Social computer-aided engineering design projects

摘要

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the capabilities of a social collaboration application are leveraged to permit synchronized viewing of computer aided design (CAD) models and exchange of annotations (e.g., redlines) related thereto, in a social review session involving differing applications executing on different computers. By utilizing the capabilities of the social collaboration application as a transport mechanism, users operating differing applications on different computers may participate in the social review session for the CAD model, thereby allowing users who do not, for example, have access to the application in which the CAD model was developed to be part of the review process.

主权项

1. A method for social review of computer aided design (CAD) projects, comprising:
executing a CAD application on the first computer; establishing a connection between an abstraction layer associated with the CAD application on the first computer and a separate social collaboration application on the first computer; in response to selection of interface elements in the CAD application by a first user, causing the separate social collaboration application to create a social review session between at least the first user of the first computer and a second user of a second computer, wherein the second computer lacks a copy of the CAD application but has a copy of a different application; using the social collaboration application on the first computer to synchronize the first user's current view of a CAD model in the CAD application on the first computer with a view seen by the second user in the different application on the second computer by
receiving indications of the first user's current view of the CAD model from the CAD application on the first computer, at the abstraction layer on the first computer, andinterfacing, by the abstraction layer on the first computer, with an application program interface (API) of the social collaboration application on the first computer to cause the social collaboration application on the first computer to transmit the indications of the first user's current view of the CAD model to the social collaboration application on the second computer; and using the social collaboration application on the first computer to exchange annotations on the first computer made by the first user on the current view of the CAD model with the second user of the different application on the second computer by
receiving indications of the first user's annotations on the current view of the CAD model from the CAD application at the abstraction layer on the first computer, andinterfacing, by the abstraction layer on the first computer, with the API of the social collaboration application on the first computer to cause the social collaboration application on the first computer to transmit the annotations to the social collaboration application on the second computer.