CATIA started as an in-house development in 1977 by French aircraft manufacturer Avions Marcel Dassault, at that time customer of the CADAM software[1] to develop Dassault's Mirage fighter jet. It was later adopted by the aerospace, automotive, shipbuilding, and other industries.
Initially named CATI (conception assistée tridimensionnelle interactive – French for interactive aided three-dimensional design ), it was renamed CATIA in 1981 when Dassault created a subsidiary to develop and sell the software and signed a non-exclusive distribution agreement with IBM.[2]
