Sketchpad (1963)

Sketchpad (1963) 1 of 3 - Intro and Interview

Sketchpad (1963) 1 of 3 - Intro and Interview from VintageCG on YouTube.

Description

This is part 1 of 3, featuring an interview with professor Steven Coons (of Coons patch fame); software is demonstrated in parts 2 and 3. Periodically throughout computer history there emerges a "pinch point," a single moment where many prior technologies converge, and upon which many subsequent technologies depend. Herman Hollerith's 1890 census tabulator is one well-known instance. Another, somewhat lesser-known, are Ivan Sutherland's and Tim Johnson’s "Sketchpad" and "Sketchpad III,” respectively, developed at MIT in the early 1960s, running on the transistor-based TX-2 computer. Nearly all interactive graphics applications today can trace their roots back to these pivotal demonstrations. It's considered the first graphical user interface (GUI) at a time when computer graphics of ANY sort were virtually unheard of, let alone the notion that computers could be applied to both artistic and technical purposes.

Sketchpad (1963) 2 of 3 - 2D Graphics

Sketchpad (1963) 2 of 3 - 2D Graphics from VintageCG on YouTube.

Description

This is part 2 of 3, demonstrating the 2D capabilities of Sketchpad, including vector scaling and instances. Periodically throughout computer history there emerges a "pinch point," a single moment where many prior technologies converge, and upon which many subsequent technologies depend. Herman Hollerith's 1890 census tabulator is one well-known instance. Another, somewhat lesser-known, are Ivan Sutherland's and Tim Johnson’s "Sketchpad" and "Sketchpad III,” respectively, developed at MIT in the early 1960s, running on the transistor-based TX-2 computer. Nearly all interactive graphics applications today can trace their roots back to these pivotal demonstrations. It's considered the first graphical user interface (GUI) at a time when computer graphics of ANY sort were virtually unheard of, let alone the notion that computers could be applied to both artistic and technical purposes.

Sketchpad (1963) 3 of 3 - 3D Graphics

Sketchpad (1963) 3 of 3 - 3D Graphics from VintageCG on YouTube.

Description

This is part 3 of 3, demonstrating the 3D capabilities of Sketchpad III. Periodically throughout computer history there emerges a "pinch point," a single moment where many prior technologies converge, and upon which many subsequent technologies depend. Herman Hollerith's 1890 census tabulator is one well-known instance. Another, somewhat lesser-known, are Ivan Sutherland's and Tim Johnson’s "Sketchpad" and "Sketchpad III,” respectively, developed at MIT in the early 1960s, running on the transistor-based TX-2 computer. Nearly all interactive graphics applications today can trace their roots back to these pivotal demonstrations. It's considered the first graphical user interface (GUI) at a time when computer graphics of ANY sort were virtually unheard of, let alone the notion that computers could be applied to both artistic and technical purposes.