Introduction
When the first Macintosh 128k came out in 1984, it had three programs, each of which–in their own way–were the basis for generations of other programs, many of which are commonly used today. These programs were MacWrite, MacPaint and MacDraw (for vectorial drawing).
All three used the new graphic user interface and a new pointing device called a “mouse.” Also, they were all WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get)–what you see on the monitor is what comes out when printed.
Nowadays this seems normal, but then, it wasn’t. In fact, even today many CAD users, particularly AutoCAD, do not adopt this philosophy, and the video and print versions of the drawing are completely different.
01 – The original Macintosh 128k shipped with three software applications built in that were the origins of most modern software today (image courtesy of Interstudio, Italy, All rights Reserved.)
MacWrite was the prototype of all word processing software that followed, including Microsoft Word, whose first version was created on and for the Macintosh. MacPaint was the prototype of all painting software that followed, starting from Adobe Photoshop, whose first version was created on the Mac.
02 – Early versions of CAD on Mac, like MacDraft, were based on Apple’s MacDraw vectorial drawing application. (image courtesy of Interstudio, Italy, All rights Reserved.)
MacDraw was the prototype of all vectorial graphic software such as Freehand and Illustrator, these too were created on Macintosh, as well as for a series of CAD programs that borrowed from MacDraw the concepts of a simple, intuitive user interface and visual control of the final result. Of these early CADs, we might mention MacDraft, PowerDraw and MiniCAD. Soon after came the architectural programs Radar CH, Architrion and Domus.Cad.
Here, however, right from the start there was a big difference between the Mac CAD programs, deriving from the MacDraw philosophy with its mouse pointing device, and the CAD programs, first on DOS and later Windows, deriving from the Command Line philosophy. These DOS descending CADs had the pointing device as the tablet–as in the concept of CAD on workstations–used also by AutoCAD of Autodesk. This became particularly evident in 1992 when Autodesk released AutoCAD 12 for Macintosh. The software was completely “snubbed” by Mac users and very few of them bought it, preferring to continue using programs created on the Macintosh, with a MacDraw philosophy-based user interface.
Two Differing Philosophies
The principle underlying CAD software for Mac was, as stated, to have on screen an exact representation of the final printout–so a white background like paper, thicknesses as they would be printed and use of printed colors. The pointing device was the mouse.
03 – Autodesk’s AutoCAD 2000, like all DOS-originated Windows CADs of the time derived from a different philosophy based in the command line and tablets of workstations. (image courtesy of Interstudio, Italy, All rights Reserved.)
In the beginning Windows did not exist and PCs were heavily DOS-reliant. CAD software on DOS grew out of the CAD workstation philosophy, where the pointing device was the tablet and the command line was text. Even when Windows came along nothing changed. CAD for Windows had a black background, the lines all had the same thickness, the colors were used to represent different thicknesses and the end result was not clear until the drawing had been printed or plotted.
In CAD for Mac, commands were mainly carried out by the mouse using the Select-Command. That is, you selected some elements and then you could use a series of functions on the selected items–move, rotate, change color, change thickness, et cetera–as we now do using today’s word processing software.
In CAD for Windows, commands were mostly given by command lines. And even when the tablet or mouse were used, it was always Command-Select. For example, to move something, you clicked on the Move icon and then indicated the elements to be moved. To cancel, you clicked on the cancel icon, after which you indicated elements to canceled. And so on.
Another example was the integration with the operating system. Generally, CAD programs for Mac were highly integrated with the functions of the operating system. It was normal to copy/paste from one program to another, even if they were very different. For example, you could select a part of a CAD drawing and paste it into a report in the word processing program. Nowadays this seems all very normal, but in the 1980’s it seemed like a miracle. The programs, at first simple, incomplete even, grew bit by bit, along with the potential of the operating system, in an organic and innovative way, without being chained to the past.
Programs for DOS and Windows, not only AutoCAD, but also MicroStation, VersaCAD and others, were a subset of more powerful and complete programs created on workstations like Sun, SGI and mini-computers like Digital, with various types of compromise. These programs also grew and improved over time, overtaking their “programs of origin” for power and functions, but without abandoning the original philosophy.
Next Page: The Rise of 3D Architectural CADs
The Rise of 3D Architectural CADs
From the very start Macintosh was popular in creative sectors, whether among advertising designers, with programs like Freehand, Photoshop, PageMaker, Illustrator and others, or architects, using their programs for 3D parametric architectural design.
03 – Graphisoft’s ArchiCAD 2.0 from 1986. The program was first known as Radar CH. (image courtesy of Interstudio, Italy, All rights Reserved.)
Macintosh’s first architecture program was Radar CH, by Graphisoft, which later became ArchiCAD, created on Lisa and present on the Macintosh from the start. Then came Architrion.
Macintosh was appreciated and used early on in the field of architecture, with above-average market presence compared with other industry categories, with the exception of desktop publishing, where it has always been number one.
Some pioneer companies in Italy–in addition to Interstudio, we might mention Abacus, Cigraph, Italosoft and Softing–produced a series of professional drawing programs for every requirement.
Already in 1990 Domus.Cad was released, one of the very first parametric architectural CADs for Mac in the world and the very first architectural CAD in Italy. From the start, Domus.Cad was known for its immediate, simple and intuitive approach typical of Macintosh software, as well as for the particular attention paid to Italian design issues such as, for example, restoration work. Later, like many Mac-born programs, Domus.Cad was also transferred to the Windows platform, bringing to Windows these advantages of advanced user-friendliness and rapid, intuitive use.
Why use Domus.Cad as a CAD for Mac?
With Apple’s extraordinary success in recent years and Macintosh computers’ growing market share and installed base, especially in professional fields, the Mac OS X operating system has become of economic interest to all producers of CAD software, resulting in the migration of AutoCAD to the Mac and various other AutoCAD-like programs that have cloned AutoCAD’s user-interface and sometimes its drawing format.
But these programs, conceived and developed from a philosophy that–as we have seen–are the opposite of the Macintosh philosophy, do not exploit the machine and the operating system to best advantage. Simply put, they were not made for Mac.
04 – Domus.Cad 9.0 from 1996. It is a complete parametric, architectural BIM program. (image courtesy of Interstudio, Italy, All rights Reserved.)
At first, to a new Macintosh user, fresh from the world of Windows, using programs that work on Mac exactly as they did on Windows has great appeal. But long term, this advantage turns out to be a disadvantage, due to time spent learning the new functions, integration with other programs on the computer, similarity of operating modes of various programs, integration with the operating system and its more specific functions.
The move to Mac OS X and to the world of Macintosh, on the other hand, could be an excellent opportunity for facing the latest challenges–including economic ones–of the design world, with simple, immediate, integrated and effective solutions, that are also fun to use and inspiring.
Domus.Cad has the perfect answer to this challenge, with a 3D parametric architectural program, BIM, created and developed on Mac, using Mac technology such as QuickTime, Quartz and OpenGL. Domus.Cad is a genuine and complete BIM (Building Information Modeling) program. Not only does it contain intelligent parametric elements, it also slots into an integrated drawing system that ranges from topographic and architectural surveying right through to a complete 3D design. —- Sauro Agostini
To learn more about Domus.Cad from Interstudio in Italy visit www.interstudio.net
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