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Paper: w78-1988-267
| Paper title: | A design automation paradox |
| Authors: | Earl M |
| Summary: | There seems to be a 'tyranny' of predefined purpose in some highly automated CAD products. For example, a CAD product for architects may provide 'high level" commands for trimming 'walls'. However, unless the 'wall' types conform to a particular topology, they can not be trimmed. On the other hand , there are 'low level' commands which can be used to trim more general types of graphic entities. However, unless the graphic entities are tediously decomposed into primitive elements, such as line segments and arcs, they also can not be trimmed. A paradox of design automation is that adding higher level functionality to a CAD product bounds its use within a specific design modeling domain and restricts its use from other more general domains. On the other hand, more general CAD products are flexible at a primitive level, but can not be used to provide 'high level' functionality. Although design specific knowledge within a CAD product may prove to be a great utility in some instances, it is typically paid for in terms of pre-conceived constraints on modeling. Artificial Intelligence techniques may provide a way of offering high level functionality with less pre-conceived constraints; however, it may be fallacious to assume that o particular modeling domain will not be Imposed on the user. This paper illustrates how a modeling domain is typically defined with a commercial CAD product . It takes notice of how the assumptions underlying any particular modeling domain may be challenged by design theory. It then cautiously explores a scenario for how the need for a modeling domain may be reconciled in a "thousand flowers bloom" approach. |
| Type: | |
| Year of publication: | 1988 |
| Series: | w78:1988 |
| ISSN: | 2706-6568 |
| Download paper: | /pdfs/w78-1988-267.content.pdf |
| Citation: | Earl M (1988). A design automation paradox. Christiansson P, Karlsson H (ed.); Conceptual modelling of buildings. CIB W74+W78 seminar, October, 1988. Lund university and the Swedish building centre. CIB proceedings 126 (ISSN: 2706-6568), http://itc.scix.net/paper/w78-1988-267 |
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