Representing engineering-knowledge using multimedia

Abstract

This issue deals with the representation, distribution and re-use of knowledge in computeraided engineering processes. This is still is a great problem — especially in the context of distributed design processes — and at the same time of increasing interest to practice. The term 'knowledge' describes product as well as process knowledge. The 'intelligent' application of multimedia can contribute to overcoming existing problems and therefore to simplify and considerably accelerate engineering processes. As will be shown multimedia can not only simplify the retrieval of required information and the communication, but it can also open new channels to knowledge elements which so far were seen as difficult or even impossible to capture. In order to apply multimedia efficiently and to ensure correctness a database is necessary to link the different digital models involved with the (additional) multimedia elements. In this database, both the links and the necessary organisational information can be managed and regularised.