Data format and browser of lightweight CAD files for dimensional verification over the internet

The demand for the use of 3D CAD data over the Internet environment has been increasing. However, CAD data size has deteriorated the communication effectiveness of 3D CAD files. Good design methodology of a lightweight CAD file is required for rapid transmission on the distributed network environment. In this paper, a file translation system is constructed to produce lightweight CAD files from commercial CAD systems by using InterOp and APIs of the ACIS kernel. Using B-rep models and mesh data extracted from the CAD native files, the lightweight CAD files with topological information are constructed as binary files. As the lightweight CAD files retain topological and geometric information, they are applicable to dimensional verification, digital mock-ups, and visualization of CAD files through a CAD viewer. The effectiveness of the proposed lightweight CAD files is confirmed through various case studies on the CAD viewer. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Jooho Choi In-Ho Song received B.S. and M.S. degrees in mechanical engi-neering from Kunsan National University, and Ph.D. degree in mechanical engineering from Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea in 2007. From 2002 to 2007, he served as a team manager to develop CAD and PLM systems in CIES in Korea. He is currently a post-doc researcher in the mechanical engineering department in Hanyang University. As he had developed a lightweight CAD viewing kernel for CAD/CAM systems, he received a New Technology Certificate from Korean Government (MOCIE) in 2005. He also received several prizes from the Korean Society of CAD/CAM Engineers in 2003 and 2004. He specializes in geometric modeling, CAD kernels, product design and digital manufacturing systems. Sung-Chong Chung received the B.S. degree with honors in mechanical engineering from Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea, and the M.S. and Ph. D. in mechanical engineering from KAIST, Seoul, Korea in 1979, 1981 and 1987, respectively. Since 1983, he has been a professor in the School of Mechanical Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea. In 2000, he received the outstanding paper award from the North American Manufacturing Research Institution of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. He received the academic research and software development awards from the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Korean Society of CAD/CAM Engineers in 2003 and 2004, respectively. His research interests include CAD/CAM, control, mechatronics, manufacturing and precision engineering.