Title: Computer-aided design synthesis: an application of shape grammars

Authors: Alison McKay, Iestyn Jowers, Hau Hing Chau, Alan De Pennington, David C. Hogg

Addresses: School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK. ' School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK. ' School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK. ' School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK. ' School of Computing, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK

Abstract: Computer-aided design systems enable the creation of digital product definitions that are widely used throughout the design process. Typically, such product definitions are created after the bulk of [shape] designing has been completed because their creation requires a detailed knowledge of the shape that is to be defined. Shape grammars have been applied in a range of domains to generate design shapes that conform to a given style early in design processes. A key challenge that restricts their implementation lies in the detection of embedded shapes, sub-shapes, which are manipulated according to shape rules to create new shapes. The automatic detection of sub-shapes is an open research question within the shape grammar community. The research reported in this paper explored the use of computer vision techniques to address this problem; the results achieved to date show real promise. An early prototype is presented and demonstrated on a designer|s sketches.

Keywords: shape synthesis; shape grammar; computer vision; sub-shape detection; computer-aided design synthesis; CAD synthesis; product definition; designer sketches; product design; product development.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPD.2011.037591

International Journal of Product Development, 2011 Vol.13 No.1, pp.4 - 15

Published online: 27 Feb 2015 *

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