Line Drawing System-1

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LDS-1 (Line Drawing System-1) was an attached calligraphic (computer graphics) processor with a workstation terminal created by Evans & Sutherland. This was the first commmercial graphics device with a Graphics processing unit.

Features

Block diagram of Evans and Sutherland Line Drawing System 1.

It was controlled by a variety of host computers. Straight lines were smoothly rendered in real-time animation. General principles of operation were similar to the systems used today: 4x4 transformation matrices, 1x4 vertices. Possible uses included flight simulation (in the product brochure there are screenshots of landing on a carrier), scientific imaging and GIS systems.

History

The first LDS-1 was shipped to the customer (BBN) in August 1969. Only a few of these systems were ever built. One was used by the Los Angeles Times as their first typesetting/layout computer. One went to NASA Ames Research Center for Human Factors Research. Another was bought by the Port Authority of New York to develop a tugboat pilot trainer for navigation in the harbor.

External links

LDS-1 documentation

v t e Evans & Sutherland
People	David C. Evans Ivan Sutherland
Products	Digistar II Evans & Sutherland ES-1 LDS-1 (Line Drawing System-1) Shaded Picture System