CAD Centre - Research Projects

• CONFIG

• DCFormal

• DENOTE

• DESRU

• FORESEE

• GEMCON

• GEODESIC

• I-MAGI

• PERFORM

• PERSPECT

• SPIDA

• Integration of Design Specialists Through Shared Workspaces

• Shared Workspaces in Design

• Enhancing The Evolution Of Design Science

• Designing Engineering Design Courseware

• Geometric Design Education

• Configuration Management System

• Design, Decision, Consequences

• Darmstadt Symposium

• Sketching on Computational Envelope

• The Support of Danish Design Methodology

• Early Geometric Design

• Supporting Abstractions In A Computational Environment

• Modelling of Vague and Precise Geometric Information

• Handling Of Positional Information In A System

• Hypercard Expert System

• Structuring Knowledge of Life-Cycle Consequences

• Design Concepts in New Engineering Contexts

• Generalisation of Spatial Layouts

• Review of Pattern Matching Approaches

• A Design Reuse Model

• Requirements of Computer-Based Modelling and Management

Systems

A Numerical Problem Solver

DESIGNER

Background

Design is a complex task relying on many aspects of a designerÆs experience, intellect, and reasoning powers. Any methods or techniques which assist the designer, either by reducing the time it takes to design or by improving the quality of the design decisions, are clearly desirable. A designer would normally develop methods and techniques through the practice of design including collecting and classifying information on past designs, recording actual performances against predicted performances, developing statistical and empirical relationships, cataloguing ideas, and formalising procedures. Even when these methods and techniques are not explicit, they will nonetheless be embodied in a designerÆs experience and expertise. If this experience and expertise can be captured and applied to new problems, opportunities for more effective design open up.

Research Objectives

Conventional CAD approaches have primarily supported the designer in modelling the geometry of the desired product and itÆs subsequent analysis. They have paid little attention to capturing and using expertise. The research in the CAD Centre has been aimed at understanding how best to build computer aided design systems which also contain design knowledge and expertise.

Research Achievements

A computer software package, DESIGNER, is one result of this research based within the field of numerical calculation. The system aims to act as an assistant to the user, giving guidance and aid in the problem solving process through in-built expertise in applying design relationships. In particular DESIGNER provides:

flexible representation of design models;

ability to modify models, adding new design parameters or relationships, during the design process;

provide feedback to the designer on the nature of relationships;

variety of levels of control of the design process by the designer.

While the system has been developed with design in mind the result is a general numerical problem solving package with the facility to rapidly build and investigate solutions and has been used in a variety of industries. To date it has been used for: turbine-generator design, cost estimating, preliminary ship design, beam support selection, and design teaching.

For More Information Contact: Dr A H B Duffy