Message from the Editor

Abstract

Dear Members:

As we approach the 21st century, it's hard not to feel both excitement and apprehension.  THe thought of new and improved technologies creates a sense of expectation.  Many of us are still waiting for the "flying cars" we heard about when we were young.  And yet, we have witnessed more changes in technology over the span of our careers than we could even have imagined.  We come away from every conference and vendor show we attend with new ideas we want to explore and new books, equipment and software that we add to our "wish list."

There is also a sense of apprehension as to how these changes will affect our lives and our profession.  What new technologies can we expect?  What can we do to keep current?  How fast will we have to adapt to a new view of our discipline?  Where can we find workshops and information on new techniques?

For those of us who are members of the Engineering Design Graphics Division, we know that we can count on our colleagues in the division to share our excitement and alleviate our apprehension.  THe division provides a forum for colleagues to share their expertise, their experiences and their opinions.

This issue features a series of papers by a group of authors who do all of the above.  Their papers explore the need for change in the next millennium as well as many of the newest technologies related to our profession.  These papers were presented at the Mid-year meeting in Columbus in conjunction with a panel discussion.  The success of the presentation encouraged them to submit their papers for publication with the hope that they could be published together.  We hope that you will find this issue to be though provoking and a starting point for change.