Research on a flexible client-server based GroupCAD environment

GroupCAD is referred to be a kind of computer supported environment in which more than one person is engaged to a common design task. The participants may be geographically distributed or within one building. GroupCAD is one of new research trends in CAD system. How to develop a usable GroupCAD system? After analyzing the tasks and processes that designers will carry out in traditional design environment, We propose a client/server based framework of GroupCAD system., which supports closely-coupled collaborative design. Data sharing and data linking are the most two important features in closely-coupled GroupCAD system. These are achieved through a flexible multi-user Product Data Model Server (PDM Server). Users conduct collaboration through establishing and maintaining several levels of data sharing and data linking in multi-user PDM server. New concepts and key implementing techniques of multi-user PDM server and client modeling tools are discussed.