A Heterogeneous Collaborative Design Based On Feature Data Exchange

Computer Supported Collaborative Design (CSCD) is the application of Computer Supported Collaborative Work (CSCW) in product design. As one of the key technologies of digital design and manufacturing in network environment, CSCD can greatly reduce the design cycle, lower the costs while improving the product quality and design efficiency. The collaborative design between heterogeneous CAD systems is an important aspect for research. This thesis focuses on a few related technologies of collaborative design; include a new approach of data exchange which based on feature and a way of communication based on Agent. The thesis puts forward a heterogeneous collaborative design system which can transmit models convenient and make the collaborative design viable.The technology of data exchange and the way of communication are keystones in the heterogeneous collaborative design system. Analyzing the basic characteristics of current product exchange data technologies, pointing out the low hierarchy where data exchange occurs, the missing of high-level design intent of design and the documents which are not able to use in internet are the main shortages of the current product exchange data technologies, the thesis puts forward a new approach, called feature based CAD data exchange. Doing some research on the conception of sharing data in different levels, the technology of modeling on parameter features, in this new approach, product exchange occurs in the level of feature model, and data exchanged is not the low-level semantic, such as boundary, mesh, but the high-level semantic with little amount, such as feature, history modeling. By this new approach, CAD systems can share the design process and reserves design intent availably. The incremental transmission method reduces the data transmission, so the approach is very appropriate for collaborative design on web.In this system, the communications from client to server or from client to client is based on Agents. Agents transmit data and message by the language of KQML. The heterogeneous collaborative design system transfers the API functions from function library which has encapsulated the client-agent, server-agent and administer-agent.For validating the feasibility of this new approach, Add-ins are developed by COM-based API of SolidWorks and Inventor. A collaborative design of a simple part on the two CAD systems proves the feasibility on the heterogeneous collaborative design system.