Collaboration and Process Modelling in Engineering and Business - Research Implementation
An example was created of a cube to be manufactured is provided to illustrate the structure and process for creating the ontology, model, and visualisation/representation used for the 3 step translation process. This example was small enough to illustrate the whole three step process, with screenshots.
The cube model, as for all the engineering/process models was made up of the definition of the cube, and a colour coded representation of all the processes, materials, tooling, consumables, resources, and rates used for the manufacture of the cube; these were read in from the ontology in response to user choices. This makes it possible to investigate scenarios such as in this case whether to manufacture using welding, or riveting, and different options for use of tooling, consumables, resources, and rates. From investigating different options, different trees were created to represent different paths/options, and from this the production cost tree is created with results and feedback on exactly what made up the process/cost. This illustrated how the different sub ontologies/taxonomies could be colour coded in order to ensure it is easier to read the meaning of the tree and the interrelationships between the different aspects of the model.
In this example, aluminium was chosen as the material, and riveting was chosen as the process. This example also illustrated how the Vanguard System modelling tool automatically combined units appropriately. The cube was also translated and visualised using SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics).
An interface was also created automatically from the ontology and translated via step 2 to the decision support model, then to step 3 for visualisation and further interaction. This was achieved for wing parts spar, skin, stringer. The ontology was also translated via Step 2 into XML for Step 3 visualisation in Flash. This created a tree with a three dimensional look, colour and shading, and interactive repositioning of nodes to make it intuitive and assist in navigation. When a node is chosen, this is moved to the centre of the display and all the other nodes are moved or rotated to be positioned in relation to it. The interface demonstrated modelling of information within a browser; ‘Periphery’, ‘Area’, ‘Raw Volume’, ‘Finished Volume’, ‘Part Width’ and ‘Part Height’ could all be calculated/recalculated dynamically. This calculation is in response to changes the user makes to the attributes such as part height etc, as these changes are made the diagram changes in response.
My Research blog - http://userdrivenmodelling.blogspot.com/.
My Research Website - http://sites.google.com/site/userdrivenmodellingprogramming/.
I am a Researcher in the final year of my PhD. I specialise in applying Semantic Web techniques. My current research is on a technique of ‘User Driven Modelling/Programming’. My intention is to enable non-programmers to create software from a user interface that allows them to model a particular problem or scenario. This involves a user entering information visually in the form of a tree diagram. I am attempting to develop ways of automatically translating this information into program code in a variety of computer languages. This is very important and useful for many employees that have insufficient time to learn programming languages. I am looking to research visualisation, and visualisation techniques to create a human computer interface that allows non experts to create software.
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