It was developed by telescope maker David Lewis, first described in 1999,[1] and used to simplify calculations needed in the design of mirror support cells.
[2] It was based on Toshimi Taki's 1993 program PLATE,[3] with a simplified user interface, thus giving it wide acceptance among makers of large Dobsonian style amateur telescopes, with good support of mirrors as thin as two inches for a diameter of thirty inches.
[4] A basic mirror cell may be built using minimal calculation and simple materials such as wood and outdoor carpet, with a good example being Dobson's original telescopes.
However, as amateurs sought to build larger and thinner mirrors, they found such designs inadequate.
The significantly more complex calculations arising from the support needs of large honeycomb mirrors and those using active optics systems are outside the design parameters of such programs.