PASSAGE 1 

Digital computers are used in many ways to support engineers in design work. The broad class of technology associated with such use is denoted herein as Computer Aided Design(CAD) . While early CAD was primarily directed toward procedures, improved analysis recent development have extended CAD to include such functions as interactive computations, automation of design decisions, tutorial assistance to designers, graphical display of results, and management of information. While these developments have been principally disjointed, efforts are being initiated to integrate such functions into comprehensive CAD system such as the planned NASA IPAD system. The definition and development of integrated CAD systems, together with the continued evolution of computer hardware, has indicated areas for improvement in computer science technology which need to be addressed to maximize the benefit of integrated CAD systems and to facilitate their long-term viability.