CAD/PDM...
With the advent of AutoCAD viewing utilities in the mid-1980's, the founders of DDI recognized a need for similar products that could view the Personal Designer database.
DDI was established in 1988 and development of a Personal Designer viewing utility began. The product was initially code-named "Personal Manager",
but was renamed to "DraftView" upon release in July 1989.
Development began on a CADDS 4X version of DraftView in 1990, and was released for the SPARC platform in 1992. Since this time, the DraftView products have been expanded to support several other file formats and platforms.
Today DraftView is used worldwide by such companies as: Ingersoll-Rand, TRW, Campbell Soup, Bissell, Polariod, The U.S. Navy, Square D, BMW/Rolls-Royce, Rockwell, General Electric and Polk Audio.
Medical/Orthopedics...
In 1995, DePuy Orthopedics began a clinical study to measure the wear of hip implant components from x-ray data. The project required the
development of custom software that could interpret the x-ray data. Due to its proximity to the "heart" of the orthopedic industry (Warsaw, Indiana) and its ties
with the industry, DDI was chosen as the software developer for the project.
The method for measuring implant wear had required the use of AutoCAD software. DDI's task was to create a stand-alone Microsoft Windows application which did not require AutoCAD. The data input and 3-Dimensional mathematics which were handled by AutoCAD had to be "re-invented" for the project.
The software resulting from this project has become known as PolyWare. Released in October 1997, PolyWare is now used by several Orthopedic Hospitals and Clinics worldwide, such as: Anderson Clinic, Alexandria Virginia; Prince of Wales Hospital, Randswick Australia, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg Sweden; St. Lukes-Roosevelt Hospital, New York, New York.