We take rendered 3D graphics for granted today, but 44 years ago CAD consisted of lines and other simple entities.
In 1965 Donald Welbourn heard about early work across the pond at MIT on 2D CAD, and by year's end received a £65,000 research grant for 3D CAD. A team programmed a DEC PDP11 minicomputer, first figuring out how to define the intersection of two cylinders.
Mr Welbourn went on to solve the problem of letting toolmakers work from unambiguous 3D drawings. Eventually, his work led to the forming of Deltacam Systems, which became Delcam in 1989.
Surprisingly for such an important figure in the history of CADCAM, Donald never did any of the programming in connection with the software. He made it his job to set targets for what needed to be done, to get money and to get able staff to do the work.
Today we learn from Delcam that Mr Welbourn has died.
Comments