DesignBUF: Exploring and Extending 2D Boolean Set Operations with Multiple Modes in the Early Design Phase

Abstract

Boolean set operations have been a powerful design function set for any CAD systems including 2D and 3D domains. Their capacity to provide even more powerful design tools have not, however, been fully explored in the 2D system. The purpose of this study is to further explore 2D Boolean set operations with multiple modes, which include a pick mode, a wait mode, a drag-and-drop mode, and a draw-and-action mode. We develop a prototype design tool, called DesignBUF. It introduces a new concept of “design object buffer,” an intermediate design zone in which a designer freely sketches his/her design with design objects in a brainstorming fashion since valuable design ideas are ephemeral? and the designer needs to generate design schemes rapidly before the ideas disappear or are forgotten. After finishing such fast brainstorming processes, especially in the early design phase, the designer gets a stable and refined form of a floor plan, which in turn becomes a well structured form to maintain building and design information systematically. Therefore, the designer keeps switching back and forth between the “design object buffer” and structured floor plans. We believe that this dual working memory will not only increase system flexibility, but also reduce computation with unnecessarily complex design objects. This study also develops a robust algorithm to transform the intermediate design objects into a well-structured floor plan. In fact, the algorithm is also used for the extended Boolean set operations described above. A structured floor plan can also be transformed into non-structured forms. Research issues for future development are also identified at the end of the paper.