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This page focuses on the
Engineering aspects of the CIMLINC period.
CIMCAD3D was CIMLINC's first 3D CAD program. It
seamlessly provided wireframe, surfaces and solid modeling at a time when
most systems forced you to move from one program to another.
The software had a completely programmable interface and API which allowed
complete customization by the User as well as the easy development of new
functionality by the End User.
CIMCAD3D had an innovative 2D -> 3D user interface that simplified 3D
modeling. It was the first CAD program to use Object Oriented
approaches, requiring original computational algorithms.
CIMCAD3D allowed CIMLINC to win key accounts such as Boeing, and several
automotive company vendors.
CIMLINC, 1985 - 88
Project Manager and co-Developer of
CIMCAD3D
Engineering related accomplishments:
 | Developed key parts of the Product, using Object Oriented
Methods throughout,
including for Computational Geometry. |
| Developed key parts of the API - the UI was programmable using a
scripting language
which called C level functions. |
| Developed most 3D Wireframe geometry modules (line, arc, point,
plane, etc.) |
| Developed Working Plane metaphor and software. |
| Developed the Snap-to-Object feature which allowed the user to
work in either
a 2D projected mode similar to what they knew or full 3D mode |
| Performed Release Engineering functions - managing the code
'tree' |
| Released the product in both CIMLINC Unix and SUN Solaris Unix. |
Team:
| This was one of my most satisfying jobs, the team was clearly
ahead of its time
and I learned so much from them. |
| Dr. Martin Newell (was VP of R & D, now VP of Advanced
Products at Adobe) |
| Dr. Dan Fitzpatrick (was Dir of R & D, now principal at Big Tree
Software) |
| Eric Mueller (was Senior Developer, now Principal Engineer at
MacroMedia)
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 Interface of
CIMCAD3D.
This followed CIMCAD's UI metaphors which were ahead of its field by
4 years. In 1982, CIMLINC showed at Autofact Unix workstation
implementing Windows, PopUps, Icons and Stroke recognition all networked
via Ethernet. Some of that technology is still not available today in
mainstream systems.
CIMCAD3D took the successful parts of CIMCAD and implemented them in
3D. I designed a Working Plane metaphor and developed the Snap-to-Object
feature which allowed the user to work in either a 2D projected mode
similar to what they knew or full 3D mode.
The User Interface also had sophisticated Selection capabilities
which provided the User with graphical ways to handle the complex CAD
drawings generated in Mechanical Design.
 Data Sheet
CIMCAD3D. Items taken from it:
| Graphical User Interface with Programmable Capabilities
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| Working Planes allowing easy 2D to 3D transition
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| Object Oriented Database |
| 3D NURB Surfaces |
| SOLID Models with Boolean Operations |
| Running on both SUN and CIMLINC workstations. |
The software architecture that we used was ahead of the C++ Object
Oriented constructs used today. Dr. Fitzpatrick implemented a way for us
to define objects, classes and methods which allowed a new way of
developing software. The User interface benefited since the User could
perform any operation to any object without having to worry whether it
was a line, arc, text, surface or solid. Underneath I had to develop new
Geometric Computation Algorithms that could handle intersections between
tow entities without know what they were.
Copyright, 2001 - Eduardo F. Llach
CIMCAD3D is a trademark/copyright of CIMLINC.
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