Three-dimensional computer-aided drafting (CAD) software, sometimes referred to as "solid modeling" software, is easy to learn, fun to use, and becoming the standard in industry. However, many users have difficulty creating complex geometry with the solid modeling software. And the problem is not entirely a student problem. Even some teachers and…

Current methods of teaching basic amplifier design at the undergraduate level need further development to match today's technological advances. The general class approach to amplifier design is analytical and heavily based on mathematical manipulations. However, the students mathematical abilities are generally modest, creating a void in which…

As display technologies prepare to welcome 3-D, the 21st-century classroom will soon bear little resemblance to anything students and teachers have ever seen. In this article, the author presents the latest innovations in the world of digital display technology. These include: (1) Touchlight, an interactive touch screen program that takes a normal…

Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) are pervasive elements of most modern technical software and represent a convenient tool for student instruction. For example, GUIs are used for [chemical] process design software (e.g., CHEMCAD, PRO/II and ASPEN) typically encountered in the senior capstone course. Drag and drop aspects of GUIs are challenging for…

Computer aided design (CAD) has been producing 3-D models for years. AutoCAD software is frequently used to create sophisticated 3-D models. These CAD files can be exported as 3DS files for import into Autodesk's 3-D Studio Viz. In this program, the user can render and modify the 3-D model before exporting it out as a WRL (world file hyperlinked)…

Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) is a course that is required during the third year in the mechanical engineering curriculum at Binghamton University. The primary objective of the course is to educate students in the procedures of computer-aided engineering design. The solid modeling and analysis program Pro/Engineer[TM] (PTC[R]) is used as the…

Describes an image database system assembled using separate computer components that was developed to overcome text-only computer hardware storage and retrieval limitations for a pavement design class. (JJK)

This paper presents elements of the computer graphics environment including information on: Lotus 1-2-3; Apple Macintosh; Desktop Publishing; Object-Oriented Programming; and Microsoft's Windows 3. A brief scenario illustrates the use of the minimization principle in presenting a new product to a group of international financiers. A taxonomy of…