Design tool

About: Design tool is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 3864 publications have been published within this topic receiving 46401 citations.

Opossum - Introducing and Evaluating a Model-based Optimization Tool for Grasshopper

Abstract: This paper presents Opossum, a new optimization plug-in for Grasshopper, a visual data-flow modelling software popular among architects. Opossum is the first publicly available, model-based optimization tool aimed at architectural design optimization and especially applicable to problems that involve time-intensive simulations of for example day-lighting and building energy. The paper details Opossum's design and implementation and compares its performance to four single-objective and one multi-objective solver. The test problem is time-intensive and simulation-based: optimizing a screened facade for daylight and glare. Opossum outperforms the other single-objective solvers and finds the most accurate approximation of the Pareto front.

Interface for compiling project variations in electronic design environments

Abstract: A method is provided in which a base design is generated in the form of one or more data files including assignment data. A variation design is created by adding at least one additional assignment associated with the variation design to the assignment data. The assignment data has an identifier that is associated with an entity defined within the base design, a first data field that can be used in making an assignment to the entity within the base design and a second data field for use in making the additional assignment to the entity within the variation design. The data files are compiled to generate a base output file and one or more variation output design files that can include one or more common result values. Comparison data is generated by comparing the common result values associated with the base design file and the variation design file. A design tool is provided for use with a computer system having a processor. The design tool includes a selector and a variation mechanism. Both the selector and variation mechanism are configured to run on the processor and are capable of accepting inputs from a user. The selector generates a base design in the form of one or more data files including assignment data. The variation mechanism generates a variation design by adding at least one additional assignment associated with the variation design.

Putting Statistics into the Statistical Energy Analysis of Automotive Vehicles

Abstract: Sound and vibration transmission modeling methods are important to the design process for high quality automotive vehicles. Statistical Energy Analysis (SEA) is an emerging design tool for the automotive industry that was initially developed in the 1960's to estimate root-mean-square sound and vibration levels in structures and interior spaces. Although developed to estimate statistical mean values, automotive design application of SEA needs the additional ability to predict statistical variances of the predicted mean values of sound and vibration. This analytical ability would allow analysis of vehicle sound and vibration response sensitivity to changes in vehicle design specifications and their statistical distributions. This paper will present an algorithm to extend the design application of the SEA method through prediction of the variances of RMS. responses of vibro-acoustic automobile structures and interior spaces from variances in SEA automotive model physical parameters. The variance analysis is applied to both a simple, complete illustrative example and a more complex automotive vehicle example. Example variance results are verified through comparison with a Monte Carlo test of 2,000 SEA responses whose physical parameters were given Gaussian distributions with means at design values. Analytical predictions of the response statistics agree with the statistics generated by the Monte Carlo method but only require about 1/300 of the computational effort.

InkKit: a generic design tool for the tablet PC

Abstract: In this paper, we describe the design philosophy, implementation and evaluation of InkKit, an informal design platform that uses pen input on a tablet PC to imitate the informality of a low fidelity tool. The aim is for this toolkit to provide a foundation for further research into domain specific sketch support.Designers initially hand-sketch their ideas [3, 6] because informal tools, such as pen and paper, offer the freedom to work with partly formed or ambiguous designs. The emergence of electronic pen input systems has seen a number of exploratory projects applying pen-based sketch software to the design process. Even though these projects differ, most of them use the same general framework. Thus a significant part of the implementation incorporates the same basic functionalities.

Insight, innovation, and the big picture in system design

Abstract: Systems architecting is the design phase where the top-level functions and performance of a system are distributed over the system's parts, its environment, and its users. Up till now, system architects had to largely learn the required skills in practice. Some courses exist that teach the right attitude and mindset for the system architect. However, methods for architecting that can be implemented in a computer tool are virtually nonexistent. Earlier we presented a method, FunKey Architecting, which may aid the system architect in the early phase of design. In combination with TRIZ a design tool is created, which can be used to simplify and improve system architectures. It aims at supporting both the system designer and the specialist designers working on systems. The main topic of the paper is the application of the method in two industrial cases. The one case is an environment where new technology has to be developed and state of the art physics have to meet machine construction principles. The other case is in an industry where well-proven technology is used in such a way that high-performance machines are created. A third application of the FunKey tool is performed by students at the University of Twente. The context of each case and the results will be described. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng 14 © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.