3DIVS

Proceedings of the …, 1999

Virtual Environments (VEs) have the potential to revolutionize traditional product design by enabling the transition from conventional CAD to fully digital product development. The presented prototype system targets closing the "'digitalgapJZ as introduced by the need for physical models such as clay models or mockups in the traditional product design and evaluation cycle. We describe a design environment that provides an intuitive human-machine interface for the creation and manipulation of three-dimensional (3D) models in a semi-immersive design space, focussing on ease of use and increased productivity for both designer and CAD engineers.

2002

In recent years a range of different VR applications have been developed for the purposes of design review and analysis. The typical data source for a design review of complex models using VR technologies is an underlying 3D-CAD system or 3D styling tool, that provides geometric and topological information of the digital model. The time to adequately prepare 3D-CAD data for a design review session using VR is inherently influenced by the underlying methodology of product modelling, data acquisition, the quality of the conversion and complexity of the digital model. To manually prepare the data without an automated mechanism is tedious and cumbersome. Thus, we describe an efficient methodology and architecture to automate the process of data preparation for the purposes of a design review session in VR.

Proceedings of the Design Society: DESIGN Conference, 2020

Computer-Aided Design (CAD) constitutes an important tool for industrial designers. Similarly, Virtual Reality (VR) has the capability to revolutionize how designers work with its increased sense of scale and perspective. However, existing VR CAD applications are limited in terms of functionality and intuitive control. Based on a comparison of VR CAD applications, ImPro, a new application for immersive prototyping for industrial designers was developed. The user evaluations and comparisons show that ImPro offers increased usability, functionality, and suitability for industrial designers.

Global Engineering, Manufacturing and Enterprise Networks, 2001

The performance of current Computer-Aided Design (CAD) systems is still far from the satisfaction of conceptual designers. This paper presents a VR-based CAD system for conceptual design by applying VR interfaces and geometric modelling techniques to improve the human computer interaction. The system uses an electronic data glove as an input device so that conceptual designers are allowed to use hand gestures to conduct various geometric shape operations instead of depending solely on keyboard and 2D mouse. We employ the 3D GUIs for enhancing the gesture interface. The implemented shape modelling techniques offered by the system include: destruction, construction, and techniques for freeform feature creation and modification. The destructive techniques allow the user to arbitrarily sculpt an existing part by means of sculpting tools. The constructive techniques allow the user to assemble an object by using a collection of feature objects, by either adding or subtracting feature objects from the model. The system also offers several novel methods for facilitating intuitive modification of freeform curves and surfaces.

Computer-Aided Design, 1997

The generation of geometric shapes called 'geometric concept designs' via the multi-sensory user interface of a virtual reality (VR) based system motivates the current research. In this new VRbased system, geometric designs can be more effectively inputted into the computer in a physically intuitive way. The interaction mechanism is similar to the way in which industrial designers sit and discuss concept design shapes across a table from each other, prior to making a final decision about the product details. By using different sensory modalities, such as voice, hand motions and gestures, product designers can convey design ideas through the VR-based computer-aided design (CAD) system. In this scenario. the multi-sensory interface between human and computer plays a central role with respect to usability, usefulness and accuracy. The current paper focuses on determining the requirements for the multi-sensory user interface and assessing the applications of different input and output mechanisms in the virtual environment (VE). In order to evaluate this multi-sensory user interface, this paper formulates the typical activities in product shape design into a set of requirements for the VR-CAD system. On the basis of these requirements, we interviewed typical CAD users about the effectiveness of using different sensory input and output interaction mechanisms such as visual, auditory and tactile. According to the results of these investigations, a nodal network of design activity that defines the multi-sensory user interface of the VR-CAD system is determined in the current research. The VR-CAD system is still being developed. However, voice command input. hand motion input, three-dimensional visual output and auditory output have been successfully integrated into the current system. Moreover. several mechanical paris have been successfully created through the VR interface. Once designers use the VR-CAD system that we are currently developing, the interface requirements determined in the current paper may be verified or refined. The objectives of the current research are to expand the frontiers of product design and establish a new paradigm for the VR-based conceptual shape design system.

IEEE Computer …, 2009

International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, 2003

The use of virtual reality (VR) techniques in industry is subject to very high expectations, as VR has emerged as a popular technology for computer-human interfaces in order to master the shortcomings of CAD systems. 3D CAD models provide a natural way of sharing design information among participants in the production process. VRML is a tool specifically designed for creating 3D virtual worlds on the Web, where these synthetic worlds can give us the ability to visualise objects and navigate the virtual world. This paper describes a system for VRML model visualisation that enables changes in the configuration file, which is written in XML, and that automatically reviews the model including the functional behaviour. From the evaluated VRML model, the connection to a PDM system is provided with a list of elements and their material properties.

2005 Annual Conference Proceedings

Interactions with high volume complex three-dimensional data using traditional two-dimensional computer interfaces have, historically, been inefficient and restrictive. However, during the past decade, virtual reality (VR) has presented a new paradigm for human-computer interaction. This paper presents a VR human-computer interface system, which aims at providing a solution to the human-computer interaction problems present in today's computer-aided design (CAD) software applications. A data glove device is used as a 3D interface for CAD model manipulation in a virtual design space. To make the visualization more realistic, real-time active stereo vision is provided using LCD shutter glasses. To determine the ease of use and intuitiveness of the interface, a human subject study was conducted for performing standard CAD manipulation tasks. Analysis results and technical issues are also presented and discussed.

2006

One of the main objectives of the engineering departments of large industries is the construction of integrated information systems to control their projects, offering resources for the 3D visualization of their models with enough realism to be used for virtual prototyping, design review, change management systems, and training, among other activities. This work analyzes the main problems related to the production of Virtual Reality (VR) models derived from CAD (Computer-Aided Design) models, which allows the user to interact with them in real-time and have an immersive sensation. The paper presents ENVIRON (ENvironment for VIRtual Objects Navigation), an application that was developed motivated by the necessity of using VR in large industrial engineering models coming from CAD tools.

Three-dimensional (3D) visualization technologies are increasingly applied in visualization of virtual product models. Devices such as 3D glasses, head/helmet mounted displays (HMDs), stereo projectors and in some instances even some of the emerging visualization technologies including, for instance, holographic displays, swept volume displays and other volumetric displays are examples of technologies that can be used in visualization of virtual models of engineering products. These technologies allow viewers (i.e. in this case designers and engineers) to explore various aspects of products such as appearance or shape more aptly. 3D virtual product models are especially useful for activities that require space imagination such as evaluation of concepts, aesthetics review, assembly verification and ergonomics review. The problem, however, is that interactivity of most of the existing 3D visualization technologies is very limited. Therefore, this paper describes an attempt aimed at developing intuitive interaction methods for visualization of 3D product models in truly 3D visualization environment and at investigating how basic tasks such as selecting, rotating or moving 3D virtual object in 3D scene can be accomplished. A holographic display is used as a case study truly 3D visualization technology. Different interaction methods have been developed and user tests carried out to qualitatively evaluate the usability and suitability of these methods. Motion tracking is seen as a practical way for manipulating 3D product models in 3D workspace while spatial touch screen with tangible object and virtual menu is seen as a practical method for manipulating menu items. The paper also illustrates how these two interface methods can be used for performing certain basic interactive product visualization operations in 3D workspace.