Editing Computervision (section)

==Hardware==
Computervision created a GPU, Graphics Processing Unit, in 1980.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Weisberg|first=David|title=Computervision|url=http://www.cadhistory.net/12%20Computervision.pdf|url-status=dead|access-date=2021-08-08|website=cadhistory.net|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130127053027/http://www.cadhistory.net/12%20Computervision.pdf |archive-date=2013-01-27 }}</ref> It could traverse and render hierarchical display lists. It also produced a DCU, Display Control Unit, in 1983<ref>{{Cite web|title=Computervision Corporation Trademarks|url=https://trademarks.justia.com/owners/computervision-corporation-114484/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-08|website=Justia Trademarks|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210808182157/https://trademarks.justia.com/owners/computervision-corporation-114484/ |archive-date=2021-08-08 }}</ref> with a large color raster display and attached rendering engine for basic UI operations.
 
In 1985, CV introduced an [[IBM]] 4361-based mainframe known as the CDS5000 to support Product Data Manager (PDM). This system never ran any graphics software but instead was used to manage the large number of product files and data that users were generating. The CDS5000 was networked with CDS4000 and CGP200X systems using serial links. PDM was later made platform independent and was offered on the original IBM platform, as well as DEC/VMS and Sun/Unix - opening up its CADDS workstations to run in conjunction with this range of host platforms for product data vaulting, access/security, revision control, backup/recovery, archive/restore features.
[[File:ComputervisionDesigner.agr.jpg|thumb|Computervision CADDS system exhibited at a trade show in 1978.]]
Computervision was crucial to [[Sun Microsystems]] development as a company. CV was Sun's first large customer for [[Unix]]-based workstations. The CDS3000 series of workstations were actually [[Sun-2]] systems with additional graphics hardware from CV. Ultimately in 1987, CV migrated from the CGP systems to [[Sun-3]]-based workstations known as CADDStations with a [[VME bus]] version of the GPU.

Computervision merged with [[Prime Computer]] in 1988 and acquired [[Calma|GE Calma]] (its major competitor in the microelectronic CAD market) in 1989. Computervision was acquired by [[Parametric Technology Corporation]] (PTC) in 1998, which (as of 2013) still produces the CADDS5 product, although only as a CAD/CAM product specialized for shipbuilding.<ref name=cadds5/> In 2001, PTC sold the [[MEDUSA4|MEDUSA]] and [[MPDS Plant Design System]] software rights to CAD Schroer, which has developed a Fourth Generation of each system.