Metadata based authoring for technical documentation

Abstract

The creation process of technical documentation is an expensive and time-consuming task especially for complex products. To make this process more cost-efficient computerized support is required. Furthermore new technologies like Virtual and Augmented Reality will be increasingly used to visualize repair manuals or operating instructions in the future adding even more to the authoring process. The availability of a suitable authoring environment will be a precondition for the deployment of technical documentations based on these new technologies. Reusing data from the engineering process in an adequate way seems to be a viable means to augment technical authoring. However, the available CAD data lacks necessary information being obligatory for the authoring process. E.g. there is no dismantling information on screws or other peripheral equipment around the CAD-components. This gap can be filled by specific metadata which augments the engineering data. This paper provides a model for such metadata and gives an overview of the possibilities this approach for the authoring of technical documentations.