The challenge of computer graphics in continental western Europe

Computer graphics applications, software, and hard-ware research, are examined and evaluated in Continental Western Europe. Growth has been slow. The reasons are the high cost of hardware and the complexity of the required software. The past reveals a rather dim picture. Mechanical engineering applications have shown some promising success. Electrical engineering applications have been effective mainly for PCB and IC mask layout only. Interactive graphic software has not yet effectively found its way outside Fortran. APL-G seems an interesting graphic extension of the language APL. Promsing trends appear to be on the horizon. They are related to hardware and software tradeoffs, as, for example, in the TALENT System. The need for computer graphics still exists. The hardware and software tradeoffs will receive more attention. Success in computer graphics will depend upon advances in computer systems design, especially programming languages and systems. Computer graphics has yet to come of age.