A Graphical User Interface for the Fastcomp Software

Transcription

1 M 2 D 2006 MECHANICS AND MATERIALS IN DESIGN 5 th International Conference A Graphical User Interface for the Fastcomp Software Faculty of Engineering University of Porto Patrícia C. T. Gonçalves João Manuel R. S. Tavares Pedro Manuel P. R. C. Camanho July 2006

2 Main goals To provide a pleasant, efficient and safe way to insert s input data To adequately visualize the huge volumes of information that compose the results obtained by 2/22

3 analyzes a double-shear composite bolted joint submitted to loads (applied to the joint and/or the bolt) Schematization of a double-shear composite bolted joint Its purpose is to compute the stress and strain fields around the bolt hole, as well as the failure load and failure mode of the joint 3/22

4 Architecture Input data (1 ascii file): materials properties laminate structure geometry of the plates applied loads failure criteria Foundations : Stress field Classical Lamination Theory; Anisotropic Plates Theory Strain field Hook s law Failure load and failure mode Failure criteria; Characteristic curve 4/22

5 Architecture Output data (3 ascii file): stress distribution around the bolt hole strain distribution around the bolt hole failure mode and failure load of the joint 5/22

6 Programming language: C# environment: Visual Studio.NET 2D/3D objects and their visualization: VTK Visualization ToolKit (class library developed in C++) VTK and C# interaction: wrapper developed by Milan Frank 6/22

7 Until the development of our interface, no tools were available to parameterize nor to visualize and analyse its results Our interface was developed to answer the needs identified with the creators of (its only users) 7/22

8 Layout designed in order to make the use of the interface easier to learn and to memorize 8/22

9 Data consistency issues were taken into account 9/22

10 Interactive images were defined to help the user to better understand the requested data 10/22

11 To prevent the activation of processes dependent of other processes not yet executed, the necessary restriction mechanisms were included 11/22

12 Results Visualization of the data from the file generated by with the results obtained on failure mode and failure load of the joint 12/22

13 Results Interactive visualization of the data in the file generated by with the results on stress distribution using 3D surfaces 13/22

14 Results Interactive visualization of the data in the file generated by with the results on strain distribution using 3D surfaces 14/22

15 Test 24 questions: 1-10: characterize the user 11-15: evaluate the difficulties the user came across in the use of the data input window 16-17: evaluate the utility of the images displayed in the data input window 18-20: evaluate the visualization and the analysis of the results 21-23: evaluate the developed interface in general 24: suggestions/critiques 15/22

16 Results Eight users were considered: two are more than 30 years old all male all work in mechanical engineering five have good theoretical knowledge on composite materials, but only four have work experience with these materials all use computers frequently, as well as graphical user interfaces 16/22

17 Results Data input window: two of the users had some difficulties, but didn t specify which ones three users think the utility of the images displayed in the data input window is not relevant, but don t explain why in a general way, the data input window seemed to satisfy all the evaluators 17/22

18 Results Visualization of the results: three users say not to entirely understand the visualization of the results, but don t say why. However, one of them suggests the increase of the visualization windows because he has some difficulty in perceiving the numerical values two of the users don t like the presence of the cartesian axis in the graphical visualization of the stress/strain fields 18/22

19 Results The interface: two users admitted to having come across with some difficulties in the use of the interface in general aesthetic: 4.75 / 5 general: 4.63 / 5 Some suggestions: the possibility to select predefined materials to describe the way the mouse interacts with the displayed images 19/22

20 Conclusions The interaction VTK/C# revealed itself to be capable of originating adequate and efficient programs for data visualization The wrapper used for the.net platform allowed the correct use of the VTK library with the C# programming language During the development of the interface issues relative to data validation, effectiveness and efficiency were taken into account 20/22 The evaluation of the interface was globally positive

21 Future work To make the alterations detected in the analysis of the evaluation and suggested by the users: possibility to select predefined materials description of the way the mouse interacts with the displayed images to make the visualization of the cartesian axis optional to allow the visualization of each of the three-dimensional fields in independent windows 21/22

22 To visualize the three-dimensional fields on a given plane To enable the possibility to choose the gamma and the number of colours of the scale used in the surfaces representing the results To print the input data and the surfaces used for the results After the alterations, to carry out a new opinions collection, interviews and an evaluation by observation 22/22