Form Of Plug-in Research Articles

APLAN: open assembly planning framework in FreeCAD

In the latest decade, the consumer’s desire for personalisation has clearly taken of, challenging manufacturers to diversify their product portfolio while maintaining the same (or near) mass-produced prices. As a result, production is nowadays geared towards low volumes with high variety for which adaptive assembly systems are required. Hence, being able to automatically map out the assembly of complex products yields significant strategic advantages over competing manufacturers. Although a wide range of assembly sequencing algorithms have been developed in the past, researchers and companies still experience intellectual and financial thresholds to applying these software packages themselves. Either the algorithms have to be largely re-engineered from scientific literature, or are offered as part of costly commercial CAD software in the form of plugins and add-ons. However, in some cases, the developed source code is made publicly available via online collaboration platforms though in a variety of programming languages and often requiring the cumbersome installation of additional software libraries.Out of these needs, the proposed APLAN module arose: a software framework allowing developers to share their (dis)assembly planning algorithms in a centralised, uniform manner through the open-source 3D parametric modelling software FreeCAD. As impetus, several in-house developed algorithms for determining topological and geometrical (dis)assembly constraints are included as well as an academic (dis)assembly planner. Previously, such algorithms had to be executed via the terminal, after which the extensive liaison, blocking, and AND/OR graphs were outputted as text or static images. Through APLAN, users are now able to inspect and edit these graphs interactively and dynamically. To conclude, this manuscript finally reports on the benchmarking of the aforementioned connection and obstruction detectors, and their academic and industrial application for human-robot collaboration.

Micro-Attention Branch, a Flexible Plug-In That Enhances Existing 3D ConvNets

In the field of video motion recognition, with the increase in network depth, there is an asymmetry in the amount of parameters and their accuracy. We propose the structure of micro-attention branches and a method of integrating attention branches in multi-branches 3D convolution networks. Our proposed attention branches can improve this asymmetry problem. Attention branches can be flexibly added to 3D convolution network in the form of plug-in, without changing the overall structure of the original network. Through this structure, the newly constructed network can fuse the attention features extracted by attention branches in real time in the process of feature extraction. By adding attention branches, the model can focus on the action subject more accurately, so as to improve the accuracy of the model. Moreover, in the case that there are multiple sub-branches in the construction module of the existing network, 3D micro-attention branches can well adapt to this scenario. In the kinetics dataset, we use our proposed micro-attention branch structure to construct a deep network, which is compared with the original network. The experimental results show that the recognition accuracy of the network with micro-attention branches is improved by 3.6% compared with the original network, while the amount of parameters to be trained is only increased by 0.6%.

REDMINE-ОРИЕНТИРОВАННЫЙ ПОДХОД ДЛЯ АВТОМАТИЧЕСКОГО РАСПРЕДЕЛЕНИЯ ЗАДАЧ В ОБЛАСТИ АВТОМАТИЗАЦИИ ПРОМЫШЛЕННЫХ ПРОЕКТОВ

The Scrum methodology is analyzed as a method of managing the product development process using the Redmine tool. When analyzing the business processes of the Scrum methodology, the need to automate some of the processes was identified. The algorithms for automatic tasks distribution in Redmine system and their implementation in the form of plugin were developed.

Process mining as support to simulation modeling: A hospital-based case study

The purpose of this paper is to show how the knowledge of Process Mining techniques can provide a robust premise to build a Discrete Event Simulation (DES) model of a healthcare process. In order to analyze some specific processes of an ophthalmology ward of a large Italian hospital, ProM6 framework was implemented, which supports process mining techniques in form of plug-ins; the plug-ins process data, in form of Event Log, in order to extract information about the process. The DES model based on such information was run via a commercial tool, Simul8, which allows building sophisticated process models. A timely algorithm was then deployed to adapt the ProM6 information to the DES model. Following, a conformance analysis was conducted by comparing the original Event Log, and the Simulation tool data, taking into account the main case-related model attributes (routing probabilities profile, time perspective, and resources perspective). The paper aims at developing the line of inquiry for what concerns the deployment of approaches to set forth the link between Process mining and Simulation modeling.

Технологии автоматического тестирования программных комплексов реалистичной компьютерной графики

The article describes the technology of automatic software testing in relation to industrial systems of computer graphics and optical simulation. Test automation becomes vital in the face of limited resources with the frequent release of product versions, which often occur among software product manufacturers. There are presented both methods of regression testing the computational kernel of such systems, and methods of testing the user interface. Scripting mechanism based on Python is used for regression testing, its multithreading capabilities which allow significant decreasing of testing time are also described. Python allows two ways of parallelization – multithreading and multiprocessing, both of them are considered. Due to the stochastic methods used in optical simulation calculation results may differ from time to time, which complicates regression testing. In this case, it is proposed to apply some (in each case - your own) threshold when comparing the simulation results. Separately automated testing of user interface which was elaborated basing on the AutoIt tool is described. The approach for testing the user interface of systems implemented in the form of plugins to existing CAD/PDM complexes, the source code of which is closed and not available to the authors of automatic tests, are described as well.

The Research and Implementation of Interactive Media Art Design System

Interactive media art is an important part of the new cultural industry, is a typical combination of art and technology, which combines visual, auditory, space design, light, electricity and other forms of effect to fresh vibrant feeling. Interactive media art is widely used in exhibition industry, interactive advertising, stage art and performance, interactive games and other fields. China’s interactive media art has just entered a stage of rapid development, there is no ready-made universal interactive media design system, which is the bottleneck of the development and application of interactive media in china. This paper first carries out research on interactive media system involves hardware and software development technology, then explain the interactive media art and design of each subsystem and their design method and implementation process. In this system, we design and implement a set of visual programming model based on node, and develop a friendly interactive authoring environment, visual interactive subsystem and a powerful plug-in system. The main work is as follows: 1) in order to enhance the intuitive and interactivity of the system, this paper studies and implements a visualization programming model based on nodes includes: basic data structure definition, node implementation mechanisms, implementation mechanisms of the scenes and the efficiency analysis of programming model. The model defines the user to carry out the logic of visual programming. With visual programming model based on nodes as the guide, based on Qt library, this paper developed the interactive multimedia art and design system, including: interactive creation environment, plug-in architecture interactive visualization subsystem and system. Interactive create environment to achieve a variety of systems and users to interact with the interface, including the file interface, view control interface, the scene editing interface. The contents of the visual interactive subsystem include: the graphical rendering of the control, the management mechanism of the control and the execution model of the system. Control is a graphical representation of the node, but also a direct manipulation of the user when the object. The system adopts plug-in architecture, and all the function modules are integrated into the main frame of the system through the form of plug-in. 3) based on the main framework of the interactive multimedia art design system, this paper develops a powerful plug-in system. The plug-in system is divided into five categories according to the function: sound, image, video, graphics and mathematical processing. This system has good interactivity and high degree of openness, the art of using the system’s existing function modules can be directly carried out visual programming to create interactive art application, so as to expand the function of the system plug-in professionals can develop personalized functions.

Possible Improvements of Modern Dynamic Geometry Software

Contemporary education is starting to supersede the traditional one (teacher-to-student lessons) with technology-rich learning using various educational tools and a selection of materials that are effective, efficient and appealing to students. Dynamic Geometry Software (DGS) today is widely used in teaching and learning mathematical topics. Such kind of educational software can evolve in several ways, by either adding new features on the surface or by evolving the evaluation engine at its core. The implementation of a DGS needs to be straightforward and modular. To achieve the evolution of a DGS core we have developed a programming framework for the Dynamic Geometry Software, SLGeometry, with a genericized functional language and the corresponding expression evaluation engine. Engine acts as a framework into which specific semantics is embedded in the form of code, annotated with metadata. An ordinary expression tree evaluator is transformed into an object-oriented one by this framework. Whilst other DGS are based on purely functional expression evaluators, our solution has the advantages of being more general, maintainable, understandable, easy to implement, and providing a natural way of specifying object properties in the user interface, minimizing typing and syntax errors. The modular approach enables independent development of subject-specific components, which are easily added to the evaluation engine in the form of plug-ins. The object-oriented nature of the framework enables development of self-contained units, such as objects and visual elements which encapsulate domain-specific semantic and present it to the user as virtual placeholders for real-life objects and notions. In this paper we present several possible improvements of Dynamic Geometry Software, particularly having in mind the platform that we have implemented. Additionally we discuss benefits of these features and their influence on the users/students. The approach is tested on SLGeometry -- our DGS platform, developed in C# on the .NET Framework.

High-Performance Geospatial Big Data Processing System Based on MapReduce

With the rapid development of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, the increasing volume and diversity of sources of geospatial big data have created challenges in storing, managing, and processing data. In addition to the general characteristics of big data, the unique properties of spatial data make the handling of geospatial big data even more complicated. To facilitate users implementing geospatial big data applications in a MapReduce framework, several big data processing systems have extended the original Hadoop to support spatial properties. Most of those platforms, however, have included spatial functionalities by embedding them as a form of plug-in. Although offering a convenient way to add new features to an existing system, the plug-in has several limitations. In particular, while executing spatial and nonspatial operations by alternating between the existing system and the plug-in, additional read and write overheads have to be added to the workflow, significantly reducing performance efficiency. To address this issue, we have developed Marmot, a high-performance, geospatial big data processing system based on MapReduce. Marmot extends Hadoop at a low level to support seamless integration between spatial and nonspatial operations of a solid framework, allowing improved performance of geoprocessing workflow. This paper explains the overall architecture and data model of Marmot as well as the main algorithm for automatic construction of MapReduce jobs from a given spatial analysis task. To illustrate how Marmot transforms a sequence of operators for spatial analysis to map and reduce functions in a way to achieve better performance, this paper presents an example of spatial analysis retrieving the number of subway stations per city in Korea. This paper also experimentally demonstrates that Marmot generally outperforms SpatialHadoop, one of the top plug-in based spatial big data frameworks, particularly in dealing with complex and time-intensive queries involving spatial index.

Evaluation and Numerical Calculation of Entropy based on Contact Strain-Energy

The internal stress distribution of assembly could significantly influence the precision stability of structures after assembly. Inhomogeneous stress distribution in structures could change with time and environment, and the change is also inhomogeneous. References related to entropy evaluation just evaluate the contact area under assembly load, but the internal stress distribution is more significant. In this study, the qualitative analysis between internal stress distribution of components and entropy based on contact strain-energy was conducted. The correlation between internal stress distribution and entropy value was verified with finite element method. It is shown from the results that the bigger the value of entropy, the better the homogeneity of internal stress distribution. Finite element analyses were carried out with ABAQUS, the programs to calculate entropy value were made with Python, and could be called in ABAQUS in the form of Plug-in; users could gain the entropy value and stress value of elements by clicking mouse buttons.

PathVisio 3: an extendable pathway analysis toolbox.

PathVisio is a commonly used pathway editor, visualization and analysis software. Biological pathways have been used by biologists for many years to describe the detailed steps in biological processes. Those powerful, visual representations help researchers to better understand, share and discuss knowledge. Since the first publication of PathVisio in 2008, the original paper was cited more than 170 times and PathVisio was used in many different biological studies. As an online editor PathVisio is also integrated in the community curated pathway database WikiPathways.Here we present the third version of PathVisio with the newest additions and improvements of the application. The core features of PathVisio are pathway drawing, advanced data visualization and pathway statistics. Additionally, PathVisio 3 introduces a new powerful extension systems that allows other developers to contribute additional functionality in form of plugins without changing the core application.PathVisio can be downloaded from http://www.pathvisio.org and in 2014 PathVisio 3 has been downloaded over 5,500 times. There are already more than 15 plugins available in the central plugin repository. PathVisio is a freely available, open-source tool published under the Apache 2.0 license (http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0). It is implemented in Java and thus runs on all major operating systems. The code repository is available at http://svn.bigcat.unimaas.nl/pathvisio. The support mailing list for users is available on https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/wikipathways-discuss and for developers on https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/wikipathways-devel.

OpenCOR: a modular and interoperable approach to computational biology.

Computational biologists have been developing standards and formats for nearly two decades, with the aim of easing the description and exchange of experimental data, mathematical models, simulation experiments, etc. One of those efforts is CellML (cellml.org), an XML-based markup language for the encoding of mathematical models. Early CellML-based environments include COR and OpenCell. However, both of those tools have limitations and were eventually replaced with OpenCOR (opencor.ws). OpenCOR is an open source modeling environment that is supported on Windows, Linux and OS X. It relies on a modular approach, which means that all of its features come in the form of plugins. Those plugins can be used to organize, edit, simulate and analyze models encoded in the CellML format. We start with an introduction to CellML and two of its early adopters, which limitations eventually led to the development of OpenCOR. We then go onto describing the general philosophy behind OpenCOR, as well as describing its openness and its development process. Next, we illustrate various aspects of OpenCOR, such as its user interface and some of the plugins that come bundled with it (e.g., its editing and simulation plugins). Finally, we discuss some of the advantages and limitations of OpenCOR before drawing some concluding remarks.

Accessed Data Acquisition Model Based on Multi-Protocolequipment

According to the requirement of multi-devices access to the computer in intelligent building monitoring system, combined with the principle of the upper computers data acquisition and the principle of configuration software, this paper proposes auppercomputerdata acquisition model by simulating the equipment into channels and the model is based on double buffers sampling technology. The model adopts the principle of device drivers;different equipments computer modules access to the model in the form of plug-ins.

IdBean: a Java GUI application for conversion of biological identifiers

We have developed a biologist-friendly, stand-alone Java GUI application, IdBean, for ID conversion. Our tool integrated most of the widely used ID conversion services that provide programmatic access. It is the first GUI ID conversion application that supports the direct merging as well as comparison of conversion results from multiple ID conversion services without manual effort. This tool will greatly help biologists who handle multiple ID types for the analyses of gene or gene product lists. By referring to multiple conversion services, the number of failed IDs can be reduced. By accessing ID conversion service online, it will potentially provide the most up-to-date conversion results. The application was developed in modular form; however, it can be re-packaged into plug-in form. For the development of a bioinformatics analysis tool, the module can be used as a built-in ID conversion component. It is available at http://neon.gachon.ac.kr/IdBean/.

Health stories as connectors and subjectifiers

Health circulates inside bodies, as a condition of cells, tissues and organs, and outside bodies as signs. Health stories offer people bits of a subjectivity of health: an awareness of what is interior, expressed in signs that are exterior. Three genres of health stories are described: technoluxe stories, unbearable health stories and strategic health stories. These stories call out to people, bidding to be subjectifiers of health. Stories connect people who may become patients, providers of health services, health products, images, fears and desires. Following Latour, health stories are understood as a form of plug-in: resources that provide people with an ability to recognize and connect what was disparate.

PM2K: a flexible program implementing Whole Powder Pattern Modelling

Whole Powder Pattern Modelling (WPPM) has been recently proposed as a self- consistent low-bias technique for the microstructural investigation of nanocrystalline materi- als. Through WPPM, a set of physical parameters actually describing the Fourier transform of diffraction line profiles, can be easily extracted from the diffraction data. In order to cope with the need for a higher flexibility (to test, compare and use new line broadening models) and with the request for additional features, the existing code imple- menting WPPM has been redesigned and improved. The result is a general tool for nonlinear least squares minimisation, highly problem- independent and user-customisable through the use of macros or by a custom software de- velopment kit. A set of libraries have been written in the form of plug-ins, actually imple- menting WPPM and the microstructural models proposed in the literature. The work shows software architecture and examples of application of the program to real cases of study.

Sediment-Filled Reed Stems as Contributors to Marsh Sediment Fabrics

ABSTRACT Silts trapped within broken stems of the reed Phragmites communis form plugs which fall to the marsh floor as organic decay destroys the stem. The plugs form cylindrical plant-wrapped nodules within the sediments. Such structures have formerly been attributed to infilled roots, but the reed rhizomes of the Tay marshes of the east coast of Scotland collapse after death and are flattened, not filled.

Role of calcium ions and phospholipids in platelet aggregation and plug formation.

Certain phospholipids aggregate and form "plugs" in a simple system in which all variables are easily controlled. Aggregation requires the presence of divalent cations. Suspensions of lecithin are totally inactive whereas those of phosphatidylethanolamine and interaction products of lecithin and phosphatidylserine (molar ratio 1/1) aggregate and form plugs. Phosphatidylserine and lecithin-phosphatidylserine interaction products at higher molar ratios produce some aggregation but do not form plugs. Adenosine diphosphate (in the presence of small amounts of calcium) can accelerate the formation of small aggregates of platelets or exogenous phospholipids, but cannot bring about the formation of large aggregates or plugs. The hypothesis is presented that aggregation of platelets in physiological thrombus formation occurs after a triggering mechanism "uncovers" phospholipid micelles in platelets. The newly available negative charges on the polar ends of phospholipids would then be bridged by divalent cations present in the surrounding plasma, producing aggregates and plugs.