Manutenibilidade da semântica de modelos de dados de produtos compartilhados em rede interoperável

Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro Tecnológico.Os dados manipulados por aplicações de engenharia têm sido tratados usando sistemas de gerência de banco de dados ou mecanismos dedicados embutidos em sistemas CAx. As tendências atuais de competitividade industrial apontam para a necessidade de integrar as aplicações de engenharia. Duas demandas principais se manifestam: o uso de um mecanismo para o acesso interoperável em rede aos dados, e a necessidade de manipular modelos de dados baseados em diferentes paradigmas. Esta tese de doutorado apresenta uma revisão sobre tecnologia de banco de dados com ênfase em aplicações de engenharia, introduz os problemas de intercâmbio de dados de produtos e interoperabilidade de aplicações, e discute o problema de perda semântica na tradução de modelos de dados de produtos compartilhados em rede e baseados em formatos padrão. Uma análise dos problemas que emergem nesta tradução, com o objetivo de avaliar a manutenibilidade da semântica dos dados ao longo de uma rede interoperável, é executada e comentada

Towards implementing integrated building product libraries

Electronic product catalogues and brochures are gaining popularity but there is little agreement on content, format and searching methods. This limits their usability and integration with existing construction software tools. This paper examines a productmodelling approach to delivering building product information and describes a proposed multi-tier client-server environment. ISO/STEP and IAI/IFC building product models are considered to facilitate representation, exchange and sharing of product information. The proposed architecture incorporates scalability with middleware components that would provide single or few points of entry to integrated product information. This paper is part of a research project, which builds on the results of related projects including ConstructIT Strategy, PROCAT-GEN, Active Catalog, COMBINE and ARROW, towards implementing the required software components

Distributed STEP-Compliant Platform for Multimodal Collaboration in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction

This paper presents an innovative software platform OpenSTEP intended to build advanced distributed integrated systems and to conduct multidisciplinary collaborative projects in both academy and industry. The paper discusses an open system architecture, methodology, component library and CASE toolkit enabling the developers to build a wide range of interoperable applications and systems compliant with STEP and, particularly, with IFC becoming the increasingly important standard for information integration in architecture, engineering and construction

Integration elektromechanischer CA-Anwendungssysteme über einem STEP-Produktmodell

Ein Problem der Spezialisierung industriealisierter Wirtschaftsstrukturen in einzelne Leistungserbringer ist die Kommunikation zwischen Anbietern und Nachfragern von Gütern und Dienstleistungen. Dies gilt sowohl zwischen kooperierenden Unternehmen als auch innerhalb eines Unternehmens zwischen unterschiedlichen Abteilungen. Durch die Nutzung rechnergestützter Hilfsmittel wird diese Kommunikationsproblematik nicht gelöst, sondern auf eine neue Stufe gehoben. Während die rechnergestützte Bearbeitung administrativer Unternehmensvorgänge oftmals zentralistisch organisiert und über Datenbanklösungen integriert wurde um Kommunikationsvorgänge zu minimieren, ließen sich technische EDV-Systeme bisher weder effizient koppeln noch zentral oder verteilt integrieren. Grund hierfür sind hochspezialisierte interne Datenstrukturen technischer Anwendungssysteme die allgemeingültigen Modellen wenig zugänglich waren. Mit der unter der ISO definierten Norm ISO-10303 (STER Standard for the Exchange of Product Model Data) wird ein einheitliches Modell für produktbeschreibende Informationen geschaffen. Über die Modellbildung hinaus wird jedoch sogar eine Referenzarchitektur für die Entwicklung von Anwendungs- und Implementierungsmodellen bereitgestellt. Dabei stellt die Modellierungssprache EXPRESS fundamentalen Kern der Architektur von STEP dar. Die Entwicklung von Werkzeugen zur Unterstützung der Implementierung der einzelnen Teile der Norm ISO-10303 stellt ein Ergebnis der geleisteten Arbeit dar. Insbesondere die Verarbeitung der Modellierungssprache EXPRESS, in der sowohl Anwendermodelle, Referenzmodelle sowie Metamodelle der Implementierungsprinzipien beschrieben werden, wurde effizient unterstützt. In der Arbeit wird auf ein flexibles Implementierungswerkzeug für jegliche in EXPRESS definierte Modelle gesetzt. Die Nutzung beliebiger EXPRESS-Modelle als Basis von Implementierungen wird dadurch möglich. Die vier in der Norm ISO-10303 diskutierten und teilweise genormten Implementierungsmethoden Austauschdatei, Datenbasis mit Zugriffsschnittstelle SDAI (Standard Data Access Interface), Hauptspeicherstruktur und Wissensbasis wurden prototypisch in der Arbeit realisiert. In die noch laufenden Normierungstätigkeiten konnten dadurch wertvolle Spezifikationshinweise eingebracht werden. Während zu Beginn der Entwicklung von STEP primär die Definition von Datenmodelle und daraus abgeleitet, Dateiformate zum Austausch von Produktinformationen im Vordergrund stand, stellt im weiteren Verlauf der STEP-Entwicklung die koordinierte Verwaltung von Produktinformationen einen Schwerpunkt dar. Die in Datenbanksystemen vorhandenen Fähigkeiten zur Datenverwaltung stellen einen Ansatz zur Realisierung von Produktdatenbanken dar. Die in STEP definierten Produktmodelle können dabei als Datenbankschemata benutzt werden. Die heute in industriellen Umgebungen eingesetzten Datenbankprinzipien der relationalen und objektorientierten Datenbanksysteme werden hinsichtlich ihrer Einsetzbarkeit als Basissysteme für STEP-Produktdatenbanken untersucht und für ein Datenbanksystem, das eine spezielle Erweiterung des relationalen Modells darstellt, eine Implementierung einer STEP-Datenbank vorgenommen. Die primären Anwendungsprobleme, für die mit Hilfe von STEP Austauschszenarien bewältigt werden können, sind im Bereich des Datenaustausches zwischen CAD/CAE- Systemen zu finden. Besonders CAD-Systeme, die die Repräsentation dreidimensionaler technischer Objekte ermöglichen, profitieren von der ausdrucksstarken Modellbildung der STEP Geometrie-Partialmodelle. Für leistungsfähige geometrische Modellierwerkzeuge wurde ein Datenaustauschszenario skizziert und mit Hilfe von realisierten STEP-Pre- und Postprozessoren unterstützt. Der Integrationsaspekt von zukünftigen, unternehmensweiten CAD/CAE-Anwendungssystemen wird durch die Fähigkeit dieser Anwendungen bestimmt, STEP-konforme Daten aus Datenbasen zu entnehmen und für diese bereitzustellen. Während neu zu realisierende Anwendungssysteme zur Verwaltung von Produktdaten eine SDAI-Schnittstelle als integralen Bestandteil realisieren können, sind vorhandene Systeme mit Schnittstellen zu einem SDAI auszurüsten. Der geometrische Modellierer Acis wurde mit einem derartigen Interface versehen, um eine Integration von CAD-Anwendungssystemen die auf diesem Modellierer beruhen, auf STEP/SDAI-basierten Datenbasen zu ermöglichen. Die Probleme der langer Transaktionen stellen in diesem Zusammenhang neue Anforderungen Datenbankmanagementsysteme. Die Bearbeitung von STEP-basierten Problemlösungen kann aus einer anwendungsfreien und einer anwendungsorientierten Sicht vorgenommen werden. Während Werkzeuge, die zur Unterstützung der Implementierung von Anwendungssystemen aus EXPRESS-Modellen heraus dienen, zunächst anwendungsfrei gehalten werden können, muß ein STEP-basiertes Anwendungssystem die Anforderungen, die aus dem Anwendungsreferenzmodell eines STEP-Anwendungsprotokolls stammen, inhaltlich berücksichtigen. Die aus der Entwicklungsmethodik für STEP-Anwendungsprotokolle abgeleitete problematische Beziehung zwischen Anwendungsmodell und Referenzmodell wurde kritisch hinterfragt und neue Lösungsansätze vorgestellt. Spritzgegossene dreidimensionale Schaltungsträger stellen ein Beispiel eines mechatronischen Produktes in einer neuen Produkt- und Produktionstechnologie dar. Das Defizit von Entwicklungswerkzeugen für die Produkt- und Produktionsgestaltung dieser Produkttechnologie ist vor allem durch fehlende und in den existierenden CAD/CAE-Systemen nur ineffizient realisierbare Modellbildung für derartige Produkte begründet. Das STEP-Anwendungsprotokoll 210 stellt einen akzeptablen Ansatz für eine integrierte elektromechanische Modellbildung bereit. Die in elektronisch oder mechanisch orientierten Systemen fehlenden Entwurfsfunktionen 3D-Layout und 3D-Entflechtung wurden auf einem geometrischen Modellierer realisiert. Der Prototyp wurde als integraler Bestandteil eines STEP-Anwendungssystems konzipiert und realisiert. Mit einem Anwendungsbeispiel konnte die prinzipielle Tragfähigkeit des integrierten Ansatzes nachgewiesen werden.One problem with the specialization of industrialized economic structures in individual service providers is the communication between suppliers and consumers of goods and services. This applies both between cooperating companies and within a company between different departments. By using computer-assisted aids, this communication problem is not solved, but raised to a new level. While the computer-assisted processing of administrative company processes was often organized centrally and integrated via database solutions to minimize communication processes, technical EDP systems have so far been neither efficiently coupled nor integrated centrally or distributed. The reason for this is highly specialized internal data structures of technical application systems that were generally inaccessible to models. The ISO-10303 (STER Standard for the Exchange of Product Model Data), defined under the ISO, creates a uniform model for product descriptive information. In addition to modeling, however, a reference architecture for the development of application and implementation models is also provided. The modeling language EXPRESS represents the fundamental core of the architecture of STEP. The development of tools to support the implementation of the individual parts of the ISO-10303 standard is a result of the work done. In particular, the processing of the modeling language EXPRESS, in which both user models, reference models and metamodels of the implementation principles are described, was efficiently supported. The work is based on a flexible implementation tool for any models defined in EXPRESS. This makes it possible to use any EXPRESS models as the basis of implementations. The four implementation methods exchange file, database with SDAI (Standard Data Access Interface), main memory structure and knowledge base, discussed and partially standardized in the ISO-10303 standard, were implemented prototypically in the work. As a result, valuable specification notes could be included in the ongoing standardization activities. At the beginning of the development of STEP, the primary focus was on the definition of data models and, derived from them, file formats for the exchange of product information. In the further course of STEP development, the coordinated administration of product information will be a focal point is an approach to the realization of product databases. The product models defined in STEP can be used as database schemes. The database principles of relational and object-oriented database systems used today in industrial environments are examined with regard to their usability as basic systems for STEP product databases and an implementation of a STEP database is carried out for a database system that represents a special extension of the relational model. The primary application problems for which STEP exchange scenarios can be dealt with can be found in the area of data exchange between CAD / CAE systems. CAD systems in particular, which enable the representation of three-dimensional technical objects, benefit from the expressive modeling of the STEP geometry partial models. A data exchange scenario was outlined for high-performance geometric modeling tools and supported with the help of implemented STEP pre- and postprocessors. The integration aspect of future, company-wide CAD / CAE application systems is determined by the ability of these applications to extract STEP-compliant data from databases and make them available for them. While newly implemented application systems for managing product data can implement an SDAI interface as an integral part, existing systems must be equipped with interfaces to an SDAI. The geometric modeler Acis was provided with such an interface to enable the integration of CAD application systems based on this modeler on STEP / SDAI-based databases. The problems of long transactions place new demands on database management systems in this context. STEP-based problem solutions can be processed from an application-free and an application-oriented perspective. While tools used to support the implementation of application systems from EXPRESS models can initially be kept application-free, a STEP-based application system must take into account the content of the requirements that come from the application reference model of a STEP application protocol. The problematic relationship between the application model and the reference model derived from the development methodology for STEP application protocols was critically examined and new solutions were presented. Injection molded three-dimensional circuit carriers represent an example of a mechatronic product in a new product and production technology. The deficit of development tools for the product and production design of this product technology is mainly inefficient due to the lack of and in the existing CAD / CAE systems feasible model formation for such products justified. The STEP application protocol 210 provides an acceptable approach for integrated electromechanical modeling. The design functions 3D layout and 3D unbundling, which are missing in electronically or mechanically oriented systems, were realized on a geometric modeler. The prototype was designed and implemented as an integral part of a STEP application system. An application example was used to demonstrate the basic sustainability of the integrated approach

Interoperability-based optimisation of architectural design

As a major contributor to the planetary greenhouse effect, construction industry needs to adopt sustainability at the core of its activities - to reverse or slow down the impacts of climate change. Increased collaboration among stakeholders along with analysis/performance based decision making is the way forward for enhanced sustainability. Emphasis is placed on the process of shared creation through multi-disciplinary collaboration, enabled by the implementation of IT (Information Technology) that acts as a platform to augment our ability to communicate. Developments in the Construction IT have been product oriented and aimed at solving particular domain problems usually with a narrow focus - further reducing the accessibility and interoperability of information over the lifecycle stages. Advances in the semantics based interoperable data standards, such as IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) offer significant advantage in removing such barriers to successful vertical and horizontal integration of software tools and process. The use of building simulation in architectural design requires specialist knowledge and a rich set of information about the proposed building which are not available to the design team at early stages. Standards based mapping of information for input processing of the simulation engines can act as an alternative to simplified tools supporting the exploratory nature of design. Detailed based input processing also restricts the use of simulation to occasional validation of solutions - even during detailed design stages. For a directed exploration of the solution space, numerical optimisation methods can be applied to enhance simulation assisted design. Successful application of optimisation methods pivots on the ability of the analysis and decision making components of the software to communicate with each other without the loss of data semantics. To realise this potential, a process-oriented integrated framework based on the interoperability of information and software tools have been developed and implemented in this thesis. For horizontal integration of domain specific tools through intra-software messaging, ardML - an XML (eXtensible Markup Language) based schema has been developed which attempts to connect non-interoperable software tools. Multi-disciplinary environmental design of buildings has been chosen as the domain of discourse. The framework currently employs industry standard zonal building simulation as an analysis tool and gradient-based mathematical optimisation methods for informed decision making. Interoperability among tools, processes and information has been achieved through the implementation of IFC based data model. The modular nature of the object-oriented framework allows incorporation of existing and future tools. The applicability of the framework has been investigated in the early stages of architectural design, in particular the selection of form and orientation - considering the environmental aspects. The implementation of the framework at an ambiguous and exploratory stage of design reinforces its applicability in a wider industry context

Development of an integrated product information management system

This thesis reports on a research project undertaken over a four year period investigating and developing a software framework and application for integrating and managing building product information for construction engineering. The research involved extensive literature research, observation of the industry practices and interviews with construction industry practitioners and systems implementers to determine how best to represent and present product information to support the construction process. Applicable product models for information representation were reviewed and evaluated to determine present suitability. The IFC product model was found to be the most applicable. Investigations of technologies supporting the product model led to the development of a software tool, the IFC Assembly Viewer, which aided further investigations into the suitability of the product model (in its current state) for the exchange and sharing of product information. A software framework, or reusable software design and application, called PROduct Information Management System (PROMIS), was developed based on a non-standard product model but with flexibility to work with the IFC product model when sufficiently mature. The software comprises three subsystems namely: ProductWeb, ModelManager.NET and Product/Project Service (or P2Service). The key features of this system were shared project databases, parametric product specification, integration of product information sources, and application interaction and integration through interface components. PROMIS was applied to and tested with a modular construction business for the management of product information and for integration of product and project information through the design and construction (production) process