Computer 3D visualization technology: dynamic design representation tool in solving design and communication problems in the early phases of the architectural design process

Paralleling with development of computer technology, Computer-Aided Design (CAD) has been researched and introduced into industry since the 1960s. Until the mid-1980s, CAD means Computer-Aided Drafting in architectural field because the majority of practicing architects originally used computer as an electronic drafting tool to produce construction drawings. However, now computer 3D visualization technology as a design aided tool is impacting the architectural design process. In this research, a review of architectural representation in the early design phases is given. Additionally, a literature review of CAD development is presented as well. As a focus of this research, computer 3D visualization technology has been researched as a design aid. The emerging use of computer 3D visualization technology in some educational settings is also reviewed. Within this research, three Case Studies are presented to provide insights of how computer 3D visualization technology may impact architectural design process, design service quality, and client-architect?s relationship

Emerging cad and bim trends in the aec education: An analysis from students\u27 perspective

As the construction industry is moving towards collaborative design and construction practices globally, training the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) students professionally related to CAD and BIM became a necessity rather than an option. The advancement in the industry has led to collaborative modelling environments, such as building information modelling (BIM), as an alternative to computer-aided design (CAD) drafting. Educators have shown interest in integrating BIM into the AEC curriculum, where teaching CAD and BIM simultaneously became a challenge due to the differences of two systems. One of the major challenges was to find the appropriate teaching techniques, as educators were unaware of the AEC students’ learning path in CAD and BIM. In order to make sure students learn and benefit from both CAD and BIM, the learning path should be revealed from students’ perspective. This paper summarizes the background and differences of CAD and BIM education, and how the transition from CAD to BIM can be achieved for collaborative working practices. The analysis was performed on freshman and junior level courses to learn the perception of students about CAD and BIM education. A dual-track survey was used to collect responses from AEC students in four consecutive years. The results showed that students prefer BIM to CAD in terms of the friendliness of the user-interface, help functions, and self-detection of mistakes. The survey also revealed that most of the students believed in the need for a BIM specialty course with Construction Management (CM), Structure, and Mechanical-Electrical-Plumbing (MEP) areas. The benefits and challenges of both CAD and BIM-based software from students’ perspectives helps to improve the learning outcomes of CAD/BIM courses to better help students in their learning process, and works as a guideline for educators on how to design and teach CAD/BIM courses simultaneously by considering the learning process and perspectives of students. © 2018 The autho

A survey and evaluation of microbased computer aided design systems for design education and practice in Scotland primarily in the area of product design: their application, problems and potential solutions

The initial premise of the research centred around the relatively new adoption by the Product Design sector of Computer Aided Design technology. Problems were expected to occur in applying the hardware and understanding the terminology of the software by this sector which prides itself In its artisan skills. The aim of the work was to determine the extent of the adoption of Computer Aided Design and to clarify the problem areas. The research determined, by study of more experienced but similar Computer Aided Design users, that the expected problems Were not insurmountable and were being overcome by the constant improvements of computer hardware and software. However, the problems that were pinpointed actually involved the human issues encountered In working with a Computer Aided Design system and involved issues such as the management skills required, working conditions and understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of Computer Aided Design. The research focused on what had to be considered and what should be known about Computer Aided Design so that it could be effectively used in Product Design. The research was undertaken to establish general solutions to the introduction of Computer Aided Design into companies. These solutions are intended to provide a guide to potential and current users on how to improve the effectiveness of the use of Computer Aided Design systems in Product Design. The research has identified the themes and topics that should be covered in training staff on the use and potential of Computer Aided Design systems

Designing a novel virtual collaborative environment to support collaboration in design review meetings

Project review meetings are part of the project management process and are organised to assess progress and resolve any design conflicts to avoid delays in construction. One of the key challenges during a project review meeting is to bring the stakeholders together and use this time effectively to address design issues as quickly as possible. At present, current technology solutions based on BIM or CAD are information-centric and do not allow project teams to collectively explore the design from a range of perspectives and brainstorm ideas when design conflicts are encountered. This paper presents a system architecture that can be used to support multi-functional team collaboration more effectively during such design review meetings. The proposed architecture illustrates how information-centric BIM or CAD systems can be made human- and team-centric to enhance team communication and problem solving. An implementation of the proposed system architecture has been tested for its utility, likability and usefulness during design review meetings. The evaluation results suggest that the collaboration platform has the potential to enhance collaboration among multi-functional teams

Computer-Aided Geometry Modeling

Techniques in computer-aided geometry modeling and their application are addressed. Mathematical modeling, solid geometry models, management of geometric data, development of geometry standards, and interactive and graphic procedures are discussed. The applications include aeronautical and aerospace structures design, fluid flow modeling, and gas turbine design

Computer-Aided Business Model Design

There is a lack of dedicated tools for business model design at a strategic level. However, in today's economic world the need to be able to quickly reinvent a company's business model is essential to stay competitive. This research focused on identifying the functionalities that are necessary in a computer-aided design (CAD) tool for the design of business models in a strategic context. Using design science research methodology a series of techniques and prototypes have been designed and evaluated to offer solutions to the problem. The work is a collection of articles which can be grouped into three parts: First establishing the context of how the Business Model Canvas (BMC) is used to design business models and explore the way in which CAD can contribute to the design activity. The second part extends on this by proposing new technics and tools which support elicitation, evaluation (assessment) and evolution of business models design with CAD. This includes features such as multi-color tagging to easily connect elements, rules to validate coherence of business models and features that are adapted to the correct business model proficiency level of its users. A new way to describe and visualize multiple versions of a business model and thereby help in addressing the business model as a dynamic object was also researched. The third part explores extensions to the business model canvas such as an intermediary model which helps IT alignment by connecting business model and enterprise architecture. And a business model pattern for privacy in a mobile environment, using privacy as a key value proposition. The prototyped techniques and proposition for using CAD tools in business model modeling will allow commercial CAD developers to create tools that are better suited to the needs of practitioners

The Effects of Computer Aided Draughting on Architectural Practice

This thesis argues that computer aided draughting (CAD) can be introduced successfully into an organization and can benefit all those engaged in the construction process. It concludes that CAD is the single most important tool to be introduced into the practice of architecture in recent times and, whilst the foregoing proposition is true, there is a cost to the organizations and individuals involved. The study begins with the author's interest in the research as a Chartered Quantity Surveyor working professionally with a firm of architects who installed a CAD system. It identifies several difficulties with the research and justifies the case study research methodology

Sketch-Based Interfaces to Support Collaborative Conceptual Design Learning

In order to gain a better understanding of online collaborative conceptual design processes this paper investigates how student designers make use of Lyceum, a shared virtual synchronous environment when engaged in conceptual design. The software enables users to talk to each other and share sketches when they are remotely located. The paper describes a novel methodology for observing and analysing collaborative design processes by adapting the concepts of grounded theory. Rather than concentrating on narrow aspects of the final artefacts, emerging 'themes' are generated that provide a broader picture of collaborative design process and context descriptions. Findings on the themes of 'grounding – mutual understanding' and 'support creativity' complement findings from other research, while important themes associated with 'near-synchrony' have not been emphasised in other research. From the study, a series of design recommendations are made for the development of tools to support online computer-supported collaborative work in design using a shared virtual environment

From the mainframe to the flesh: Pedagogical approaches to conceptualizing human experience in bio-modeling

The design of medical instrumentation is a vital aspect of Biomedical Engineering (BME) programs. Yet, no full-length study analyzing the consequence of pedagogical methods on a medical device’s final design has been conducted. Being that these technologies are created with a specific end-use in mind, an examination of instructional design is essential for ascertaining how the user has come to be understood by those drafting solutions on their behalf. As such, this thesis examines the ways that biomedical engineering programs conceptualize user experience through design instruction. It navigates essentialist questions like who is a user and evolves to investigate the theoretical crux of medical device making to ask why decisions are made and what apparatuses might inform these choices. Through this process, it discerns a lack of critical pedagogy in BME design curricula, and thus argues that biomedical engineering programs must take seriously the ideas of race, gender, and other social categories in the teaching of medical device design. This work begins by reflecting on the socio-historical relevance of medical devices. In doing so, it outlines health, education, and illness as value-laden, multi-dimensional notions that are often singularized. This piece contends that such singularization limits the reach and effectiveness of design instruction, reifying the belief that science is distinct from social meaning. It then reflects on the use of technology in the development of medical devices. Here, it offers a generational description of mechanical Computer Aided-Design (CAD)—a band of software used to transform 2D sketches into 3D digital models. Finally, through a series of semi-structured interviews with six recent graduates of two top ranked BME programs, this work develops the concept of exclusion as enactment to describe the catastrophic impacts exclusion can have for those underrepresented in currently utilized instructional frameworks