PRODUCT MODELLING

Eastman C (1999). Building Product Models, CRC Press, Boca Raton Smithers T (1989). AI-based design versus geometry-based design or Why design cannot be supported by geometry alone, Computer-Aided Design, 21: Björk B-C (1991). Intelligent front-ends and product models, Artificial Intelligence in Engineering, 6:46-56 Satzinger J W and Orvik T U (2001). The Object-Oriented Approach: Concepts, System Development and Modeling with UML, Course Technology, Boston, MA REFERENCES 2/17

WHAT IS A PRODUCT? anything defined as such bottle, airport, software component anything produced not natural object result of a design &/or manufacturing process

WHAT IS A PRODUCT MODEL? ● can be implemented in many ways e.g. ASCII file, database a product model is a digital information structure of the objects making up a product potentially richer representation than any set of drawings NOT A SOFTWARE APPLICATION an information structure

WHAT IS A PRODUCT MODEL? (cont.) product modelling is concerned with information modelling to be used electronically data in model will be created, manipulated, evaluated, reviewed and presented using computers 5/17

till recently paper-based drawings WHY PRODUCT MODELLING? geometry representation integration and automation ► information ‘manually’ interpreted ► cannot be used directly by applications ► need to move to an electronic representation ►geometrical primitives - lines, etc ►large projects - many disciplines ►across processes - CAD / CAM ►communication of information

verification APPLICATIONS REQUIRING PRODUCT MODELS analyses selecting components from products base communicating between disciplines justification ► checking that design complies, e.g. code checking ► performance analyses e.g. visual, spatial, lighting, structural, etc ► performance specification e.g. from Web ► performance specification ► relating decisions to performance requirements

clients / investors / developers USERS suppliers facility managers / operators authorities designers e.g. architects, consulting engineers contractors / manufacturers

‘whole-of-life’ PRODUCT LIFE-CYCLE various phases - involve many activities each activity becoming more reliant on computer-based applications information at every phase / stage ► conception ► planning / design ► manufacture / construction ► operation ► demolition ► CAD / CAM - information in design used in manufacture automatic detailing / fabrication / monitoring

problem of information transfer PRODUCT LIFE-CYCLE (cont.) integration & automation ►preparation required from one application to another ►manual entry ►even when exists electronically - transfer problem ►problem of data exchange and interpretation ►automatic transfer from one application to another 10/17

major international efforts STANDARDIZATION EFFORTS ISO - STEP IAI ►developing and standardizing a representation ►STandard for the Exchange of Product model data ►International Alliance for Interoperability ►industry consortium - major CAD vendors

CAD evolution paradigms EVOLUTION OF CAD drawing to modelling CAD as platform for application development ► geometric editor ► environment for discipline-specific applications ► domain-specific applications using a central model ► originally replaced 2-D draughting ► late 1970’s - 3-D wireframe ► surface modelling allowed shading etc ► Boolean operations - 3-D solid modelling ► parametric modelling ► geometry only one of many attributes of a product ► material, performance, relations ► integration of graphic & non-graphic

knowledge EVOLUTION OF CAD (cont.) object-oriented modelling current state ► geometric editor has no knowledge beyond geometry ► incorporation of knowledge allows for rules ► most current CAD systems evolved from electronic draughting systems ► today trying to support object-oriented development ArchiCAD, AutoDesk / Revit ► dominant use still as graphics editor - AEC ► trying to advance to another level ► based on 3-D, solid modelling & O-O languages, databases, effective graphical interfaces and web-based communications

to develop an electronic representation of a product in a form capable of supporting all major activities throughout the product’s lifecycle THE CHALLENGE ● challenge is focus of product modelling ► will allow virtual modelling, rapid walk-throughs, CAM, automated construction / manufacture 14/18

MODELLING CONCEPTS two main parallel areas database design artificial intelligence object-oriented modelling ► development of languages for dealing with data, information & knowledge ► for representing, storing & manipulating data ► representing and manipulating knowledge ► representing and manipulating objects 15/17

PRODUCT MODEL EXAMPLE Faculty of Science home page inform promote Faculty provide links navigability medium speed of access acceptable aesthetics average …..

PRODUCT MODEL EXAMPLE Faculty of Science web site type= “graphic element” banner red … …. … type= “ text element” Faculty of Science … type= “link element” uni crest … 17/17