30 years and going strong.(Computer Graphics World)(Editorial)

Do you remember when CAD tools began making it easier for designers to do their job? Do you recall when computer gaming meant arcade-style video games with rudimentary images? When computer-generated images on the small screen were an Olympic event? What about when CG became a viable part of scientific visualization in fields ranging from agronomy and astronomy to mathematics and medicine? Or the debut of TRON, which required all-digital shots inside a computer game at a time when few companies knew how to create a CG effect?

These are but a few of the industry highlights that have occurred during the last three decades, and Computer Graphics World has been there every step of the way covering the cutting-edge of what was a new technology called computer graphics. Today we may chuckle when we look at the imagery from those moments, thinking the results to be rather crude compared to today's visuals. But, had it not been for the hard work and dedication of industry pioneers--individuals, companies, studios, and educational institutions alike--we would not be admiring the lifelike digital characters in today's blockbuster films, neither would we praise the lifesaving methods of virtual surgery, nor rely on the structural integrity of complex building and machinery designs to keep us safe.

Every now and again it is good to look back and appreciate how far the technology has evolved. For three decades, CGW has covered the vanguard of computer graphics. Its mission then, as it is now, is to report on the important tools, technologies, and events--the milestones--in CG. This year, Computer Graphics World is celebrating its 30th birthday. Three decades may not sound like a long time; but in terms of a computer trade publication, it is a very long time indeed.

To get a better perspective, let's look at the industry around the time CGW was founded. Scientists discovered solutions for rendering ...