A method, computer system, and computer program for analyzing geological data sampled from a subsurface region and an analysis of the geological data stored in a geoscience model on a magnetic media, including building a simulation input model from the geoscience model. A method, computer system, and computer program for analyzing geological data sampled from a subsurface region, the geological data and an analysis of the geological data being stored in a geoscience model on a magnetic media, including constructing a boundary for dividing the region into a first sub-region and a second sub-region; storing on the magnetic media the shape of the boundary as a parametric function whose parameter density can vary. A method, computer system, and computer program for analyzing geological data sampled from a subsurface region, the geological data and an analysis of the geological data being stored in a geoscience model on a magnetic media, including dividing the region into sub-regions, in each of which a material property varies without discontinuities.

Performing geoscience interpretation with simulated data

Feature-based modelling is the emerging technology to integrate design and engineering activities. It enriches product data representation with semantic information, that allows more efficient and direct communication between engineering processes. Nevertheless, major industrial problems arise from the fact that the communication between these processes is still not based on sharing the same information within a computer-internal product model. The lack of industrial product data exchange between various CAD/CAE applications is owing to the fact that there are diverse data formats and standards, giving rise to conversion problems. The ISO standard STEP provides a unique, comprehensive technology to solve most of the industrial problems in data exchange. However, it still does not provide all the resources needed to achieve a high-level, semantic data communication between engineering processes. In this article, we propose a solution to link the design process (CAD) with downstream engineering processes (CAE) based on an integrated feature-based modelling approach that supports both design-by-features and feature recognition. Integration is thereby achieved through a homogeneous, multiple view feature-based representation of the part model, called intermediate model, which is shared among the various applications. A distributed, object-oriented feature-based system architecture is described. Herein, the intermediate modeller server acts as a service provider to network-based distributed applications. These share the intermediate model and are able to extract their specific view from the semantic data of the product. A prototype implementation of the integrated feature-based modelling kernel and its integration into the distributed environment is also outlined.

Design and engineering process integration through a multiple view intermediate modeller in a distributed object-oriented system environment

To allow a designer to focus on the information that is relevant for a particular product development phase, is an important aspect of integral product development. Unlike current modelling systems, multiple-view feature modelling can adequately support this, by providing an own view on a product for each phase. Each view contains a feature model of the product specific for the corresponding phase. An approach to multiple-view feature modelling is presented that supports conceptual design, assembly design, part detail design and part manufacturing planning. It does not only provide views with form features to model single parts, as previous approaches to multiple-view feature modelling did, but also a view with conceptual features, to model the product configuration with functional components and interfaces between these components, and a view with assembly features, to model the connections between components. The general concept of this multiple-view feature modelling approach, the functionality of the four views, and the way the views are kept consistent, are described.

Multiple-view feature modelling for integral product development

Process planning for machined parts typically requires that a part be described through machining features such as holes, slots and pockets. This paper presents a novel feature finder, which automatically generates a part interpretation in terms of machining features, by utilizing information from a variety of sources such as nominal geometry, tolerances and attributes, and design features. The feature finder strives to produce a desirable interpretation of the part as quickly as possible. If this interpretation is judged unacceptable by a process planner, alternatives can be generated on demand. The feature finder uses a hint-based approach, and combines artificial intelligence techniques, such as blackboard architecture and uncertain reasoning, with the geometric completion procedures first introduced in the OOFF system previously developed at USC.

Integration of feature based design and feature recognition

In this paper the notion of free form feature for aesthetic design is presented. The design of industrial products constituted by free form surfaces is done by using CAD systems representing curves and surfaces by means of NURBS functions, which are usually defined by low level entities that are not intuitive and require some knowledge of the mathematical language. Similarly to the feature-based approach adopted by CAD systems for classical mechanical design, a set of high level modelling entities which provides commonly performed shape modifications has been identified. Particularly, the paper suggests a classification of the so-called detail features for an aesthetic and/or functional characterization of predefined free form surfaces. Feature types are formally described by means of an analytical definition of the surface modification through deformation and elimination laws. A topological classification is then given according to the application domain of such laws. A further sub-classification of morphological types is then suggested according to geometric properties of weak convexity and concavity for the resulting modified shape, leading to a taxonomy of simple free form features meaningful for aesthetic design.

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A Free Form Feature Taxonomy

Previous work on feature-based modelling has emphasized generating features either in the design phase (design by features) or in the later product-development phases (feature-recognition). Recently, some attempts have been made to integrate both strategies, with the major aim of combining the positive aspects while reducing the drawbacks.

The paper presents a system architecture for feature-based modelling which is founded on this integration that is obtained through the definition of a common feature library and an intermediate model, which plays the role of communication link between the geometric model and the feature-based model.

S. Hassinger

Papers

Feature-based modelling by integrating design and recognition approaches