Distributed Concurrent Engineering: Internet-based interactive 3-D dynamic browsing and markup of STEP data

Although Concurrent Engineering can offer substantial benefits, and hence many companies take a strong interest in the collaborative 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 Engineering 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 issue of storing STEP data so that it can be retrieved efficiently, how this data can be converted from STEP data to the Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) to allow the product to be viewed in interactive 3-D on a wide number of platforms using the Internet, and is concerned 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-Oriented 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. The contribution of this paper is in three areas. The first is a description of a new formalism for mapping STEP data into a Object Oriented Data Base schema. The second is a description of new algorithms for converting the STEP data into VRML. The third contribution is in a description of a method of asynchronous communication between team members which allows for markup of particular aspects of a design. The result of this is that users from disparate functions, on a wide variety of platforms, can view products in interactive 3-D through the Internet, can comment on aspects of the design, and can examine the markup comments of other team members on particular aspects of the design. Such an approach offers the promise of improved communication and hence for enhancing the product development process.