1. Advanced multimedia interfaces for use in engineering and educational software J. Lindemann, O. Dahlblom and G. Sandberg

2. Outline General discussion of analysis software for civil engineers, designers and archictects A tool for “sketching” structures and forces. The “Virtual Workbench” for 3D beam analysis

3. Analysis software for designers and architects Easy to find analysis software for engineers Hard to find analysis software for designers or architects –Different requirements –Different uses and application

4. Engineering software

6. Analysis software for designers and architects Software must be adapted to a different work process Analysis must be easy to use Fast, adapted to an iterative process. Visualisation of results important

7. The design process

8. Problem Investigation Solution Evaluation Redesign Final solution

9. Painting programs

10. Direct manipulation Easy to use Often used by designers/architects Can this be applied to an analysis tool for designers and architects?

11. ForcePAD 2D finite element analysis program Structure is painted Standard paint tools, brush, lines, geometric primitives and fill Visualisation of principal stresses and deformation

12. Example of use…

13. Educational use at The School of Design Sciences

14. First ForcePAD assignment Illustrate the shear stresses

15. Second ForcePAD assignment Bicycle design

16. Results Standard bicycle designs

17. Results Modified bicycle designs

18. Results New bicycle design

19. Educational use at Structural Mechanics Used in the undergraduate course in structural mechanics

20. Assignment 1 – Trusses

21. Assignment 1 - Results

22. Assigment 2 – Bar of different materials

23. Assignment 2 - Results

24. Assignment 3 – Concrete test sample

25. Assignment 3 - Results

26. Assignment 4 – Piece of wood

27. Assignment 4 - Results

28. Assignment 5 - Beams

29. Assignment 5 - Results

30. Creating a “virtual workshop” Architects often use models to evaluate their designs Enables them to get a better ”feel” of the designs How can this ”workshop” be translated into software?

31. New hardware possibilities Cheap 3d/2d acceleration –Real-time lighted and shaded models –Transparency (Blending) –Fast 2d operations Low cost computational resources –Complex analysis possible on most workstations –Sometimes even in real-time

32. What can we learn from games? Direct interfaces Not bound by existing paradigms Visually appealing Often easy to use

33. User interface examples Transparency Heads up display Direct manipulation Dynamic

34. ObjectiveFrame 3D beam analysis Direct manipulation interface ”Feedback mode” for visualising deflection in real-time. Visualisation of section forces and deformation

35. Example of use…

36. Educational use at The School of Architecture at Chalmers University of Technology The usability of ObjectiveFrame was tested in the course High Structures --- A Creative Investigation

37. Stiffening of structures The assignment was to apply stiffening methods to high structures A one-hour lecture was given to introduce different methods of stiffening high structures The students were given two models –A simple structure for studying the effects of stiffening a floor –A more complete structure for evaluating different methods of stiffening.

38. The models

39. The students

40. The results

41. Conclusions It is difficult to create good educational software Paradigms can be effectively combined to create new analysis tools New hardware enables new ideas ForcePAD and ObjectiveFrame have succesfully used in the education

42. More information ForcePAD and ObjectiveFrame can be found at http://www.byggmek.lth.se under Resources http://www.byggmek.lth.se