There has been a significant gap between the tools used for the design of a building's architectural form and those that evaluate the structural physics of that form. Seeking to bring the perspectives of visual design and structural engineering closer together, we developed and evaluated a design tool for students and practitioners to explore the…

Laboratory instruction is a major component of the engineering and technology undergraduate curricula. Traditional laboratory instruction is hampered by several factors including limited access to resources by students and high laboratory maintenance cost. A photorealistic 3D computer-simulated laboratory for undergraduate instruction in…

Presents a proposed course in Engineering Graphics at the University of Louisville that integrates an innovative approach to design for manufacturing of new products with traditional topics on engineering graphics for manufacturing. Discusses the content of the course and its role in enhancing a student's competitive edge for the job market.…

Describes the use of a parametric-feature-based computer-aided design (CAD) System, AutoCAD Designer, in teaching concepts of three dimensional geometrical modeling and design. Allows engineering graphics to go beyond the role of documentation and communication and allows an engineer to actually build a virtual prototype of a design idea and…

Presents a command organizer for AutoCAD to aid new uses in operating within the 3-D modeling environment. Addresses analyzing the problem, visualization skills, nonlinear tools, a static view of a dynamic model, the AutoCAD organizer, environment attributes, and control of the environment. Contains 11 references. (JRH)

Describes the development of a test designed to allow meaningful and widespread computerized testing of various spatial factors. Examines the differences between traditional paper and pencil and computerized versions of the same test. Compares an interactive test designed to measure a working memory factor to the computerized version of…

Compares results of Successive Perception Test I (SPT) for the study population of freshman engineering students to their results on the group-administered Purdue Spatial Visualization Test: Visualization of Rotations (PSVT) and the individually administered Haptic Visual Discrimination Test (HVDT). Concludes that either visual and haptic…

Presents the initial work that Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has done to integrate solid modeling throughout the engineering curriculum. Aims to provide students the opportunity to use their solid modeling skills in several courses and show students how solid modeling tools can be used to help solve a variety of engineering problems.…

Introduces some alternatives for preparing and viewing computer aided design (CAD) graphics for Internet output on a budget, without the fear of copyright infringement, and without having to go back to college to learn a complex graphic application. (Author/YDS)

Reports on a project that extended the Engineering Design Graphics curriculum to include instruction and laboratory experience in computer-aided design, analysis, and manufacturing (CAD/CAM). Discusses issues in project implementation, including introduction of finite element analysis to lower-division students, feasibility of classroom prototype…

Examines the reactions of freshman engineering graphics students to an interactive multimedia computer compact disk. The disk is used in conjunction with a textbook and a student survey is used to assess reactions to the material. Results indicate that the material helped in understanding the course material. (DDR)

Describes the integration of these topics through a major team-based design and computer aided design (CAD) modeling project in freshman engineering graphics at the University of Western Ontario. Involves n=250 students working in teams of four to design and document an original Lego toy. Includes 12 references. (Author/YDS)

Proposes a real-time collaborative framework for geometric modeling. Assessment results show that the collaborative environment was useful in design education. (MM)

Summarizes the digital engineering design process using software widely available for the educational setting. Points out that newer technology used in the field is not used in engineering graphics education. (DDR)

Describes courses designed to complement mainstream technical graphics courses in architectural and mechanical graphics. Vocational track students and precollege students mainly benefit from these courses. Contains 23 references. (DDR)