Graphics and interactive systems: design considerations of a software system

Abstract

The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) maintains a CDC 6600 and a CDC 7600 computer for doing numerical studies related to the atmosphere. These computers are operated in a batched multi-programming mode by a unique operating system implemented by the system's development staff (seven programmers). Hard copy output from the computers is handled either by the line printers or by the two Computer Output Microfilm Recorders (COM). A large library of graphic routines is frequently used by the applications programmers to produce outputs ranging from contour maps to movie titles. Around 600,000 frames of graphic output are produced each month, and nearly 80 percent of all jobs generate some graphic output.