Design Automation for Solid Freeform Fabrication

该项目正在创建一个基于VLSI的固体自由形式制造的设计范例。要转换到机械领域的VLSI范式的元素包括单向信息流，抽象级别的清晰描述，设计规则和设计库的制定，以及用于存储和传输设计的各种抽象级别的中间表示的开发。一些不适合当前设计方法的结构类型是开发新语言、库和工具的动机。这些包括表面纹理、功能梯度材料、热活性和化学活性材料。所有这些结构都需要单元的实例化，可能是参数化的，而当前的语言（如.stl）不支持这一点。

This project is creating a design paradigm for solid free-form fabrication, based on that for VLSI. Elements of the VLSI paradigm to be translated to the mechanical domain include one-directional information flow, the clear delineation of levels of abstraction, formulation of design rules and design libraries, and the development of intermediate representations for storage and transmission of various levels of abstraction of a design. Several types of structures that are ill-suited to present design methods are the motivation for new languages, libraries, and tools. These include surface textures, functionally gradient materials, and thermally and chemically active materials. All of these structures require instantiation of cells, possibly parameterized, which is not well supported by current languages such as .stl.