Versioning and configuration management in design using CAD and complex wrapped objects

In concurrent design, there is a need to control the interaction between the participants and also to manage the compatibility of the various components being designed. This requires a carefully defined structure to control the changes and additions to the design of artefacts and a means of allowing all participants to see as much of the design information as possible. For situations where colocation is not possible, this is best achieved through a suitably designed computer system. This paper covers the development of the Describe environment which consists of a CAD system linked to an Object-Oriented Database (OODB) via AutoLISP and a C++ executable. The interaction model within Describe has been developed to be as simple and flexible as possible and is based on fresults from a design experiment. Within the system, design information is stored as complex, wrapped objects which allow the seamless integration of graphical and other design information. The resulting system automatically updates design calculations when dimensions are altered in the CAD system. The system has been developed in conjunction with practising designers and applied to the domain of beam/slab bridges.