Distributed Concurrent Engineering: Internet-Based Interactive 3-D Dynamic Browsing and Markup of STEP Data

Abstract

Although Concurrent Engineering can offer substantial benefits, and hence many companies take a strong interest in the col laborative approach, it is not yet clear how it can best be implemented, particularly for a geographically distributed Concurrent Engineering team that may be using a disparate range of computer systems. The recent rise in the number connected to the Internet would offer the possibility of using Internet standards to allow for collaboration over the Internet Central to the use of Internet standards for Concurrent En gineering is the key area of transmitting and viewing CAD and engineering information, and of communication between team members. This paper is concerned with addressing this issue and describes how 3D CAD files can be viewed, and engineering information exchanged, by geographically distributed team members in an interactive manner using Internet standards. In particular this paper is concerned with the is sue of storing STEP data so that it can be retrieved efficiently, how this data can be converted from STEP data to the Virtual Reality Model ing Language (VRML) to allow the product to be viewed in interactive 3-D on a wide number of platforms using the Internet, and is con cerned with the issue of how team members can markup the VRML worlds, with other team members being able to examine the markup comments of others. Formalisms for storing STEP data in an Object-Onented database schema, and for converting STEP data to VRML are described. An overview of the implementation of these formalisms, in a system called CyberView, is given.