Data modeling abstractions and graphical interface for supporting the construction design process

Abstract

Database technology has been successfully applied to the traditional data processing environment where data are represented by well-formatted records. There is a growing interest in extending this database technology to more advanced application environment such as VLSI CAD/CAM, cartography, etc., where data are less structured and have very complex semantics. We believe the first step in developing a complete information support system for advanced applications is to identify abstraction concepts which can precisely capture the semantics of an application environment and then to formulate requirements for user interaction with such a system. In this paper, we identify the necessary abstraction concepts and propose a graphical user interface for an information support system geared towards the house construction design process. An overall goal of our research is to develop a completely integrated information support system for more generic design and manufacturing processes