Paper what? [electronic paper]

The advantages of electronic paper or what is called raster technology are discussed. Rasters capture the engineering drawing in a format that a personal computer (PC) can use. Raster files can then be shipped across the continent or an office building via computer networks, stored on diskettes or laser storage systems, retrieved simultaneously by hundreds of reviewers, annotated electronically, and then transmitted back to the design organization. Additional benefits accrue from the fact that tedious paper scanning is eliminated, delay in handling and mailing is avoided, rooms of flat file storage cabinets are replaced by a single laser juke box, and in general, the need for paper is reduced. Equipped with a raster system, an engineer can conduct the searching, retrieving, and mailing of the drawings without having to move away from the PC. In the case presented, the DoD CALS standard is used in a raster drawing system for reviewing the design of Space Station Freedom