<p>The fundamental aim of this study is to examine whether itis possible to automatically convert vector-based drawings toproduct models. The reason fordoing this is that the newobject-based systems cannot make use of the information storedin CAD drawings, which limits the usability of thesesystems.</p><p>Converting paper drawings to vector-format is used today andprovides recognition of lines and text, but does not interpretwhat the shapes represent. A language for describing thegeometrical representations that could be processed directlyinto a recognition program for building elements is missing. Itis easier to describe how to recognize a line as a series ofdots in a raster image, than it is to describe how a complexsymbol of a building element looks like.</p><p>The approach in this research work has been to testdifferent shape recognition algorithms. The proposed method canbe divided into four processes: grouping of geometricalprimitives, classifying these groups, interpreting the contentand analyzing the relationships between the groups. Thealgorithms developed here are based on research within relateddomains, such as pattern recognition and artificialintelligence.</p><p>The algorithms have been developed in a prototypeimplementation and were tested with three layer-structureddrawings used in practice. The results of the tests show thatthere are no crucial obstacles to recognizing a large part ofthe symbols of building elements in a CAD drawing. Therequirement is that the recognition system is able todifferentiate one from another and be tolerant of errors andvariations in the shapes.</p><p><b>Keywords:</b>Shape recognition, shape interpretation,product models</p>

The fundamental aim of this study is to examine whether itis possible to automatically convert vector-based drawings toproduct models. The reason fordoing this is that the newobject-based systems cannot make use of the information storedin CAD drawings, which limits the usability of thesesystems. Converting paper drawings to vector-format is used today andprovides recognition of lines and text, but does not interpretwhat the shapes represent. A language for describing thegeometrical representations that could be processed directlyinto a recognition program for building elements is missing. Itis easier to describe how to recognize a line as a series ofdots in a raster image, than it is to describe how a complexsymbol of a building element looks like. The approach in this research work has been to testdifferent shape recognition algorithms. The proposed method canbe divided into four processes: grouping of geometricalprimitives, classifying these groups, interpreting the contentand analyzing the relationships between the groups. Thealgorithms developed here are based on research within relateddomains, such as pattern recognition and artificialintelligence. The algorithms have been developed in a prototypeimplementation and were tested with three layer-structureddrawings used in practice. The results of the tests show thatthere are no crucial obstacles to recognizing a large part ofthe symbols of building elements in a CAD drawing. Therequirement is that the recognition system is able todifferentiate one from another and be tolerant of errors andvariations in the shapes. <b>Keywords:</b>Shape recognition, shape interpretation,product models / NR 20140805

Nowadays, a major part of the information is in digital form. Digital preservation is essential to allowpeople to access information over time. From a computer science perspective, two major objectiveshave to be met to enable digital preservation: developing archival systems to manage the preserveddigital information, and select information representations that will facilitate the preservation. For complexinformation such as product models, these two objective are particularly hard to meet. Archivalsystems have to operate in a complex environment, interact with many different systems, and supportmay different business functions. Product model representations do not use all the possibilitiesof computer interpretation.Regarding the development of archival systems, the key is to determine what has to be described toprove that the archival system can effectively support the digital preservation. The Reference Modelfor an Open Archival Information System (OAIS) proposes a terminology to describe and comparearchives. The Audit and Certification of Trustworthy Digital Repository (ACTDR) provides criteria forthe certification of archives. One issue with these efforts is that there is not guidance on how to usethem within archival system descriptions.This thesis proposes a method called Reference Architecture for Archival Systems (RAAS) to describearchival systems implementations. RAAS relies on the DoD Architecture Framework to describethe various aspects of the archival systems. Moreover, RAAS provides an archival-specificterminology inspired by the OAIS Reference Model. RAAS also explains how the archival systemdescription can help for the ACTDR certification.RAAS is applied to a product model preservation case, to describe the various aspects of the archivalsystem. This description includes the interactions involving the archival systems, the archival systemfunctions, the definition of the preserved content, and the definition of the metadata. This descriptionformally refers to the OAIS terminology, and provides ACTDR certification evidence.This thesis also address the representation of product models by proposing the translation of productmodels from STEP to OWL. STEP is a standard for product model representation. The use ofOWL enables semantic relationship to enrich product information, and improve the search and theunderstanding of this information using data integration.The methodology used in this thesis can apply to other types of information, such as medical records

La conception de produits de marque nécessite de considérer en même temps les aspects qui concernent la perception du produit (lié à l'évaluation et les émotions des consommateurs et les valeurs de la marque), ainsi que les aspects techniques et d'ingénierie, comprenant les fonctionnalités, les performances, le coût du produit et sa fabricabilité. Dans un contexte pluridisciplinaire, les designers de produits et les ingénieurs doivent collaborer et communiquer entre eux pour obtenir un produit satisfaisant qui plaise émotionnellement aux consommateurs et qui réponde techniquement aux performances attendues et qui est faisable à fabriquer. Cependant, cette collaboration entre les designers et les ingénieurs est difficile à cause de leurs différentes connaissances, approches et responsabilités au cours du processus de conception. Cette recherche s’intéresse aux questions du comment soutenir la communication entre les designers et les ingénieurs de produits et comment soutenir l'intégration de point de vue l'ingénierie au plus tôt dans le processus de conception de produit de marque. Les résultats de cette recherche contribuent à la proposition d'une approche pour intégrer le point de vue de l'ingénierie au point de vue de design (émotions et esthétique). Une proposition et évaluation de trois approches pour soutenir la communication entre les designers et les ingénieurs est étudiée dans cette recherche. De même une approche d'intégration est proposée suivant des trois étapes de modélisation, transformation et intégration des connaissances d'ingénierie à la connaissance de design. Par notre travail, nous avons contribué au projet SKIPPI, dans le développement d'un logiciel d'aide à la génération d'idées et à la prise de décision dans les phases amont de la conception. / Design of branded products involves consideration of both perceptual aspects of the product appearance (related to consumers’ evaluation and emotions and the brand values) as well as the technical and engineering aspects including manufacturing feasibility, performances, and cost. Within a multidisciplinary design context, product designers and engineering designers need to collaborate and communicate together to achieve a satisfactory product that is emotionally appealing to the consumers and is technically performing the intended functions, and is feasible to manufacture. However, such collaboration between product designers and engineering designers is difficult due to their different knowledge background, work approaches and responsibilities during the design process. This research deals with the questions of how to support the communication between product designers and engineering designers and how to support the integration of the engineering viewpoint earlier in the design process of branded product. Proposition and evaluation of three potential approaches to support communication between product designers and engineering designers is investigated in this research. Likewise an integration approach is proposed following the three steps of modeling, transforming and integrating the engineering knowledge to design knowledge. The results of this research contribute to the SKIPPI project, in the development of a software to support idea generation and the decision-making in the upstream design phase.

Pas de résumé en français / Nowadays, a major part of the information is in digital form. Digital preservation is essential to allowpeople to access information over time. From a computer science perspective, two major objectiveshave to be met to enable digital preservation: developing archival systems to manage the preserveddigital information, and select information representations that will facilitate the preservation. For complexinformation such as product models, these two objective are particularly hard to meet. Archivalsystems have to operate in a complex environment, interact with many different systems, and supportmay different business functions. Product model representations do not use all the possibilitiesof computer interpretation.Regarding the development of archival systems, the key is to determine what has to be described toprove that the archival system can effectively support the digital preservation. The Reference Modelfor an Open Archival Information System (OAIS) proposes a terminology to describe and comparearchives. The Audit and Certification of Trustworthy Digital Repository (ACTDR) provides criteria forthe certification of archives. One issue with these efforts is that there is not guidance on how to usethem within archival system descriptions.This thesis proposes a method called Reference Architecture for Archival Systems (RAAS) to describearchival systems implementations. RAAS relies on the DoD Architecture Framework to describethe various aspects of the archival systems. Moreover, RAAS provides an archival-specificterminology inspired by the OAIS Reference Model. RAAS also explains how the archival systemdescription can help for the ACTDR certification.RAAS is applied to a product model preservation case, to describe the various aspects of the archivalsystem. This description includes the interactions involving the archival systems, the archival systemfunctions, the definition of the preserved content, and the definition of the metadata. This descriptionformally refers to the OAIS terminology, and provides ACTDR certification evidence.This thesis also address the representation of product models by proposing the translation of productmodels from STEP to OWL. STEP is a standard for product model representation. The use ofOWL enables semantic relationship to enrich product information, and improve the search and theunderstanding of this information using data integration.The methodology used in this thesis can apply to other types of information, such as medical records