PROJECT PROFILE 3D WORKBENCH

(ITEA 01012)

Opening up
••••••••••••••••

CAD/CAE/CAM
Partners
ACATEC
CAxOPEN

systems for innovation DaimlerChrysler

Free Field Technologies
GENERIC.DE
••••••••••••••••••••••••• RPK, Universität Karlsruhe
SAMTECH
SINTEF
Due to economies of scale, Seamless integration
major CAD/CAE/CAM software While conventional CAD systems
vendors can make sizeable are now widely used across the
investments in technology – in entire industrial design process Countries involved
an oligopolistic market – creating (for cars, planes, etc.), there Belgium
proprietary barriers. Meanwhile, are still opportunities to shorten Germany
smaller software manufacturers, development time and increase
which often bring the most productivity. Levels of concurrent
innovative solutions to market, and simultaneous engineering need Project start
are increasingly shut out due to to be increased in this industry
September 2002
these barriers and high costs of – and seamless integration is
investment. required to achieve this objective.

ITEA’s 3D Workbench aims to How do large industrial enterprises Project end

change this situation. By developing currently “cope” with this situation? August 2004
CAD/CAE/CAM middleware based They tend to rely on one monolithic
on recognised and open standards, CAD system and then require their
smaller software manufacturers subcontractors to use such systems. Contact
can develop higher quality software This results in an increase in overall Project Leader:
fully compatible with other systems, inefficiency, with poor levels of data Martin Richter
creating promising prospects for a exchange for domains not covered RPK, Universität Karlsruhe,
new productive wave of innovation. by the main system.
Germany

Modeling Simulation Machining Proprietary Email:

Applications

Specific Specific Specific Generic

End-user

Application Application Application CA* System richter@rpk.mach.uni-

karlsruhe.de

CAD/CAM/CAE Middleware Project website:

www3dwb.mach.uni-
Harness

3D
Test

Workbench
karlsruhe.de

3D Design Simulation Machining

Components

Visualization Algorithms Algorithms Algorithms

Application

SINTEF
Salome

Salome

Sam tech
OCC

OCC

FFT
SIM

Data CAD CAE CAM PDM Collaboration

Data M odelling

C om ponents

Exchange Services Services Services Enablers Services

Com ponents

Enterprise
Salome
S am tech
SDRC

SDRC

SDRC
OCC

OCC

PTC
UG

UG
DS

DS

DS

System Middleware: CORBA, System Administration, Security, Graphics, User interface, XML

Operation System: Linux, Unix, Windows

Application Open Source CORBA/IDL API Implementation DS: Dassault Systems

FFT: Free Field Technologies S.A.
OCC: Open CASCADE S.A.
PTC: Parametrics Technology Corp.
SDRC: Structural Dynamics Research Corp.
SIM: Systems in Motion
UG: Unigraphics Solutions

3D-Workbench component framework for CAx application development


PROJECT PROFILE
The solution to this problem? Using
distributed object-oriented CAD
systems, consisting of components
from various suppliers accessed via
a common standardised API, is now
considered the best way to improve
engineering processes. Using
“best of class tools” for every task
– without proprietary barriers –
seamless integration becomes
possible, forming the basis for
increased productivity and more
dynamic innovation. This is what the
3D Workbench project is all about.
An open source solution
In order to open up dominant
proprietary software, we plan to
use the Open Source Development
Model, which is recognised as a
proven approach for the task. For
example, this was the starting
point for developing Linux, now
considered an operating system
able to compete with Microsoft
Windows. Linux is increasingly
supported by hardware vendors and
used by many applications, ease of
use is increasing, and distribution
channels are improving. For office
automation, open source solutions
already exist, such as StarOffice,
which is comparable to Microsoft
Office. The next challenge is to
open up the industrial market,
where CAD/CAE/CAM currently
face no competition.
The way ahead
Standardisation is critical, so this
project participates in task forces
responding to Request for Proposal
(RFP) from the Object Management
Group (OMG), the first international
organisation to standardise software.
We are basing the new architecture
on the Common Object Request
Broker Architecture (CORBA) and its
Interface Definition Language (IDL).
3D Workbench will utilise a Rapid
Application Development environment
(RAD) to facilitate the development of:
• a ready-to-use application
called the Test Harness,
for experimenting with the
middleware, demonstrating its
components and prototyping
applications
• a web access viewer for
interacting with 3D models
through the internet, available as
both a stand-alone application
and a reusable component to
develop applications
• a production environment, which
provides tools for managing
workspaces, connected to a
source code control system
– and dedicated to developing
new CAD/CAE/CAM added-value
components.
In this project, we will examine and
develop the following five open
components: CAD services, design
algorithms, a first proposal for
simulation algorithms addressing
finite element calculations, 3D
visualisation, and the 3D Workbench
RAD. While we’ll examine data
sharing, eventually through the
use of PDM enablers, we’ll also
utilise an existing data exchange
component. We expect to develop
CAM domain components in the
future, while enterprise components
are not within the scope of this project.
As 3D Workbench will result in the
first open-source implementation
of this CAD/CAM/CAE middleware,
it will be developed using currently
available open-source libraries
such as Open CASCADE for
geometry and topology, the finite
element kernel FEMTown for
simulation algorithms (open source
availability is expected in 2004),
Coin3d for visualization, Qt for the
user interface (open source on
Linux only), and omniORB (to be
validated during specification of the
first work package) as the default
CORBA support. Our intention is
to be CORBRA implementation
independent.
Lastly, although 3D Workbench
will also run on Windows and all
major Unix platforms, the intention
is to disseminate it through Linux
channels first.
Expected project results
• Industry standards for CAD/CAM/
CAE.
• A platform for developing
industrial applications.
• A platform for promoting university
research and commercial
components.
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ITEA - Information Technology
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development in embedded and
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ITEA was established in 1999
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together. We are a prominent
player in European software
development with some 7,000
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ITEA-labelled projects build
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Σ! 2023
October 2003