EARLY COMPUTER GRAPHICS SYSTEMS
This section is dedicated to the gathering of information about computer graphics systems from as early as 1968. If you have knowledge to add about these systems please email me by clicking here on richard@rahandyman.com
GENIGRAPHICS
All images compliments of the Genigraphics Alumni facebook page. The information here is
gathered from discussions from the Genigraphics Alumni facebook group, James Napoleaon and
Jim Casey
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Genigraphics was a system developed by General Electric and was mostly proprietary technology. The system was born of simulation systems for NASA astronauts for the apollo missions. Based first in Liverpool, NY then moved to Saddlebrooke, NJ. Models included 100, 100A 100B, 100C,
100D, 100 D+, 100D+GVP
1973 - first model 100 introduced and delivered to Amoco Oil Company
1988 - Genigraphics partnered with Microsoft to develop Powerpoint software
1989 - G.E. sells off hardware facilities in favor to service points to produce slides from powerpoint
1994 - all assets and agreements sold to Infocus of Wilsonville, OR. All 24 service bureaus
consolidiated to one in Memphis providing overnight production of slides from powerpoint
1995 – genigraphics.com introduced as ecommerce ability for slide production
2003 – G.E. closes the E6 35mm slide lab
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- Model 100 - 1973, consisted of a large desk, a tall tower and magnetic tape data storage.
Graphic images were manipulated by the use of 2 joysticks.
- Ran off a DEC PDP11-34 cpu tower as big as a refrigerator with an open reel magnetic tape
for data storage alos as big as a refrigerator
- Images were "burned" onto film via the film recorder. A color CRT transmitted light one resolution
line at a time onto 35mm film within a Forox camera loaded with slide film. Average time to burn
a slide was 2 minuets. CRT resolution was 2000/4000 lines
- A Tektronix thermal printer was included for paper prints. This would produce an aroma
that some would love and some would hate. Affectionately known as the "tek"
- The knob closest to the right joystick did not function. It was there for future needs that never happened.
- The system made a lot of heat and the room was kept cold. Some would say always bring a
sweater or jacket to your shift
- There was a plasma display located in the slot just above the command keys that would
display user feedback such as errors or reminders to save.
- There was a standard qwerty keyboard and a collection of keys and knobs that provided
shortcuts to common functions and commands. These keys were capped of a hard plastic and
would often pop off after pushing them. Many did not want to take the time to find the button
caps so they developed callouses from pushing the uncapped buttons.
- a basic shape would be produced by typing in a shape command. the shape could then be
manipulated with the joysticks.
- Colors would be "dialed in" using the Munsell color system of hue, saturation and chroma (HSC)
rather than todays standards of RGB or CMYK. Preset colors could also be commanded.
Model 100-A - year unknown
- All same features but with a smaller desk size
Model 100-B - year unknown
- The joysticks are removed and a graphics tablet is added with a stylus pen and 4 quick keys to command select, release, x, regenerate. The four keys are the same on each side for left or right handed operation. The dashboard of quick keys are gone in favor of functions being manipulated via the stylus pen via menus on screen.
Model C - year unknown
- No more large refrigerator size tower and mag tape data storage, replaced with 7 inch
floppy disk drives
- ran from separate rack mounted PDP 11/23 cpu
- Featured Bernoli cartridge disk drives
- the two sets of 4 keys are replaced with 5 key set at upper left corner.
- used the "decwriter" (dec for digital equipment corporation) for system management, such as login, disk formatting, system booting, accessing the recorder, etc. the qwerty keyboard was used for artwork entries.
Model D - Year unknown
- Hardware very similar to model 100C
- Future models introduce the "puck" crosshair cursor in place of the stylus
- the CPU is different from the model C
Model SG-1 - year unknown
-???????
Model SG53 - year unknown
- based on DEC PDP11/23 cpu. an entry level system made up of separate components.
Graphtime - late 80's
- a software for external users to make simple graphics and send or wire files to a service
bureau to have slides made.
Model RJE - year unknown. (remote job entry)
used in connection with the 100 a-b. consisted of tektronics 4051 or 52. May have had large card table sized digitizer connected. in later years may have only been used to create text images so as not to tie up desk time on the larger system.
DICOMED
Dicomed existed from 1968-1990 founded by Wayne Huelstoetter (VP) and Richard Hilden (CEO). (DIgital COmputers for MEDical applications.)
Dicomed started with a series of image viewers models D30 and D36 originally to electronically transmit and view xray images. Later Dicomed produced film recorders in black and white and the first ever color film recorder. At first Hasselblad cameras were used, then Oxberry and finally Forox. to compete with Genegraphics the Imaginator grahpics creator desk was produced. In later years Dicomed produced scanners and scanback devices, digital units modified onto 35mm cameras. Products such as "producer" and "nostalginator" was produced but i have no information on those products at this time.
1969 - Dept D104, 4600 W. 77th st, Minneapolis MN. 55435.
1972 - 7600 Parklawn Ave., Minneapolis MN. 55435.
1977 - 9700 Newton Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55431
1984 - 12000 Portland Ave south, Minneapolis, MN. 55440
1969 – dicomed 30 image display
1972 – D36 – image display
1973 – D46 B&W film recorder (special for jet propulsion labs)
1973 – D47 – color recorder, first in the world, modified version sold to genigraphics
Without optics or camera
1977 – D48 – designed for small film (35mm and other popular formats)
1977 – Dicomatic - a small system to produce word slides using teletype machine
1979 – Richard Hilden is removed, Wayne Huelstoetter becomes CEO
1984 - Dicomed Imaginator desk system
1986 – D38 – low cost graphic generator using AGFA matrix film recorder
1987 - Wayne Hulestoetter is removed as CEO
Dicomed Imaginator - 1984, all hardware and software designed and assembled by Dicomed. They did not use other manufactured hardware.
AUDIO VISUAL LABORATORIES
Audio Visual Laboratories (AVL) attempted 2 systems with varying to little success. The two
models introduced was the Eagle 2000 and the Starburst system.
AVL Eagle 2000 - 1983
not much is known here about this product. It was not a part of the Eagle computer
separation from AVL.
AVL Starburst - 1985
This product does not do well It was very slow and limited in its abilities. It came installed in an IBM AT-1 desktop computer and used a QCR and PCR film recorder It is soon sold off to Pansophic Systems Inc. in 1986 for 2.5 million