ERIC Number: EJ1074091
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 23
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0046-2012
EISSN: N/A
SAFAS: Unifying Form and Structure through Interactive 3D Simulation
Polys, Nicholas F.; Bacim, Felipe; Setareh, Mehdi; Jones, Brett D.
Engineering Design Graphics Journal, v79 n2 Spr 2015
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 inter-relationships between the "form" and "structure" of long-span structures. We have developed an interactive 3D design application for spatial structures that integrates with a web simulation service, enabling the iterative analytic comparison of designs by structural weight, force distribution, member deflection and stability. In this paper, we describe the design and development of this Structure And Form Analysis System (SAFAS) tool using the usability engineering methodology, presenting its evolution and evaluation though four semesters of use in undergraduate architecture classes. In this paper we present our summative results and lessons learned for the usability engineering of e-Learning systems, scientific visualization of structural dynamics, and user skill sets.
Descriptors: Architecture, Design, Depth Perception, Computer Simulation, Usability, Program Evaluation, Architectural Education, Undergraduate Study, Computer Uses in Education, Teaching Methods, Courseware, Visualization, Engineering Education, Models, Computer Software, Higher Education, College Students, Likert Scales, Student Attitudes
Engineering Design Graphics Division, American Society for Engineering Education. 1818 N Street NW Suite 600, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 202-331-3500; Web site: http://www.edgj.org/index.php/EDGJ
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Virginia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A