A Model for Information Flow in Design

TLDR

Modern product complexity and advanced design tools make exchanging design information difficult, and capturing, storing, and retrieving such data remains a key challenge for next‑generation CAD systems. The paper proposes a semantics‑based model for design information flow to aid the development of information‑exchange standards. The model categorizes design data into types, arranges them into information states and abstraction levels, and defines transformations between states, illustrated with a cordless‑drill transmission example.

Abstract

Abstract The complexity of modern products and design tools has complicated the exchange of design information. It is widely recognized that the capture, storage, and retrieval of design information is one of the major challenges for the next generation of computer aided design tools. This paper presents a model for the flow of design information that supports a semantics-based approach for developing information exchange standards. The model classifies design information into various types, organizes these types into information states and levels of abstraction, and identifies the various transformations that operate between the information states. The model is then applied to an example of a transmission for a cordless drill.