Computer-aided design

The November issue of the Proceedings of the IEEE will be a special issue on computer-aided design, consisting of many papers on specialized aspects of this growing field. To put the new development in proper perspective, this article examines just what it is that justifies all the excitement. It discusses the nature of the engineering design process, man-computer systems, both passive and active computer graphics, nongraphic applications, and problems of computer technology, and points out for engineers the importance of computer-aided design for the future.