SEMM 4513

COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN

(CAD)

LECTURE 2
Beyond Computer Aided
Drafting
DR. AMIR PUTRA BIN MD SAAD | amirputra@utm.my
 Traditional CAD
• To replace T-Square, pens and table
• To cater the need of drafting in the engineering world

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 Trend in Malaysia

• Mature: CAD used for modeling, visualization, drawing generation

• Trend: FEA, optimization
• Infancy level: engineering knowledge integration
• Future: Intelligence in CAD

Notes:
Big companies develop their CAD software to cater their own need and even some of
CAD software becomes commercial (e.g Lockheed : Catia, Nissan: CADI)

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 Computer Aided Design

• Full-fledged platform for engineering solution:

• modeling, FEA, assembly, drawing in one system

• Integration with engineering knowledge:

• guide user throughout the modeling process

• Design-wonder capable assisting designer:

• understanding the drawing

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 Full-fledged platform

• Modeling, assembly and drawing generation within a single system

• Current CAD software comes with FEA software eg. Solidworks with
COSMOSM
• Well established neutral file capabilities
• Networking facilities
• Design, manufacturing and production modules

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 M Herman Abu Bakar
Design of small diff gear system

Clearance
checking
Modeling

Exploded view FEA 6

 Heat/termal study

Heat Convection

Air Flow
Motion
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 Integration with engineering
knowledge
• Within the CAD software itself, advice the user the manufacturability
• Linking with CAM software
• Integration with engineering analysis: geometry, collision
• Programming for specific purposes via LIST, API or other programming
language

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DATA EXCHANGE

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 • Neutral File (ACIS, STEP, IGES etc)
• Other CAD Software
Capability of Neutral • FEA software
File • Programming for Specific Purpose
 CAD Data Collaboration
Wavefront Object Export
(*.obj)
Stereolithography File
(*.stl)

ACIS
(*.sat)
Polygon File Format
(*.ply)

IGES STEP
(*.igs,*.iges) (*.stp)

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WRML (*.vrml)
 FILE SAVING
INTO DIFFERENT
FORMAT

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Create File in SolidWorks then
File > Save As

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Create File in AutoCAD then File
> Export

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EXAMPLES

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 DXF (Drawing eXchange Format)

From AutoCAD Software

Note: Can be read by windows NOTEPAD 16

 STEP (ISO 10303 – STandard for the
Exchange of Product model data)

Note: Can be read by windows NOTEPAD 17

 IGES (Initial Graphics Exchange
Specification)

Note: Can be read by windows NOTEPAD

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 Parasolid – XT Format

Parasolid is a geometric modeling kernel

originally developed by Shape Data Limited, now
owned by Siemens PLM Software (formerly UGS
Corp.), that can be licensed by other companies
for use in their 3D computer graphics software
products. (*.x_t -- Text Format) (*.x_b -- Binary
Format)

Official parasolid page:

http://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/en_us/products/open/parasolid/index.shtml
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Note: Can be read by windows NOTEPAD
 Understanding a CAD Data
Collaboration Process

Manufacturers are exchanging thousands of models per month. For a successful partnership, it
is imperative that we immerse ourselves in this process and get answers to questions such as
the following:

• Are the designers and analysts in your organization getting the right data?
• Are designers and analysts receiving the right versions of the data?
• How long do engineers wait to receive data and under what time constraints?
• Is the data set in the right format and if not, how much rework or quality analysis is required?
• Should designers and analysts compare or verify the received data to ensure data integrity?
• How usable is the data and what percentage of the data is re-mastered for downstream use?
• Should recipients cross-check received data for unauthorized changes?

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Points Wireframe Flat Lines

Flat Smooth 21
 Tools

Expert System:

• knowledge based type of system,

• top-down or bottom up approach,
• can be considered as one of AI

Artificial Intelligence
• Varies from highly mathematical
formulation to common sense
reasoning and learning.
• Type of reasoning: qualitative
and quantitative
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 Requirement
• Modeling method: how to build the model
• Current model representation: understanding the model up to its low-level product definition:
geometries, entities and topologies (body, region, shell, face, loop, edge, vertex)

• Storage: how the data are stored

• Interface the data: UI, Neutral File
• Programming: List or Application
Programming Interface (API), VBA 23
 How?
• Understand how human perceives certain model
Human perceives shape such cube, blind slot, or even its generic name such piston

• Understand how is the computer perception on similar model

Computer sees the models as collection of entities and geometries

• Find the correlation between both understanding to create the intelligence

Correlation can be developed using mathematical formula based on the qualitative reasoning etc.

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 Simple example

Task:
How a computer program recognize whether
the shape above is rectangular or square.

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 Computer Perception
Entity type: line
Geometry: coordinates of end points

Summary of computer How does computer store the

perception data: random. Some CAD
software stores the data
Purely entity and
depends on how they are
geometry data.
built.
These data are
randomly stored.

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 Human Perception

Rectangular and square comprises of

lines connected to each other.

The difference between

them are the length of
the edges

Angle of edges is 90o.

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 Is there any relationship?
Shape
Entity: line (x1, y2) (x2, y2)
4 lines
line (x6, y6) (x5, y5)

All edges same

line (x2, y2) (x8, y8) length :square

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 Can CAD replace human

• If yes? To what extend

axiomatic approach, CAID, paperless design

• If not? Why
computer does not have creativities !!!???

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 Can CAD be researchable area?

• Application level: Undergraduate or may be master level

• Researchable area: Master and PhD level

• As ME, where to suit

• Integration of knowledge of ME into CAD

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 MINOR PROJECT 4
(Minimum 2 pages)

(a) What do you mean by Computer Aided Design (CAD)? Discuss reasons for
implementing CAD in industry.

(b) Give your Comments on the needs for CAD data exchange standardisation in
CAD. Briefly discuss the difference between STL and IGES file format.

(c) What is the most popular file format used for sharing CAD files?

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END OF SLIDES

THANKS

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