Mass-Customization of Products Through Web-Based Feature Modeling Systems

Collaborative systems are distributed multiple-user systems that are both concurrent and synchronized. An interesting research challenge is to develop a collaborative modeling system that offers all facilities of advanced modeling systems to its users, while at the same time providing them with the necessary coordination mechanisms that guarantee effective collaboration. To achieve this, a web-based collaborative feature modeling system, webSpiff, has been developed. It has a client-server architecture, with an advanced feature modeling system as a basis for the server, providing feature validation, multiple views and sophisticated visualization facilities. A careful distribution of the functionality between the server and the clients has resulted in a well-balanced system. On the one hand, the server offers all the functionality of the original feature modeling system. On the other hand, all desirable interactive modeling functionality is offered by the clients, ranging from display of feature model images to interactive model specification facilities. The architecture of webSpiff, the distribution of model data, the functionality of the server and the clients, and the communication mechanisms are described. It is shown that a good compromise between interactivity and network load has been achieved, and that indeed advanced feature modeling with a collaborative system is feasible.

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Collaborative Modeling With Features

Volume 1: 21st Computers and Information in Engineering Conference ◽

10.1115/detc2001/cie-21286 ◽

2001 ◽

Author(s):

Rafael Bidarra ◽

Eelco van den Berg ◽

Willem F. Bronsvoort

Keyword(s):

Feature Modeling ◽

Feature Model ◽

Model Specification ◽

Web Based ◽

Collaborative Modeling ◽

Multiple User ◽

Modeling Systems ◽

The One ◽

Research Challenge ◽

Server Architecture

Abstract Collaborative systems are distributed multiple-user systems that are both concurrent and synchronized. An interesting research challenge is to develop a collaborative modeling system that offers all facilities of advanced modeling systems to its users, while at the same time providing them with the necessary coordination mechanisms that guarantee an effective collaboration. To achieve this, a web-based collaborative feature modeling system, webSPIFF, has been developed. It has a client-server architecture, with an advanced feature modeling system as a basis for the server, providing feature validation, multiple views and sophisticated visualization facilities. A good distribution of the functionality between the server and the clients has resulted in a well-balanced system. On the one hand, the server offers all the functionality of the original feature modeling system. On the other hand, all desirable interactive modeling functionality is offered by the clients, ranging from display of sophisticated feature model images to interactive model specification facilities. The architecture of webSPIFF, the distribution of model data, the functionality of the server and the clients, and the communication mechanisms are described. It is shown that a good compromise between interactivity and network load has been achieved, and that indeed advanced modeling with a collaborative system is feasible.

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Web-Based Distributed System and Database Modeling for Concurrent Design

Volume 1: 21st Computers and Information in Engineering Conference ◽

10.1115/detc2001/cie-21287 ◽

2001 ◽

Author(s):

D. Xue ◽

Y. Xu

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle ◽

Concurrent Design ◽

Product Modeling ◽

Web Based ◽

Database Modeling ◽

New Class ◽

Local Site ◽

Development Life Cycle ◽

Modeling Systems ◽

Design Activities

Abstract This research introduces a new approach for web-based collaborative concurrent design. In this approach, systems, product libraries, and product databases for modeling different product development life-cycle aspects are distributed at different locations that are linked through the web. Product modeling libraries and databases are described by class features and instance features. Product modeling systems are used for manipulating design activities. A class feature at a remote location can be used for defining a new class feature at the local site. A system at one location can be implemented using the systems at other locations as the components. Distributed life-cycle databases are associated by their relations.

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Boundary Evaluation for a Cellular Model

Volume 1: 23rd Computers and Information in Engineering Conference, Parts A and B ◽

10.1115/detc2003/cie-48197 ◽

2003 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Rafael Bidarra ◽

Willem J. Neels ◽

Willem F. Bronsvoort

Keyword(s):

Geometric Model ◽

Feature Modeling ◽

Boundary Representation ◽

Cellular Model ◽

Performance Measurements ◽

Shape Information ◽

Cellular Models ◽

Boundary Evaluation ◽

Modeling Systems ◽

Major Operation

Feature modeling systems usually employ a boundary representation (b-rep) to store the shape information on a product. It has, however, been shown that a b-rep has a number of shortcomings, and that a cellular model can be a valuable alternative. A cellular model stores additional shape information on a feature, including the faces that are not on the boundary of the product. Such information can be profitably used for several purposes. A major operation in each feature modeling system is boundary evaluation, which computes the geometric model of a product, i.e. either the b-rep or the cellular model, from the features that have been specified by the user. Because it has to be executed each time a feature has been added, removed or modified, its efficiency is very important. In this paper, boundary evaluation for a cellular model is described. Subsequently, its efficiency is compared to the efficiency of boundary evaluation for a b-rep, on the basis of performance measurements and considerations for both. It turns out that boundary evaluation for a cellular model is in fact more efficient than for a b-rep, which makes cellular models even more attractive as an alternative for b-reps.

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A CAD Template Approach to Support Web-Based Customer Centric Product Design

Journal of Computing and Information Science in Engineering ◽

10.1115/1.1881332 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 5 (4) ◽

pp. 381-387 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Zahed Siddique ◽

Karunakar Boddu

Keyword(s):

Product Design ◽

Design Process ◽

Mass Customization ◽

Computer Aided Design ◽

Cad Model ◽

Entire Family ◽

Web Based ◽

Computer Aided ◽

Aided Design ◽

Configurable Products

In order to provide products that can be tailored to the need of the customer, it is necessary to integrate the customer into the design process. In this paper we present a mass customization computer-aided design (CAD) framework that helps to integrate the customer into the design of user-configurable products. A template approach, which considers both modularity and scaling, is utilized to concisely represent a CAD model of the entire family. The system accepts user selections and parameters to automatically create a CAD model of the customized product in real time and then shows the model to the user. The system is implemented using PRO/ENGINEER and demonstrated through customization of bicycle frames.

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Constraint solving for direct manipulation of features

Artificial intelligence for engineering design analysis and manufacturing ◽

10.1017/s0890060406060264 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 20 (4) ◽

pp. 369-382 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

DANIEL LOURENÇO ◽

PEDRO OLIVEIRA ◽

ALEX NOORT ◽

RAFAEL BIDARRA

Keyword(s):

Feature Modeling ◽

Geometric Constraint ◽

Constraint Solving ◽

Direct Manipulation ◽

Modeling Systems ◽

Geometric Constraint Solving

In current commercial feature modeling systems, support for direct manipulation of features is not commonly available. This is partly due to the strong reliance of such systems on constraints, but also to the lack of speed of current constraint solvers. In this paper, an approach to the optimization of geometric constraint solving for direct manipulation of feature dimensions, orientation, and position is described. Details are provided on how this approach was successfully implemented in the Spiff feature modeling system.

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A web-based environmental decision support system for legacy models

Journal of Hydroinformatics ◽

10.2166/hydro.2015.007 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 17 (6) ◽

pp. 874-890 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Saurav Kumar ◽

Adil N. Godrej ◽

Thomas J. Grizzard

Keyword(s):

Decision Support ◽

Water Resources ◽

Decision Support System ◽

Support System ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Local Network ◽

Web Based ◽

Server Cluster ◽

Modeling Systems ◽

Environmental Decision

An environmental decision support system (EDSS) was designed for the Occoquan system in Northern Virginia, USA. This EDSS is available through the internet using web-browsers, and enables stakeholders to interact with complexly-linked water resources models for the Occoquan system based on seven implementations of HSPF and two implementations of CE-QUAL-W2 software. Using the web-interface of the EDSS, users may delineate land use changes and simulate the water quality impact of such changes by remotely executing the water resources models. The EDSS utilizes a server cluster to share the computational load of simultaneously executing multiple instances of the linked Occoquan system models along with methods to limit ‘similar’ model executions. The server cluster was assembled from disparate machines with spare computing resource available on the local network, thereby eliminating the need for any additional hardware to execute an increased number of model simulations. It is expected that the enhanced accessibility to the water resources models through the EDSS may allow stakeholders to use the models as a planning and educational resource, without direct expert modeler's involvement. Further, this EDSS is comprised of modules that may be extended to other watersheds with similar legacy, calibrated modeling systems.

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