DataCAD
Encyclopedia
DataCAD is a computer-aided design and drafting (CADD) software for 2D
and 3D
architectural design and drafting, developed and sold by DATACAD LLC.
-based operating systems, and was one of the first PC
-based CADD
programs developed specifically for architects. DataCAD is the only CADD
software ever to be endorsed by the American Institute of Architects
(ca. 1987) for direct distribution to its members. By 1988, DataCAD was in use by more than 12,000 firms in the United States
and Canada
. Currently, there are estimated to be more than 250,000 installations of DataCAD world wide.
According to The 1989 AIA
Firm Survey Report, DataCAD is used by 10% of AIA
member firms, second only to AutoCAD
with a 45% market share
.
According to The 1997 AIA
Firm Survey Report, DataCAD is used by 12% of AIA
member firms, second only to AutoCAD
with a 61% market share
.
at University of Virginia
. After he graduated in 1984, Mr. Smith was hired by an architectural firm, Stuart Griffin Burgh and Associates, in Charlottesville, Virginia
. At this firm he began porting the Apple Draw program to the Corvus
Concept platform as DataCAD. In 1984, only one license of DataCAD was sold before it was ported to the IBM PC
platform. DataCAD was developed exclusively for the MS-DOS
operating system
until May of 1998.
The DataCAD Boston Users' Group (DBUG) was formed in December of 1987 by two architects, Evan Shu, FAIA
and Rick Gleason, AIA
. In November of 2010, DBUG reached a 23-year milestone and stands as one of the longest, continuously-running, CAD software users' groups in the United States. DBUG is a permanent committee of the Boston Society of Architects.
In June 1989, Cadkey, Inc. purchased the rights to DataCAD from Microtecture Inc.
In September 1992, Dr. Malcolm Davies was elected President/CEO of Cadkey, Inc. Dr. Davies joined Cadkey from Autodesk
where from 1988 to 1992 he was V.P. Marketing and Sales.
In November 1993, the price of DataCAD was drastically reduced from $2,995 to $150 coincident with a major shift from dealer-based sales to direct mail-based sales.
In October 1994, the first online forum
(also known as The DBUG Forum) dedicated to DataCAD users was established by Evan Shu, FAIA
. The DBUG Forum is a listserv supported by subscribers world wide. A searchable archive of more than 70,000 messages is available (see External Links).
On October 2, 1996, a newly-formed company, DATACAD LLC, purchased the rights to DataCAD from Micro Control Systems, Inc. (formerly Cadkey, Inc.).
In February 1998, DATACAD, along with 14 other companies, joined the newly-formed, OpenDWG Alliance (now Open Design Alliance
) as a founding member. The alliance is dedicated to the promotion of Autodesk's
DWG
drawing file format as an open industry standard for the exchange of CADD drawings.
A lower-cost version, DataCAD LT , was first introduced in 2001.
On April 2, 2011, Principal DataCAD Author, David A. Giesselman, Senior V.P. and C.T.O. of DATACAD LLC reached a 27 year milestone as a DataCAD software engineer.
2D computer graphics
2D computer graphics is the computer-based generation of digital images—mostly from two-dimensional models and by techniques specific to them...
and 3D
Dimension
In physics and mathematics, the dimension of a space or object is informally defined as the minimum number of coordinates needed to specify any point within it. Thus a line has a dimension of one because only one coordinate is needed to specify a point on it...
architectural design and drafting, developed and sold by DATACAD LLC.
Usage
DataCAD runs exclusively on Microsoft WindowsMicrosoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
-based operating systems, and was one of the first PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
-based CADD
Computer-aided design
Computer-aided design , also known as computer-aided design and drafting , is the use of computer technology for the process of design and design-documentation. Computer Aided Drafting describes the process of drafting with a computer...
programs developed specifically for architects. DataCAD is the only CADD
Computer-aided design
Computer-aided design , also known as computer-aided design and drafting , is the use of computer technology for the process of design and design-documentation. Computer Aided Drafting describes the process of drafting with a computer...
software ever to be endorsed by the American Institute of Architects
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
(ca. 1987) for direct distribution to its members. By 1988, DataCAD was in use by more than 12,000 firms in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Currently, there are estimated to be more than 250,000 installations of DataCAD world wide.
According to The 1989 AIA
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
Firm Survey Report, DataCAD is used by 10% of AIA
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
member firms, second only to AutoCAD
AutoCAD
AutoCAD is a software application for computer-aided design and drafting in both 2D and 3D. It is developed and sold by Autodesk, Inc. First released in December 1982, AutoCAD was one of the first CAD programs to run on personal computers, notably the IBM PC...
with a 45% market share
Market share
Market share is the percentage of a market accounted for by a specific entity. In a survey of nearly 200 senior marketing managers, 67 percent responded that they found the "dollar market share" metric very useful, while 61% found "unit market share" very useful.Marketers need to be able to...
.
According to The 1997 AIA
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
Firm Survey Report, DataCAD is used by 12% of AIA
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
member firms, second only to AutoCAD
AutoCAD
AutoCAD is a software application for computer-aided design and drafting in both 2D and 3D. It is developed and sold by Autodesk, Inc. First released in December 1982, AutoCAD was one of the first CAD programs to run on personal computers, notably the IBM PC...
with a 61% market share
Market share
Market share is the percentage of a market accounted for by a specific entity. In a survey of nearly 200 senior marketing managers, 67 percent responded that they found the "dollar market share" metric very useful, while 61% found "unit market share" very useful.Marketers need to be able to...
.
History
In the Spring of 1981, a student, Eric V. Smith, began developing a program he called Apple Draw on an Apple IIApple II
The Apple II is an 8-bit home computer, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products, designed primarily by Steve Wozniak, manufactured by Apple Computer and introduced in 1977...
at University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
. After he graduated in 1984, Mr. Smith was hired by an architectural firm, Stuart Griffin Burgh and Associates, in Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...
. At this firm he began porting the Apple Draw program to the Corvus
Corvus (company)
Corvus Systems was a technology company founded by Michael D'Addio and Mark Hahn in 1979 and located in San Jose, Silicon Valley, in the U.S. Corvus was a pioneer of the early days of personal computers, producing the first hard disk drives, data backup, and networking devices, commonly for the...
Concept platform as DataCAD. In 1984, only one license of DataCAD was sold before it was ported to the IBM PC
IBM PC
The IBM Personal Computer, commonly known as the IBM PC, is the original version and progenitor of the IBM PC compatible hardware platform. It is IBM model number 5150, and was introduced on August 12, 1981...
platform. DataCAD was developed exclusively for the MS-DOS
MS-DOS
MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
until May of 1998.
The DataCAD Boston Users' Group (DBUG) was formed in December of 1987 by two architects, Evan Shu, FAIA
FAIA
Fellow of the American Institute of Architects is a postnomial, designating an individual who has been named a fellow of the American Institute of Architects...
and Rick Gleason, AIA
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
. In November of 2010, DBUG reached a 23-year milestone and stands as one of the longest, continuously-running, CAD software users' groups in the United States. DBUG is a permanent committee of the Boston Society of Architects.
In June 1989, Cadkey, Inc. purchased the rights to DataCAD from Microtecture Inc.
In September 1992, Dr. Malcolm Davies was elected President/CEO of Cadkey, Inc. Dr. Davies joined Cadkey from Autodesk
Autodesk
Autodesk, Inc. is an American multinational corporation that focuses on 3D design software for use in the architecture, engineering, construction, manufacturing, media and entertainment industries. The company was founded in 1982 by John Walker, a coauthor of the first versions of the company's...
where from 1988 to 1992 he was V.P. Marketing and Sales.
In November 1993, the price of DataCAD was drastically reduced from $2,995 to $150 coincident with a major shift from dealer-based sales to direct mail-based sales.
In October 1994, the first online forum
Internet forum
An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are at least temporarily archived...
(also known as The DBUG Forum) dedicated to DataCAD users was established by Evan Shu, FAIA
FAIA
Fellow of the American Institute of Architects is a postnomial, designating an individual who has been named a fellow of the American Institute of Architects...
. The DBUG Forum is a listserv supported by subscribers world wide. A searchable archive of more than 70,000 messages is available (see External Links).
On October 2, 1996, a newly-formed company, DATACAD LLC, purchased the rights to DataCAD from Micro Control Systems, Inc. (formerly Cadkey, Inc.).
In February 1998, DATACAD, along with 14 other companies, joined the newly-formed, OpenDWG Alliance (now Open Design Alliance
Open Design Alliance
The Open Design Alliance is a nonprofit organization of over 1,200 members in 50 countries which develops Teigha©, a software development platform used to create engineering applications including CAD...
) as a founding member. The alliance is dedicated to the promotion of Autodesk's
Autodesk
Autodesk, Inc. is an American multinational corporation that focuses on 3D design software for use in the architecture, engineering, construction, manufacturing, media and entertainment industries. The company was founded in 1982 by John Walker, a coauthor of the first versions of the company's...
DWG
.dwg
DWG is a binary file format used for storing two and three dimensional design data and metadata. It is the native format for several CAD packages including AutoCAD, IntelliCAD and Caddie. In addition, DWG is supported non-natively by many other CAD applications...
drawing file format as an open industry standard for the exchange of CADD drawings.
A lower-cost version, DataCAD LT , was first introduced in 2001.
On April 2, 2011, Principal DataCAD Author, David A. Giesselman, Senior V.P. and C.T.O. of DATACAD LLC reached a 27 year milestone as a DataCAD software engineer.
Version history
- DataCAD 13 - June 2010
- DataCAD 12 - June 2007
- DataCAD 11 - November 2003
- DataCAD 10 - October 2001
- DataCAD 9 - August 2000
- DataCAD 8.5 - July 1999
- DataCAD 8 - May 1998
- DataCAD 7.5 - August 1997
- DataCAD 7 - November 1995
- DataCAD 6 - November 1994
- DataCAD 5 - October 1993
- DataCAD 4 - August 1990
- DataCAD 3.6 May 1988
- DataCAD 3 - October 1986
- DataCAD 2.5 - October 1985
- DataCAD 2 - June 1985
- DataCAD 1.2 - April 1985
- Archon - 1982