Sketchpad: A Man-Machine Graphical Communication System

Abstract

The Sketchpad system uses drawing as a novel means of communicating with a computer. The system contains input, output, and computation programs that enable it to interpret information drawn directly on a computer display. It has been used to draw electrical, mechanical, scientific, mathematical and animated drawings; it is a general-purpose system. Sketchpad has shown the most usefulness as an aid to the understanding of processes, such as the motion of link ages, which can be described with pictures. Sketchpad also makes it easy to draw highly repetitive or highly accurate drawings and to change drawings previously drawn with it.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 30, 1963
Accession Number
AD0404549

Entities

People

  • I. E. Sutherland

Organizations

  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Communication Systems
  • Computer Communications
  • Computer Programming
  • Computer Programs
  • Computers
  • Crystal Structure
  • Data Processing
  • Data Storage Systems
  • Differential Equations
  • Display Systems
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Electron Tubes
  • Equations
  • Geometric Forms
  • Geometry
  • Lines (Geometry)
  • Mechanical Engineering

Fields of Study

  • Computer science

Readers

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Computer Science/Computer Engineering/Data Science/Digital Signal Processing.