The NextGRADE Prototype GUI for intelligent synthesis environments

Abstract

This paper presents the recent development of a software tool that demonstrates key modeling and analysis technologies that will be integral to next generation design systems. The software has been named the Next Generation Revolutionary Analysis and Design Environment (NextGRADE) Prototype Graphical User Interface (GUI). The current version of the software runs on Microsoft Windows 95/981NT computer systems and demonstrates elements of rapid synthesis and simulation of complex analysis models via a plug-and-play capability for model assembly. With the Prototype, users can interactively assemble individual, previously modeled components together for structural analysis and visualization. The Prototype GUI is tightly integrated with NASA’s COMET-AR structural analysis code. COMET-AR is an extensible software system for performing computational mechanics analyses, and serves as a research testbed where state-of-the-art technologies such as rapid solution algorithms, adaptive mesh refinement and interface modeling technology are implemented and tested. The Prototype GUI makes significant use of COMET-AR’s interface elements for coupling finite element meshes that are modeled independently and that may have different discretizations along common boundaries. The Prototype GUI has been used to assemble and analyze several moderately complex systems, including the Next Generation Space Telescope, with favorable results. program2. This program seeks to realize a set of software and hardware tools that will revolutionize engineering design and mission synthesis. Beyond existing CADKAMKAE capabilities, the ISE will be an integrated, collaborative virtual environment with the following key components: