<s>
MPDS	B-Language
,	O
the	O
MEDUSA	B-Algorithm
Plant	I-Algorithm
Design	I-Algorithm
System	I-Algorithm
(	O
since	O
2006	O
MPDS4	B-Algorithm
)	O
is	O
a	O
suite	O
of	O
plant	O
engineering	O
applications	O
for	O
2D/3D	O
layout	O
,	O
design	O
and	O
modelling	O
of	O
process	O
plants	O
,	O
factories	O
or	O
installations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
system	O
's	O
history	O
is	O
closely	O
tied	O
to	O
the	O
very	O
beginnings	O
of	O
mainstream	O
CAD	B-Application
and	O
the	O
research	O
culture	O
fostered	O
by	O
Cambridge	O
University	O
and	O
the	O
UK	O
government	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
resulting	O
"	O
Cambridge	O
Phenomenon	O
"	O
MPDS	B-Language
was	O
originally	O
developed	O
for	O
3D	O
plant	O
design	O
and	O
layout	O
and	O
piping	O
design	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Today	O
the	B-Application
software	I-Application
includes	O
modules	O
for	O
2D/3D	O
factory	O
layout	O
,	O
process	O
and	O
instrumentation	O
diagrams	O
(	O
P&ID	O
)	O
,	O
mechanical	O
handling	O
systems	O
design	O
,	O
steel	O
design	O
,	O
ducting	O
(	O
HVAC	O
)	O
design	O
,	O
electrical	O
design	O
and	O
hangers	O
and	O
supports	O
Design	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
latest	O
version	O
,	O
MPDS4	B-Algorithm
5.2.1	O
,	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
and	O
Sun	B-Application
Solaris	I-Application
in	O
February	O
2014	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MPDS’	O
history	O
is	O
tied	O
in	O
with	O
the	O
Computer-Aided	B-Application
Design	I-Application
Centre	O
(	O
or	O
CADCentre	O
)	O
which	O
was	O
created	O
in	O
Cambridge	O
in	O
1967	O
by	O
the	O
UK	O
Government	O
to	O
carry	O
out	O
CAD	B-Application
research	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Together	O
with	O
colleague	O
Tom	O
Sancha	O
he	O
left	O
the	O
CADCentre	O
in	O
1977	O
to	O
form	O
a	O
company	O
called	O
Cambridge	O
Interactive	O
Systems	O
or	O
CIS	O
and	O
primarily	O
concentrated	O
on	O
2D	O
CAD	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
CABLOS	O
soon	O
became	O
known	O
and	O
sold	O
as	O
the	O
MEDUSA	B-Application
drafting	O
system	O
under	O
CIS	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
proprietary	B-Application
programming	O
language	O
with	O
which	O
MEDUSA	B-Application
version	O
1	O
was	O
developed	O
was	O
known	O
as	O
baCIS	O
1	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Around	O
this	O
time	O
,	O
the	O
company	O
also	O
began	O
developing	O
its	O
own	O
3D	O
modelling	O
kernel	O
for	O
MEDUSA	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Prime	O
had	O
an	O
option	O
on	O
the	O
MEDUSA	B-Application
source	O
code	O
should	O
CIS	O
ever	O
fail	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1983	O
the	O
U.S.	O
CAD	B-Application
company	O
Computervision	O
purchased	O
CIS	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Computervision/CIS	O
started	O
developing	O
the	O
MEDUSA	B-Algorithm
Plant	I-Algorithm
Design	I-Algorithm
System	I-Algorithm
(	O
MPDS	B-Language
)	O
,	O
the	O
first	O
plant	O
design	B-Application
software	I-Application
based	O
on	O
a	O
relational	B-Application
database	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Developers	O
knew	O
from	O
their	O
prior	O
experience	O
with	O
a	O
file-based	O
macro-language	O
driven	O
system	O
that	O
the	O
next	O
generation	O
plant	O
design	O
system	O
had	O
to	O
be	O
built	O
on	O
a	O
relational	B-Application
database	I-Application
and	O
with	O
a	O
much	O
more	O
powerful	O
programming	O
language	O
to	O
handle	O
large	O
data	O
volumes	O
,	O
complexity	O
and	O
relationships	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Whereas	O
mechanical	O
CAD	B-Application
engineers	O
were	O
developing	O
machinery	O
with	O
a	O
few	O
hundred	O
or	O
maybe	O
a	O
thousand	O
components	O
,	O
plant	O
design	O
engineers	O
typically	O
needed	O
to	O
deal	O
with	O
hundreds	O
of	O
thousands	O
of	O
components	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
facilitate	O
this	O
work	O
,	O
the	O
baCIS	O
2	O
interpretive	O
language	O
and	O
the	O
MDB	O
relational	B-Application
database	I-Application
were	O
developed	O
for	O
MPDS	B-Language
.	O
</s>
<s>
Existing	O
MEDUSA	B-Application
technology	O
was	O
used	O
to	O
create	O
the	O
2D	O
and	O
3D	O
geometric	O
data	O
required	O
for	O
plant	O
layouts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
MPDS	B-Language
sales	O
date	O
to	O
around	O
1988	O
to	O
NEI	O
Parsons	O
(	O
Northern	O
Engineering	O
Industries	O
later	O
became	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
Rolls-Royce	O
Industrial	O
Power	O
Group	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Courtaulds	O
Engineering	O
,	O
which	O
had	O
been	O
using	O
MEDUSA	B-Application
since	O
1983	O
,	O
was	O
also	O
an	O
early	O
MPDS	B-Language
adopter	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
same	O
year	O
Prime	O
Computer	O
merged	O
with	O
Computervision	O
and	O
adopted	O
the	O
name	O
Computervision	O
to	O
concentrate	O
on	O
software	B-Application
,	O
due	O
to	O
declining	O
hardware	O
sales	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MEDUSA	B-Application
continued	O
to	O
be	O
developed	O
throughout	O
the	O
1990s	O
in	O
Cambridge	O
,	O
UK	O
at	O
Computervision	O
's	O
R&D	O
centre	O
at	O
Harston	O
Mill	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1993	O
,	O
the	O
next	O
generation	O
of	O
MEDUSA	B-Application
and	O
MPDS	B-Language
was	O
released	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
What	O
would	O
have	O
been	O
version	O
13	O
was	O
released	O
as	O
MEDUSA	B-Application
NG	O
and	O
MPDS	B-Language
NG	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
signified	O
the	O
shift	O
from	O
tablet-driven	O
menus	O
to	O
a	O
graphical	B-Application
user	I-Application
interface	I-Application
,	O
although	O
tablets	O
could	O
still	O
be	O
used	O
on	O
that	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
result	O
,	O
five	O
former	O
Computervision	O
staff	O
members	O
and	O
MEDUSA	B-Application
experts	O
formed	O
the	O
company	O
Quintic	B-Algorithm
Ltd	I-Algorithm
in	O
Cambridge	O
,	O
which	O
continued	O
to	O
provide	O
MEDUSA	B-Application
and	O
MPDS	B-Language
development	O
and	O
consultancy	O
services	O
to	O
Computervision	O
and	O
the	O
MEDUSA	B-Application
customer	O
base	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Work	O
included	O
the	O
porting	O
of	O
MEDUSA	B-Application
NG	O
to	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Companies	O
House	O
,	O
Quintic	B-Algorithm
Ltd	I-Algorithm
was	O
not	O
actually	O
formed	O
until	O
27th	O
February	O
2013	O
,	O
19	O
years	O
after	O
the	O
Cambridge	O
R&D	O
facility	O
closed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1998	O
the	O
American	O
CAD	B-Application
company	O
Parametric	O
Technology	O
Corporation	O
(	O
PTC	O
)	O
acquired	O
Computervision	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
of	O
the	O
largest	O
MEDUSA	B-Application
user	O
bases	O
was	O
in	O
the	O
heavily	O
manufacturing-driven	O
economy	O
of	O
Germany	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
CAD	B-Algorithm
Schroer	I-Algorithm
,	O
a	O
company	O
founded	O
in	O
1986	O
by	O
Michael	O
Schroer	O
as	O
a	O
provider	O
of	O
CAD-based	O
engineering	O
services	O
,	O
became	O
a	O
MEDUSA	B-Application
vendor	O
in	O
1988	O
,	O
having	O
used	O
the	B-Application
software	I-Application
extensively	O
on	O
client	O
projects	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2001	O
,	O
CAD	B-Algorithm
Schroer	I-Algorithm
acquired	O
all	O
rights	O
to	O
MEDUSA	B-Application
and	O
MPDS	B-Language
from	O
PTC	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
development	O
partnership	O
between	O
Quintic	O
and	O
CAD	B-Algorithm
Schroer	I-Algorithm
strengthened	O
,	O
as	O
the	O
two	O
companies	O
worked	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
Fourth	O
Generation	O
release	O
of	O
MEDUSA	B-Application
and	O
MPDS	B-Language
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
included	O
a	O
complete	O
overhaul	O
of	O
the	O
functionality	O
;	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
a	O
graphical	B-Application
user	I-Application
interface	I-Application
(	O
GUI	B-Application
)	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
Qt	B-Language
(	O
framework	O
)	O
technology	O
,	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
data	B-General_Concept
exchange	I-General_Concept
mechanisms	O
and	O
interfaces	O
with	O
third	O
party	O
systems	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
porting	O
to	O
the	O
Linux	B-Application
open-source	B-Application
operating	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2005	O
,	O
CAD	B-Algorithm
Schroer	I-Algorithm
acquired	O
its	O
development	O
partner	O
Quintic	B-Algorithm
Ltd	I-Algorithm
,	O
gaining	O
CAD	B-Application
development	O
expertise	O
that	O
dates	O
back	O
to	O
the	O
days	O
of	O
CIS	O
and	O
Prime	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
CAD	B-Algorithm
Schroer	I-Algorithm
UK	O
remains	O
a	O
software	B-Application
development	O
centre	O
in	O
Cambridge	O
,	O
whose	O
staff	O
continue	O
to	O
develop	O
and	O
support	O
MEDUSA4	O
and	O
MPDS4	B-Algorithm
in	O
partnership	O
with	O
CAD	B-Application
development	O
experts	O
at	O
CAD	B-Algorithm
Schroer	I-Algorithm
GmbH	O
in	O
Moers	O
,	O
Germany	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2006	O
,	O
CAD	B-Algorithm
Schroer	I-Algorithm
released	O
the	O
Fourth	O
Generation	O
of	O
the	O
MPDS	B-Algorithm
plant	I-Algorithm
design	I-Algorithm
system	I-Algorithm
,	O
MPDS4	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
Multi-user	O
engineering	O
design	O
in	O
MPDS	B-Language
is	O
relational	O
database-driven	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MPDS	B-Language
combines	O
use	O
of	O
the	O
HOOPS	B-Language
3D	I-Language
Graphics	I-Language
System	I-Language
with	O
the	O
relational	B-Application
database	I-Application
,	O
whose	O
catalog	O
component	O
attributes	O
define	O
the	O
visual	O
representation	O
of	O
each	O
component	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Central	O
user	O
administration	O
and	O
access	O
controls	O
in	O
MPDS	B-Language
allow	O
Administrators	O
to	O
set	O
up	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
users	O
who	O
can	O
work	O
on	O
a	O
plant	O
design	O
simultaneously	O
,	O
and	O
who	O
can	O
have	O
different	O
access	O
privileges	O
-	O
limited	O
,	O
for	O
example	O
,	O
to	O
certain	O
design	O
disciplines	O
or	O
to	O
certain	O
areas	O
within	O
a	O
plant	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MPDS4	B-Algorithm
includes	O
hard	O
and	O
soft	O
clash	O
detection	O
,	O
which	O
can	O
be	O
applied	O
to	O
a	O
whole	O
project	O
,	O
to	O
separate	O
systems	O
or	O
between	O
selected	O
components	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
MPDS4	B-Algorithm
Assembly	O
Manager	O
is	O
at	O
the	O
core	O
of	O
the	O
plant	O
design	O
and	O
factory	O
layout	O
system	O
,	O
and	O
can	O
be	O
extended	O
with	O
several	O
user	O
extensible	O
and	O
customizable	O
modules	O
covering	O
plant	O
engineering	O
disciplines	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PIPING	O
DESIGN	O
MPDS4	B-Algorithm
PIPING	O
DESIGN	O
is	O
an	O
industrial	O
piping	O
design	B-Application
software	I-Application
add-on	O
with	O
extensive	O
libraries	O
of	O
catalogue	O
components	O
to	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
industrial	O
standards	O
,	O
including	O
DIN	O
,	O
ANSI	O
and	O
BS	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MPDS4	B-Algorithm
PIPING	O
DESIGN	O
is	O
fully	O
integrated	O
with	O
ISOGEN	O
(	O
from	O
ALIAS	O
Piping	O
Solutions	O
)	O
for	O
automated	O
piping	O
isometric	O
production	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
FACTORY	O
LAYOUT	O
MPDS4	B-Algorithm
FACTORY	O
LAYOUT	O
is	O
a	O
hybrid	O
2D/3D	O
design	O
environment	O
where	O
2D	O
layouts	O
or	O
drawings	O
are	O
used	O
as	O
the	O
basis	O
of	O
3D	O
designs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MATERIALS	O
HANDLING	O
MPDS4	B-Algorithm
MECHANICAL	O
HANDLING	O
is	O
a	O
design	O
application	O
with	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
configurable	O
catalogs	O
of	O
mechanical	O
materials	O
handling	O
components	O
,	O
which	O
can	O
be	O
physically	O
interconnected	O
to	O
form	O
part	O
of	O
an	O
industrial	O
process	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
STEEL	O
DESIGN	O
MPDS4	B-Algorithm
STEEL	O
DESIGN	O
is	O
a	O
module	O
for	O
constructing	O
steel	O
frames	O
for	O
buildings	O
and	O
equipment	O
support	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MPDS4	B-Algorithm
STEEL	O
DESIGN	O
includes	O
catalogs	O
of	O
steel	O
sections	O
for	O
many	O
worldwide	O
steel	O
standards	O
and	O
allows	O
users	O
to	O
design	O
steel	O
members	O
,	O
plates	O
,	O
stairs	O
and	O
ladders	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
DUCTING	O
DESIGN	O
MPDS4	B-Algorithm
DUCTING	O
DESIGN	O
is	O
a	O
software	B-Application
module	O
for	O
routing	O
HVAC	O
,	O
of	O
differing	O
sections	O
,	O
into	O
a	O
plant	O
or	O
factory	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MPDS4	B-Algorithm
DUCTING	O
DESIGN	O
includes	O
catalogs	O
with	O
different	O
types	O
of	O
ducts	O
,	O
valves	O
,	O
fans	O
and	O
other	O
supporting	O
components	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ELECTRICAL	O
DESIGN	O
MPDS4	B-Algorithm
ELECTRICAL	O
DESIGN	O
is	O
a	O
design	O
module	O
for	O
routing	O
or	O
connecting	O
electrical	O
systems	O
with	O
components	O
throughout	O
a	O
plant	O
,	O
ship	O
,	O
or	O
factory	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
HANGERS	O
&	O
SUPPORTS	O
DESIGN	O
MPDS4	B-Algorithm
HANGERS	O
&	O
SUPPORTS	O
DESIGN	O
is	O
a	O
design	O
application	O
for	O
accurately	O
modelling	O
supports	O
between	O
pipes	O
and	O
steelwork	O
in	O
a	O
plant	O
or	O
installation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ENGINEERING	O
REVIEW	O
MPDS4	B-Algorithm
ENGINEERING	O
REVIEW	O
is	O
an	O
application	O
for	O
conducting	O
realistic	O
engineering	O
design	O
reviews	O
within	O
the	O
MPDS4	B-Algorithm
plant	O
environment	O
,	O
visually	O
presenting	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
plant	O
project	O
data	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
REVIEW	O
MPDS4	B-Algorithm
REVIEW	O
is	O
an	O
external	O
review	O
application	O
for	O
users	O
who	O
do	O
not	O
have	O
the	O
MPDS4	B-Algorithm
plant	O
design	O
system	O
installed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MPDS4	B-Algorithm
can	O
generate	O
.HSF	O
(	O
Hoops	O
format	O
)	O
files	O
of	O
a	O
plant	O
design	O
,	O
which	O
can	O
be	O
e-mailed	O
to	O
users	O
of	O
the	O
MPDS4	B-Algorithm
REVIEW	O
tool	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
use	O
the	B-Application
software	I-Application
to	O
conduct	O
interactive	O
design	O
reviews	O
and	O
walk-throughs	O
,	O
or	O
present	O
designs	O
to	O
third	O
parties	O
.	O
</s>
