Article: A methodology for sketch analysis to support maintaining the design intent in virtual prototyping Journal: Journal of Design Research (JDR) 2010 Vol.8 No.3 pp.189 - 213 Abstract: In the context of aesthetic products, one of the most important research issues with regard to the definition of methods and tools is to preserve the initial design intent along the whole product development process. Starting from a novel definition of freeform aesthetic feature, the present research aims at outlining an innovative methodology for design intent recognition and formalisation in terms of styling curves and CAD modelling strategies. Their identification is based on the analysis of freehand sketches evolution during creative design. The final result consists in an innovative procedure for virtual prototyping that enables shape modifications coherently with the design intent. The main scientific contribution is the implementation of an approach to extract meaningful aesthetic and functional information from sketches and to translate them into an operational procedure for virtual prototyping by adopting semiotic-based rules and descriptive models of creative design. The achieved methodology has been applied to support both the reverse engineering of freeform shapes and the direct modelling of virtual mock-ups. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: A methodology for sketch analysis to support maintaining the design intent in virtual prototyping

Authors: Maura Mengoni, Michele Germani

Addresses: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Mechanics, Polytechnic University of Marche, via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy. ' Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Mechanics, Polytechnic University of Marche, via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy

Abstract: In the context of aesthetic products, one of the most important research issues with regard to the definition of methods and tools is to preserve the initial design intent along the whole product development process. Starting from a novel definition of freeform aesthetic feature, the present research aims at outlining an innovative methodology for design intent recognition and formalisation in terms of styling curves and CAD modelling strategies. Their identification is based on the analysis of freehand sketches evolution during creative design. The final result consists in an innovative procedure for virtual prototyping that enables shape modifications coherently with the design intent. The main scientific contribution is the implementation of an approach to extract meaningful aesthetic and functional information from sketches and to translate them into an operational procedure for virtual prototyping by adopting semiotic-based rules and descriptive models of creative design. The achieved methodology has been applied to support both the reverse engineering of freeform shapes and the direct modelling of virtual mock-ups.

Keywords: freehand sketches; semiotics; cognitive modelling; design models; virtual prototyping; reverse engineering; sketch analysis; design intent; aesthetic products; product design; product development; aesthetics; styling curves; CAD modelling.

DOI: 10.1504/JDR.2010.032606

Journal of Design Research, 2010 Vol.8 No.3, pp.189 - 213

Published online: 08 Apr 2010 *

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Title: A methodology for sketch analysis to support maintaining the design intent in virtual prototyping

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