tektronix PS2 From198032bit Mini

1980First PCs

Tektronix, PS2 From1980 simple raster graphics

screens

32bit Mini Computers

PC and workstations

1990X-terminals,

Unix,

PC with simple graphics and

Windows

PC and workstations replacing mini-computer

CAD

2000

,Workstations

PCs with Windows, Linux, large h i f hi d E

tehr

net

net

w2000 choice of graphics cards E

Inte

rn

ww

w

Programmable graphics cardsMulti-core processors

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2010Multi-core processors

CAD in the 1960sCAD in the 1960swireframe Used main frame computers

Dominantly batch oriented input data on punched cards Output pen plotters, also control tape for production equipment

Example from Norway AUTOKON ship design Idea presented in 1958 Development commenced in the early 1960s All steel structures of the ship des ribedby wire frame curve grids All steel structures of the ship des ribedby wire frame curve grids

Control tape for flame cutters Large engineering drawings generated on penplotters

Even Mehlum Nonlinear Splines (1969) (SI, Norway)

Also used in automotive and aerospace industry

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Example from the BOF-systemExample from the BOF system around 1970 - 1

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Example from the BOF-systemExample from the BOF system around 1970 - 2

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Example from the Autokon systemExample from the Autokon system around 1970 – 1. 3D ship structure.

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Example from the Autokon systemExample from the Autokon system around 1970 – 2 – Transverse curves

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Example from the Autokon systemExample from the Autokon system around 1970 – 3. Details

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French automotive industry in 1960sFrench automotive industry in 1960s- early use of surfaces & Now Paul De Casteljau, developed what is now know as Bezier

Curves in 1959 Pierre Bézier, Renault, started his work on CAD/CAM in

1960, and first described Bézier surfaces in 1962Surface based CAD-systems already used by the French automotive industry in the 1960s

French CAD industry around 1990 Matra Datavision (Euklid), Dassault Systems (Catia), Cisigraphics

(STRIM)(STRIM)

French CAD industry 2010 Dassault Systems (Catia)(World wrket #2), Dassault Systems (Catia)(World wrket #2), Missler (TopSolid) (World market #10)

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First interactive CAD 1963

The first interactive CAD-type system Sketchpad was demonstrated as early as 1963

Part of Ivan Sutherland’s PhD thesis from MIT Ancestor of modern computer-aided drafting (2D CAD) Used a restructured batch computer with a connected

CRT

Interactive CAD was in 1963 very expensive

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CAD/CAM activities in the 1960s inCAD/CAM activities in the 1960s in many countries Focus: Automate / optimize drawing productions Production of instruction for controller tap for numerical p

controlled machines: Flame cutters Numerical controlled milling machines

Information exchange dominantly paper based

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Interactive CADfrom curves

to surface and volumesto surface and volumes197x-199x

(x≈5)

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Typical graphics hardware mid 1970s

Graphics Digitizing table

Drum lscreen table plotter

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Cost of Interactive graphics terminalsCost of Interactive graphics terminals reduced Tektronix 4014 (1974)

Storage tube 4000 x 3000 pixels 4000 x 3000 pixels Monochrome vector screen Price 20K€ Drastically reduced price of computer

graphics

Reducing the cost of interactive CAD

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Mini computers PDP 11 (1970) 16bit addressing

Larger programs had to be segmented

VAX 780 (1978), 32bit addressin1 MIPS 1 MB t RAM l t 8Mb t di k h d t f 1 MIPS, 1 MByte RAM later more 8Mbyte…, disks some hudrets of Mbyte. Cost 2M€.

Extensive used in CAD Extensive used in CAD Affordable for industry

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Raster graphics with shadingRaster graphics with shading Silicon graphics introduced their first

workstation in 1984 Combining Displayworkstation in 1984. Combining Display and computer.

By the end of the 80s their workstations By the end of the 80s their workstations were regarded very completive with respect to CADp Unix based Advance graphics cards for polygon filling, still

efficient for c r esefficient for curves

Was pushed out the CAD marked by PCs with graphics cards from mid 1990swith graphics cards from mid 1990s

Raster graphics with shading important for working with surface and volume CAD.working with surface and volume CAD.

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Better hardware and lower costsBetter hardware and lower costs triggered new R&D in CAD In 1973 Ian Braid in his PhD thesis described the

boundary structures (B-rep) for solid models withboundary structures (B rep) for solid models with elementary shaped surfaces This is the basis for current CAD-volume modeling The technology later complemented with B-spline surfaces

Large R&D activity in many countries In 1974 research in batch oriented CAD terminated at SI in

Norway After a visit of Norwegian research to Richard Riesenfeld at After a visit of Norwegian research to Richard Riesenfeld at

University of Utah interactive CAD-research started in Norway based on the Tektronix 4014

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B-rep – Boundary Representation Topology GeometryTopology Geometry

solid brepI li it d b

shell

Is limited by

Defined by a number of

face

loop

surfaceLimited by

Shape given by

loop

edge, coedge curve

Defined by a number of

g , g

vertex pointLimited by

Shape given by

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Important projects at SINTEF 1980-Important projects at SINTEF 19801995 related to CAD1980

GPM Geometric Product Models(Nordic project) (1978-1981)

APS Advanced Production systems(G N i j t) (1981

EU Impact1989 1992

1984-1992 Contract withNorwegian CAD-companies

1985

1990

(German-Norwegian project) (1981-1987)

Spline methods (1989-1991) EU CADEX1989 19921989-19921990

1995

Spline methods (1989 1991)(Norwegian project) 1989 Contract with Hewlett

PackardFor the developement of

SISL - SINTEF Spline library

1989-1992

1995

2000

2005

2010Cooperatiion still going on now with PTC/CoCreate

Important B-splines developments

In 1972 the Cox de Boor algorithm was developed providing stable and efficient evaluations of B-splines

In 1973 Richard Riesenfeld's PhD dissertation introduced B-splines as a powerful representation and design technique for geometric modeling Started to work at University of Utah Visit by SI Scientist in 1974 learning interactive computer graphics Visit by SI Scientist in 1974 learning interactive computer graphics

1980 Cohen, Lyche, Riesenfeld, Oslo Algorithm, stable B-spline knot insertionspline knot insertion Triggered by Elain Cohen’s and Richard Riesenfeld’s visit to SI,

and the cooperation then established with Tom Lyche.

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The Nordic GPM-project (1978-1981)

Focused on 3 types of CAD CAD for products made of steel plates Volumetric CAD with elementary surfaces Sculptured surface based CAD using B-splines

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The German Norwegian APS-projectThe German Norwegian APS project 1981-1987 One of the results was volume

modeller combining elementary f ( l h li d )surfaces (plane, sphere, cylinder)

with B-splines. In parallel a number of research In parallel a number of research

groups addressed volume modellers combining elementary surfaces and co b g e e e ta y su aces a dB-splines I presented the APS results at MICAD in

1986 in Paris in a two hour tutorial. This presentation initiated the cooperation

with Hewlett Packard from 1988.with Hewlett Packard from 1988.

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The APS project team winter 1981

Tor

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CAD industry the years followingCAD industry the years following 1985 It was clear that B-rep volume modellers would replace It was clear that B rep volume modellers would replace

wire frame systems. However, commercial CAD-volume modellers only included only elementary surfaces

HP wanted to extent their M30 system with B-splines, and SI (SINTEF) was to develop a new spline library

While we developed (and got delayed) HP realized that M30 had to be totally rewritten, and started to look for a

k lnew kernel. They found ACIS (developed by Spatial Technology in Cambridge

UK), and combined SISL (now named HPSL) with ACIS.UK), and combined SISL (now named HPSL) with ACIS. HP was the first licensee of ACIS, and established the basis for

the CAD-kernel market of Spatial.

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Volume modelling CAD-kernels From the early 1990s Spatial established themselves as a y p

dominant CAD-kernel vendor. Spatial is now owned by the Dassault Systemes in France.

Unigraphics had their own CAD kernel, Parsolid, and this was also introduced in the CAD-kernel market.

In France Matra Datavision developed Cascade, but the development was stopped due to lack of founding, then Cascade was introduced in the market as Open CascadeCascade was introduced in the market as Open Cascade.

Many current CAD-systems are based on a standard CAD-kernel but some smaller companies also have theirCAD-kernel, but some smaller companies also have their own kernel technology.

Missler will tell us more in their presentations.Missler will tell us more in their presentations.

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CAD-systems anno 2010

In principle the CAD-systems are very similar in functionality to the systems of the early 1990s. However, They are more stable The handle larger models

Th t They are more accurate They run on PCs with commodity graphics cards The visual quality is much better The visual quality is much better

They communicate with each other Direct translators Data transfer via the ISO 10303

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Is there a need for more research onIs there a need for more research on geometric algorithms for CAD? Standardization and market consolidation has slowed the Standardization and market consolidation has slowed the

evolution of geometric technology for CAD. The CAD systems are in principle similar to the systems of The CAD-systems are in principle similar to the systems of

the early 1990s Interoperability with other systems e g Finite Element Interoperability with other systems, e.g., Finite Element

Analysis is cumbersome The emerging isogeometric analysis pose new requirements to

CAD-representation. This will be addressed later in the week.

Current CAD-algorithms are dominantly sequential, they t d f th l h t dare not programmed for the novel heterogeneous and

homogeneous multi and many core processors.

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Example of geometry data structureExample of geometry data structure for isogeometric analysis

Solid

Is limited by

RationalSpline VolumeShape given by

Solid

Is limited by

RationalSpline VolumeShape given by

Shell

F Rasjonal

Defined by a number of

Shell

F Rasjonal

Defined by a number of

Face

Loop

RasjonalSpline Surface

Limited by

Shape given byFace

Loop

RasjonalSpline Surface

Limited by

Shape given by

Edge RationalSpline Curve

Defined by a number of

Shape given byEdge Rational

Spline Curve

Defined by a number of

Shape given by

Vertex

p

Point

Limited by

Shape given by

Position given byVertex

p

Point

Limited by

Shape given by

Position given byg yg y

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