This thesis focuses on the design and development of a flexible context architecture for a multi-user GUI that serves several users engaged in collaborative computer-aided applications (CAx). The objective of this thesis is to extend previous research into multi-user GUI's by providing multiple users with a flexible context interface for interaction with other users working on the same part at distributed locations. The investigation will consider how distributed users, through user interfaces, interact to simultaneously build models and how interaction context might be presented to regulate the way they wish to interact. The implementation integrates a Multi-User GUI (MUG) with NX Connect, a multi-user CAD prototype for Siemens NX. NX MUG uses agent software to render the user prototype outside of NX and NX Connect. This generalizes the interface so that it could be used with other engineering applications where several users wish to collaborate. The Multi-user GUI enables users to view a collaborating user's workspace, send/receive messages between multi-users, and is capable of translating text interactions in different languages, while skyping with other users. This research will have a profound impact on collaborative teams in reducing barriers to effective communication. This research will also enhance the existing NX Connect multi-user prototype by providing collaborative interaction support among the multi-users.

This thesis presents a new design process in which design specifications and task distribution are determined from a parallel multi user prospective. Using this method, projects are more easily decomposed into tasks that can be performed concurrently, thus decreasing the design time. Also, a framework is provided to determine the correct distribution of available talent and stakeholders that can be utilized on a given project. The research suggests that by involving the necessary stakeholders in a multi user setting, changes can be made quickly and without additional approval wait time. By including individuals from the various areas of required talent, persons of expertise will be able to work together in a mode of shared design rather than an iterative design process. Decreasing iterations as well as reducing wait time for approval will reduce the overall design time significantly. This method has been tested and validated utilizing controlled tests simulating real life situations of much larger scale. The validation results show that the new method does in fact improve design time and overall achievement of initial design goals