Cumincad : CUMINCAD Papers : Search Results

CumInCAD is a Cumulative Index about publications in Computer Aided Architectural Design
supported by the sibling associations ACADIA, CAADRIA, eCAADe, SIGraDi, ASCAAD and CAAD futures

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_id	36d3
authors	Af Klercker, Jonas
year	1999
title	A CAVE-Interface in CAAD-Education?
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.caadria.1999.313
source	CAADRIA '99 [Proceedings of The Fourth Conference on Computer Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia / ISBN 7-5439-1233-3] Shanghai (China) 5-7 May 1999, pp. 313-323
summary	The so called "CAVE-interface" is a very interesting and thrilling development for architects! It supports a better illusion of space by exposing almost a 270° view of a computer model than the 60° which can be viewed on an ordinary computer screen. At the Lund University we have got the possibility to experiment with a CAVE-installation, using it in research and the education of CAAD. The technique and three experiments are discribed. The possibilities are discussed and some problems and questions are put forward.
series	CAADRIA
email
last changed	2022/06/07 07:54

_id	f154
authors	Amor, Robert and Newnham, Leonard
year	1999
title	CAD Interfaces to the ARROW Manufactured Product Server
source	Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Computer Aided Architectural Design Futures [ISBN 0-7923-8536-5] Atlanta, 7-8 June 1999, pp. 1-11
summary	The UK national project ARROW (Advanced Reusable Reliable Objects Warehouse) provides an Internet based framework through which it is possible to identify any of a range of manufactured products meeting specific design criteria. This open framework (based upon the IAI's IFCs) provides a mechanism for users to search for products from any participating manufacturer or supplier based both on specific attributes of a product or on any of the textual descriptions of the product. The service returns the closest matching products and allows the user to navigate to related information including manufacturer, suppliers, CAD details, VR displays, installation instructions, certificates, health and safety information, promotional information, costings, etc. ARROW also provides a toolkit to enable manufacturers and suppliers to more easily map and publish their information in the format utilised by the ARROW system. As part of the ARROW project we have examined the ability to interface from a design tool through to ARROW to automatically retrieve information required by the tool. This paper describes the API developed to allow CAD and simulation tools to communicate directly with ARROW and identify appropriate manufactured information. The demonstration system enables CAD systems to identify the closest matching manufactured product to a designed product and replacing the designed product with the details supplied by the manufacturer for the manufactured product as well as pulling through product attributes utilised by the design application. This paper provides a description of the ARROW framework and issues faced in providing information based upon standards as well as containing information not currently modelled in public standards. The paper looks at issues of enabling manufacturers and suppliers to move from their current world-view of product information to a more data-rich and user accessible information repository (even though this enables a uniform comparison across a range of manufacturer's products). Finally the paper comments on the likely way forward for ARROW like systems in providing quality information to end users.
keywords	Computer-aided Design, Product Retrieval
series	CAAD Futures
email
last changed	2006/11/07 07:22

_id	1071
authors	Asanowicz, Aleksander
year	1999
title	Evolution of Computer Aided Design: Three Generations of CAD
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.ecaade.1999.094
source	Architectural Computing from Turing to 2000 [eCAADe Conference Proceedings / ISBN 0-9523687-5-7] Liverpool (UK) 15-17 September 1999, pp. 94-100
summary	This paper describes the three generations of CAD systems. The first generation of (primarily analytical) computer programmes really aided designing. These programmes were the tools for finding a functional solution in different areas of designing, from flat plans to the space organisation of a hospital. One of the shortcomings of these programmes was the lack of graphic interface. With time, however, this kind of interface was developed. As a result of this second generation of CAD systems the computer was transformed into a drafting machine and CAD meant Computer Aided Drafting. The main thesis of this consideration is that only now we have the chance to return to the idea of Computer Aided Design. One of the examples of these trends is the AVOCAAD programme in which Added Value of CAAD is analysed. The development of the third generation of CAD systems will be possible in the near future. Aiding the process of designing will demand the elaboration of new methods of using the computer at the early stages of this process. The computer should be used not for generating variants of functional solutions only but for also for the creation of 3D forms by 3D sketching. For this, the computer should be transformed from a tool into a medium; only then will designing become true Designing in Cyber Space.
keywords	Generations of CAAD, Design Process, Creation, Medium
series	eCAADe
email
last changed	2022/06/07 07:54

_id	7da7
authors	Benedetti, Cristina and Salvioni, Giulio
year	1999
title	The Use of Renewable Resource in Architecture: New Teaching Methodologies
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.ecaade.1999.751
source	Architectural Computing from Turing to 2000 [eCAADe Conference Proceedings / ISBN 0-9523687-5-7] Liverpool (UK) 15-17 September 1999, pp. 751-756
summary	The program is organized into four parts. Each is very much connected, both logically and methodologically, so that the unit as a whole consists of a content and method of access that are not divided up. This method is not in a chronological order that simply goes in one direction, rather it allows the user to "refer back", in real time and in different directions. For the simple purpose of explanation, the sections of the program are listed as follows: (-) "Basic information" concerns the basics of bioclimatic and timber architecture. Without this knowledge, the other two sections would be difficult to understand; (-) "Actual buildings throughout the world"; give examples of architectural quality; they concretize the basics of bioclimatic and timber architecture; (-) "Students' Masters Theses", that follow on from the basic information and the learning experience "in the field", and guided by the lecturer, have a critical approach to actual buildings throughout the world. (-) A multimedia data-sheet organized to ensure a clear and straightforward presentation of information about the construction products. It relies on a tab-based navigation interface that gives users access to eight different stacked windows.
keywords	Architecture, Multimedia, Timber, Bioclimatic, Classification
series	eCAADe
email
last changed	2022/06/07 07:54

_id	e531
authors	Berk, Michael
year	1999
title	CYBERjack
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.acadia.1999.x.i8o
source	ACADIA Quarterly, vol. 18, no. 4, p. 10
summary	Using a limited "kit of parts" [two 8 ft. 2x4's and one sheet of 1/2" birch plywood] students in teams of two are to design and construct an "interface" which joins the physical world to the virtual world of the web. The location for this piece of furniture [the CYBERjack] will be a local library in Okolona, Mississippi, where existing web computers are to be housed. The students modeled the design using formZ, then plotted full-size templates to be used in cutting the actual parts out of wood in the shop. The device was supposed to join the Body to the Machine. The project lasted 2 weeks and was part of a 4th year studio which participated in the ACADIA Library Competition last year.
series	ACADIA
email
last changed	2022/06/07 07:49

_id	bbb9
authors	Blaise, Jean-Yves and Dudek, Iwona
year	1999
title	SOL: Spatial and Historical Web-Based Interface for On Line Architectural Documentation of Krakow's Rynek Gowny
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.ecaade.1999.700
source	Architectural Computing from Turing to 2000 [eCAADe Conference Proceedings / ISBN 0-9523687-5-7] Liverpool (UK) 15-17 September 1999, pp. 700-707
summary	Our paper presents recent developments of a co-operation program that links the MAP-GAMSAU CNRS laboratory (Marseilles, France), specialised in computer science and the HAiKZ Institute of Krakow's Faculty of Architecture, specialised in architectural heritage and conservation. Before undertaking any action to a listed building or interventions in its neighbourhood, it is vital to gain a clear understanding of the building in question. Numerous heterogeneous data detained by diverse institutions has to be handled. This process can be greatly eased by enhanced classification of the information. The development we present is a multidisciplinary platform independent information tool dedicated to education and research. SOL uses an http protocol centred computer architecture connecting a relational database, a VRML 2.0 representation module and a web search interface. It allows searches and updating of the database through a standard text based interface, a VRML 2.0 graphical module and a thematic interface. SOL is experienced on the urban fabric of the Main Square (Rynek Gówny) in Kraków. The choice of a web-centred development, both in the search and updating interface and in the representation module provides platform independence and distant access to the database, and enables successive contributions of students or researchers.
keywords	Web Interface, Database, Architectural Heritage Environment, Information Module, Historical Evolutions
series	eCAADe
email
more	http://alberti.gamsau.archi.fr
last changed	2022/06/07 07:52

_id	90dc
authors	Chen, C.
year	1999
title	Information Visualisation and Virtual Environments
source	Springer
summary	Information Visualisation is a fast growing research field and an industry with tremendous potential. Virtual environments provide a unique medium for people to communicate and interact over computer networks. Information Visualisation and Virtual Environments links the two areas together and presents the latest research and development, highlighting the potential of information visualisation as an enabling technology in the design of new generations of virtual environments. This book will be an invaluable source of reference for courses in Information Visualisation, User Interface Design, Virtual Environments, HCI, and Information Retrieval, as well as being a useful resource for consultants and practitioners. The book contains 144 wonderful colour images of intriguing and influential works in information visualisation.
series	other
last changed	2003/04/23 15:14

_id	avocaad_2001_02
id	avocaad_2001_02
authors	Cheng-Yuan Lin, Yu-Tung Liu
year	2001
title	A digital Procedure of Building Construction: A practical project
source	AVOCAAD - ADDED VALUE OF COMPUTER AIDED ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, Nys Koenraad, Provoost Tom, Verbeke Johan, Verleye Johan (Eds.), (2001) Hogeschool voor Wetenschap en Kunst - Departement Architectuur Sint-Lucas, Campus Brussel, ISBN 80-76101-05-1
summary	In earlier times in which computers have not yet been developed well, there has been some researches regarding representation using conventional media (Gombrich, 1960; Arnheim, 1970). For ancient architects, the design process was described abstractly by text (Hewitt, 1985; Cable, 1983); the process evolved from unselfconscious to conscious ways (Alexander, 1964). Till the appearance of 2D drawings, these drawings could only express abstract visual thinking and visually conceptualized vocabulary (Goldschmidt, 1999). Then with the massive use of physical models in the Renaissance, the form and space of architecture was given better precision (Millon, 1994). Researches continued their attempts to identify the nature of different design tools (Eastman and Fereshe, 1994). Simon (1981) figured out that human increasingly relies on other specialists, computational agents, and materials referred to augment their cognitive abilities. This discourse was verified by recent research on conception of design and the expression using digital technologies (McCullough, 1996; Perez-Gomez and Pelletier, 1997). While other design tools did not change as much as representation (Panofsky, 1991; Koch, 1997), the involvement of computers in conventional architecture design arouses a new design thinking of digital architecture (Liu, 1996; Krawczyk, 1997; Murray, 1997; Wertheim, 1999). The notion of the link between ideas and media is emphasized throughout various fields, such as architectural education (Radford, 2000), Internet, and restoration of historical architecture (Potier et al., 2000). Information technology is also an important tool for civil engineering projects (Choi and Ibbs, 1989). Compared with conventional design media, computers avoid some errors in the process (Zaera, 1997). However, most of the application of computers to construction is restricted to simulations in building process (Halpin, 1990). It is worth studying how to employ computer technology meaningfully to bring significant changes to concept stage during the process of building construction (Madazo, 2000; Dave, 2000) and communication (Haymaker, 2000).In architectural design, concept design was achieved through drawings and models (Mitchell, 1997), while the working drawings and even shop drawings were brewed and communicated through drawings only. However, the most effective method of shaping building elements is to build models by computer (Madrazo, 1999). With the trend of 3D visualization (Johnson and Clayton, 1998) and the difference of designing between the physical environment and virtual environment (Maher et al. 2000), we intend to study the possibilities of using digital models, in addition to drawings, as a critical media in the conceptual stage of building construction process in the near future (just as the critical role that physical models played in early design process in the Renaissance). This research is combined with two practical building projects, following the progress of construction by using digital models and animations to simulate the structural layouts of the projects. We also tried to solve the complicated and even conflicting problems in the detail and piping design process through an easily accessible and precise interface. An attempt was made to delineate the hierarchy of the elements in a single structural and constructional system, and the corresponding relations among the systems. Since building construction is often complicated and even conflicting, precision needed to complete the projects can not be based merely on 2D drawings with some imagination. The purpose of this paper is to describe all the related elements according to precision and correctness, to discuss every possibility of different thinking in design of electric-mechanical engineering, to receive feedback from the construction projects in the real world, and to compare the digital models with conventional drawings.Through the application of this research, the subtle relations between the conventional drawings and digital models can be used in the area of building construction. Moreover, a theoretical model and standard process is proposed by using conventional drawings, digital models and physical buildings. By introducing the intervention of digital media in design process of working drawings and shop drawings, there is an opportune chance to use the digital media as a prominent design tool. This study extends the use of digital model and animation from design process to construction process. However, the entire construction process involves various details and exceptions, which are not discussed in this paper. These limitations should be explored in future studies.
series	AVOCAAD
email
last changed	2005/09/09 10:48

_id	2690
authors	Chiu, Mao-Lin
year	1999
title	Design Navigation and Construction Simulation by Virtual Reality
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.caadria.1999.031
source	CAADRIA '99 [Proceedings of The Fourth Conference on Computer Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia / ISBN 7-5439-1233-3] Shanghai (China) 5-7 May 1999, pp. 31-41
summary	This paper depicts the approach of constructing a virtual reality environment for simulating architectural design and construction operations. The virtual environment is established to demonstrate the spatial performance of design and constructability of construction operations. Particularly, the functions such as navigation of construction sites, simulation of construction operations, and evaluation of construction details will be critical to construction operations. The system shell is implemented by JAVA on the web and integrated with VRML for supporting the above functions. The study focuses on the needs for the system integration and interface design. Four modes of human computer interfaces are proposed, including the user, agent, monitor, and immersion modes. Finally, this paper provides demonstration of construction simulation in an office building project to highlight the above discussion. The operations of crane towers and curtain wall installation are also studied in the construction process. In conclusion, this paper demonstrates the potential uses and limitation of virtual reality in simulation of the built environment.
series	CAADRIA
email
last changed	2022/06/07 07:56

_id	ga0020
id	ga0020
authors	Codignola, G.Matteo
year	2000
title	[Title missing]
source	International Conference on Generative Art
summary	This paper is a summary of my last degree in architecture (discussed in December 1999) with Prof. Celestino Soddu and Prof. Enrica Colabella. In this work I had the possibility to reach complexity by a generative approach with the construction of a paradigm that organizes the different codes of project identity. My general objective was to design shape complexity in variable categories : 3d space surfaces, 2d drawings and 2d textures. I was to discover the identity of one of my favourite architects of the 20th century : Antoni Gaudì, by constructing codes relative to shape complexity. I defined my particular objective in the possibility to abduct from Gaudì's imaginary reference the generatives codes that operate in the logical processing I use to create a possible species project. The next step was to verify the exact working of the new generative codes by means of 3d scenaries, that are recognizable as "Antoni Gaudì specie's architecture". Whit project processing on the generative codes and not on a possible resulting shape design, I was able to organize by my general paradigm the attributes of the project's species : different shapes, different attributes (color, scale, proportion), to get to possible and different scenarys, all recognizable by the relative class codes. I chose three examples in Barcellona built during the period 1902 to 1914 : The Parco Guell, Casa Batllò and Casa Milà are the three reference sceneryes that I used to create the generative codes. In the second step I defined different codes that operate in sequence (it is defined in the paradigm) : The generatives codes are only subjective; they are one possible solution of my interpretation of Antoni Gaudì's identity. This codes operate in four differents ways : Geometrical codes for 2d shapes Geometrical codes for interface relations Spatial codes for 3d extrusion of 2d shapes Geometrical codes for 2d and 3d texturing of generated surfaces. By a stratified application of this codes I arrived at one idea for all the generative processes but many different, possible scenaryes, all recognizable in Gaudì's species. So, my final result has made possible sceneryes belonging to related species defined previously. At the end of my research I designed a project by combination : using Antoni Gaudì's generative codes on a new 3d scenary with a shape catalyst : the Frank Lloyd Wright Guggenheim Museum of New York. In this process I created a "hybrid scenary" : a new species of architectural look; a Guggenheim museum planned by Wright with a god pinch of Gaudì.
series	other
email
more	http://www.generativeart.com/
last changed	2003/08/07 17:25

_id	84e8
authors	Cohen, J.M., Markosian, L., Zeleznik, R.C., Hughes, J.F. and Barzel, R.
year	1999
title	An Interface for Sketching 3D Curves
source	ACM Symposium on Interactive 3D Graphics, pp. 17-22 (April 1999). ACM SIGGRAPH. Edited by Jessica Hodgins and James D. Foley
summary	The ability to specify nonplanar 3D curves is of fundamental importance in 3D modeling and animation systems. Effective techniques for specifying such curves using 2D input devices are desirable, but existing methods typically require the user to edit the curve from several viewpoints. We present a novel method for specifying 3D curves with 2D input from a single viewpoint. The user rst draws the curve as it appears from the current viewpoint, and then draws its shadow on the oor plane. The system correlates the curve with its shadow to compute the curve's 3D shape. This method is more natural than existing methods in that it leverages skills that many artists and designers have developed from work with pencil and paper.
series	other
last changed	2003/04/23 15:14

_id	9cab
authors	Coomans, M.K.D.
year	1999
title	A Virtual Reality User Interface for a Design Information System, CCAI: the Journal for the Integrated Study of Artificial Intelligence
source	Cognitive Science and Applied Epistemology, Rijks Universiteit Gent
summary	The computer is a tool, a complex artefact that is used to extend our reach. A computer system can provide several kinds of services, but against these services stands a supplementary task that the user must deal with: the communication with the computer system. We argued that Virtual Reality (VR) can fundamentally improve the user interface by rendering on the common experiential skills of all users. We present the theoretical basis for this, referring to Donald Norman's theory. We show that VR provides at least theoretically, the means to take a big step in the direction of an ideal user interface. As an example of a innovative application of VR in user interface design, we presented the VR-DIS system; an interdisciplinary design system for the building and construction industry. We discuss the issues underlying the design of its VR interface.
series	other
last changed	2003/04/23 15:50

_id	7dcd
authors	Cotton B. and Oliver, R.
year	1999
title	Understanding Hypermedia
source	Phaidon Press Ltd, London
summary	Understanding Hypermedia 2,000 is a wonderful read. It takes you on a journey tracing the origins of hypermedia from its very early beginings way back in the 1700's with the birth of print, all the way through to the modern new media revolution. It charts the developments in technology, culture, science and the arts to give you a very broad understanding of just what hypermedia is and where it came from. Looking to the future, Understanding Hypermedia looks at the components of hypermedia - interface design, typography, text, animation, video, vrml, etc -, the processes of designing and building new media projects - including examples from the web, cdrom and kiosks - and the future of the medium. From the hypermedia innovators to the visionaries of cyberspace. This book is a wonderful, rich and fasinating source of information and inspiration for anyone interested in or working with new media today.
series	other
last changed	2003/04/23 15:14

_id	9e26
authors	Do, Ellen Yi-Luen,
year	1999
title	The right tool at the right time : investigation of freehand drawing as an interface to knowledge based design tools
source	College of Architecture, Georgia Institute of Technology
summary	Designers use different symbols and configurations in their drawings to explore alternatives and to communicate with each other. For example, when thinking about spatial arrangements, they draw bubble diagrams; when thinking about natural lighting, they draw a sun symbol and light rays. Given the connection between drawings and thinking, one should be able infer design intentions from a drawing and ultimately use such inferences to program a computer to understand our drawings. This dissertation reports findings from empirical studies on drawings and explores the possibility of using the computer to automatically infer designer's concerns from the drawings a designer makes. This dissertation consists of three parts: 1) a literature review of design studies, cognitive studies of drawing and computational sketch systems, and a set of pilot projects; 2) empirical studies of diagramming design intentions and a design drawing experiment; and 3) the implementation of a prototype system called Right-Tool-Right-Time. The main goal is to find out what is in design drawings that a computer program should be able to recognize and support. Experiments were conducted to study the relation between drawing conventions and the design tasks with which they are associated. It was found from the experiments that designers use certain symbols and configurations when thinking about certain design concerns. When thinking about allocating objects or spaces with a required dimensions, designers wrote down numbers beside the drawing to reason xviii about size and to calculate dimensions. When thinking about visual analysis, designers drew sight lines from a view point on a floor plan. Based on the recognition that it is possible to associate symbols and spatial arrangements in a drawing with a designer's intention, or task context, the second goal is to find out whether a computer can be programed to recognize these drawing conventions. Given an inferred intention and context, a program should be able to activate appropriate design tools automatically. For example, concerns about visual analysis can activate a visual simulation program, and number calculations can activate a calculator. The Right- Tool-Right-Time prototype program demonstrates how a freehand sketching system that infers intentions would support the automatic activation of different design tools based on a designers' drawing acts.
series	thesis:PhD
email
more	http://www.arch.gatech.edu/~ellen/thesis.html
last changed	2004/10/04 07:49

_id	c824
authors	Fernández, Eduardo and Pi Gamba, Claudio
year	1999
title	PCD. Un Asistente al desarrollo de Cursos a Distancia para Internet (PCD. An Assistant for the Development of Remote Courses for Internet)
source	III Congreso Iberoamericano de Grafico Digital [SIGRADI Conference Proceedings] Montevideo (Uruguay) September 29th - October 1st 1999, pp. 389-392
summary	Internet is emerging as a leading technology for communication applications in the area of Educational Technology and Distance Education . A number of tools have been developed to help either the teachers in lecturing tasks, as well as the students in following them. PCD was created to bring together in the same environment the best of the existing products in the market. The present version offers these facilities: course assistant, html editor, a generator of automatic self assessment tasks, and a data base storage of the assessments for a later student control. The need of a friendly and powerful graphics interface was enforced during development, in order to simplify the dialog between the participants of the courses. In this paper these facilities are described, as well as current development areas.
series	SIGRADI
email
last changed	2016/03/10 09:51

_id	99ce
authors	Forowicz, T.
year	1999
title	Modeling of energy demands for residential buildings with HTML interface
source	Automation in Construction 8 (4) (1999) pp. 481-487
summary	This paper presents the package for calculation of energy and cost demands for heating, cooling and hot water. The package represents a new kind of approach to developing software, employing user (client) and server (program provider) computers connected by Internet. It is mounted on the owner server and is available to the whole world through the Web browser. The package was developed as a simplified tool for estimating energy use in four types of new and old houses, located in 900 US cities. The computing engine utilizes the database that was compiled by LBL in support of the 'Affordable Housing through Energy Conservation' Project with over 10000 DOE-2.1 simulations. The package consists of 69 routines and scripts coded in four languages: HTML, Perl, C, and FORTRAN. The modeling, the programming, and the future perspectives of the new kind of computational tool are presented. The paper discusses further technical limitations, as well as suggestions for further improvements and development. Especially important is the problem of multi-user access; ways for its solution are proposed.
series	journal paper
more	http://www.elsevier.com/locate/autcon
last changed	2003/05/15 21:22

_id	933a
authors	GVU
year	1999
title	Conceptual Design Space Project
source	Center Virtual Environments Group. GeorgiaTech,Virginia, USA
summary	The Conceptual Design Space (CDS) is a real-time, interactive virtual environments application which attempts to address the issue of 3D design in general and immersive design in particular. We are researching innovative tools and interface elements for virtual worlds. The first application of these techniques is an architectural one. Graduate students from Georgia Tech's College of Architecture will be using CDS to create conceptual building designs. The students will not only be able to inspect and "inhabit" their buildings, but will also have the ability to modify them, add details, or create new designs, all while immersed in the virtual world.
series	other
last changed	2003/04/23 15:50

_id	b8b4
authors	Igarashi, T., Matsuoka, S. and Tanaka, H.
year	1999
title	Teddy: A Sketching Interface for 3D Freeform Design
source	SIGGRAPH 99 Conference Proceedings, 109-126. ACM
summary	Teddy is a sketching interface for quickly and easily design freeform models such as stuffed animals and other rotund objects. The user draws several 2D freeform strokes interactively on the screen and the system automatically constructs plausible 3D polygonal surfaces. Our system supports several modeling operations, including the operation to construct a 3D polygonal surface from a 2D silhouette drawn by the user: it inflates the region surrounded by the silhouette making wide area fat, and narrow area thin. Teddy, our prototype system, is implemented as a Java program, and the mesh construction is done in real-time on a standard PC. I will give a live demonstration of modeling operations and describe its algorithms in detail.
series	other
last changed	2003/04/23 15:14

_id	ae38
authors	Jabi, Wassim
year	1999
title	Integrating Databases, Objects and the World-Wide Web for Collaboration in Architectural Design
source	Proceedings of the focus symposium: World Wide Web as Framework for Collaboration in conjunction with the 11th International Conference on Systems Research, Informatics and Cybernetics, The International Institute for Advanced Studies in Systems Research
summary	Architectural design requires specialized vertical knowledge that goes beyond the sharing of marks on paper or the multi-casting of video images. This paper briefly surveys the state-ofthe- art in groupware and outlines the need for vertical and integrated support of synchronous and asynchronous design collaboration. The paper also describes a software prototype (WebOutliner) under development that uses a three-tier persistent object-oriented, web-based technology for a richer representation of hierarchical architectural artifacts using Apple’s WebObjects technology. The prototype contributes to earlier work that defined a framework for a shared workspace consisting of Participants, Tasks, Proposals, and Artifacts. These four elements have been found through observation and analysis to be adequate representations of the essential components of collaborative architectural design. These components are also hierarchical which allows users to filter information, copy completed solutions to other parts of the program, analyze and compare design parameters and aggregate hierarchical amounts. Given its object orientation, the represented artifacts have built-in data and methods that allow them to respond to user actions and manage their own sub-artifacts. In addition, the prototype integrates this technology with Java tools for ubiquitous synchronous web-based access. The prototype uses architectural programming (defining the spatial program of a building) and early conceptual design as examples of seamlessly integrated groupware applications.
keywords	Computer Supported Collaborative Design, WebObjects, Synchronous and Asynchronous Collaboration, Java Applets, Application Server, Web-based Interface
series	other
email
last changed	2002/03/05 19:55

_id	avocaad_2001_22
id	avocaad_2001_22
authors	Jos van Leeuwen, Joran Jessurun
year	2001
title	XML for Flexibility an Extensibility of Design Information Models
source	AVOCAAD - ADDED VALUE OF COMPUTER AIDED ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, Nys Koenraad, Provoost Tom, Verbeke Johan, Verleye Johan (Eds.), (2001) Hogeschool voor Wetenschap en Kunst - Departement Architectuur Sint-Lucas, Campus Brussel, ISBN 80-76101-05-1
summary	The VR-DIS research programme aims at the development of a Virtual Reality – Design Information System. This is a design and decision support system for collaborative design that provides a VR interface for the interaction with both the geometric representation of a design and the non-geometric information concerning the design throughout the design process. The major part of the research programme focuses on early stages of design. The programme is carried out by a large number of researchers from a variety of disciplines in the domain of construction and architecture, including architectural design, building physics, structural design, construction management, etc.Management of design information is at the core of this design and decision support system. Much effort in the development of the system has been and still is dedicated to the underlying theory for information management and its implementation in an Application Programming Interface (API) that the various modules of the system use. The theory is based on a so-called Feature-based modelling approach and is described in the PhD thesis by [first author, 1999] and in [first author et al., 2000a]. This information modelling approach provides three major capabilities: (1) it allows for extensibility of conceptual schemas, which is used to enable a designer to define new typologies to model with; (2) it supports sharing of conceptual schemas, called type-libraries; and (3) it provides a high level of flexibility that offers the designer the opportunity to easily reuse design information and to model information constructs that are not foreseen in any existing typologies. The latter aspect involves the capability to expand information entities in a model with relationships and properties that are not typologically defined but applicable to a particular design situation only; this helps the designer to represent the actual design concepts more accurately.The functional design of the information modelling system is based on a three-layered framework. In the bottom layer, the actual design data is stored in so-called Feature Instances. The middle layer defines the typologies of these instances in so-called Feature Types. The top layer is called the meta-layer because it provides the class definitions for both the Types layer and the Instances layer; both Feature Types and Feature Instances are objects of the classes defined in the top layer. This top layer ensures that types can be defined on the fly and that instances can be created from these types, as well as expanded with non-typological properties and relationships while still conforming to the information structures laid out in the meta-layer.The VR-DIS system consists of a growing number of modules for different kinds of functionality in relation with the design task. These modules access the design information through the API that implements the meta-layer of the framework. This API has previously been implemented using an Object-Oriented Database (OODB), but this implementation had a number of disadvantages. The dependency of the OODB, a commercial software library, was considered the most problematic. Not only are licenses of the OODB library rather expensive, also the fact that this library is not common technology that can easily be shared among a wide range of applications, including existing applications, reduces its suitability for a system with the aforementioned specifications. In addition, the OODB approach required a relatively large effort to implement the desired functionality. It lacked adequate support to generate unique identifications for worldwide information sources that were understandable for human interpretation. This strongly limited the capabilities of the system to share conceptual schemas.The approach that is currently being implemented for the core of the VR-DIS system is based on eXtensible Markup Language (XML). Rather than implementing the meta-layer of the framework into classes of Feature Types and Feature Instances, this level of meta-definitions is provided in a document type definition (DTD). The DTD is complemented with a set of rules that are implemented into a parser API, based on the Document Object Model (DOM). The advantages of the XML approach for the modelling framework are immediate. Type-libraries distributed through Internet are now supported through the mechanisms of namespaces and XLink. The implementation of the API is no longer dependent of a particular database system. This provides much more flexibility in the implementation of the various modules of the VR-DIS system. Being based on the (supposed to become) standard of XML the implementation is much more versatile in its future usage, specifically in a distributed, Internet-based environment.These immediate advantages of the XML approach opened the door to a wide range of applications that are and will be developed on top of the VR-DIS core. Examples of these are the VR-based 3D sketching module [VR-DIS ref., 2000]; the VR-based information-modelling tool that allows the management and manipulation of information models for design in a VR environment [VR-DIS ref., 2000]; and a design-knowledge capturing module that is now under development [first author et al., 2000a and 2000b]. The latter module aims to assist the designer in the recognition and utilisation of existing and new typologies in a design situation. The replacement of the OODB implementation of the API by the XML implementation enables these modules to use distributed Feature databases through Internet, without many changes to their own code, and without the loss of the flexibility and extensibility of conceptual schemas that are implemented as part of the API. Research in the near future will result in Internet-based applications that support designers in the utilisation of distributed libraries of product-information, design-knowledge, case-bases, etc.The paper roughly follows the outline of the abstract, starting with an introduction to the VR-DIS project, its objectives, and the developed theory of the Feature-modelling framework that forms the core of it. It briefly discusses the necessity of schema evolution, flexibility and extensibility of conceptual schemas, and how these capabilities have been addressed in the framework. The major part of the paper describes how the previously mentioned aspects of the framework are implemented in the XML-based approach, providing details on the so-called meta-layer, its definition in the DTD, and the parser rules that complement it. The impact of the XML approach on the functionality of the VR-DIS modules and the system as a whole is demonstrated by a discussion of these modules and scenarios of their usage for design tasks. The paper is concluded with an overview of future work on the sharing of Internet-based design information and design knowledge.
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