Virtual reality approaches for immersive design

The current application of virtual reality (VR) systems in the design process is limited mostly to design review. The reason for this limitation is the different data formats used for CAD and VR visualization. To use the benefits of VR during the design process, solutions for immersive design - the model manipulation inside the VE based on CAD data - are required. There are different approaches allowing VR systems to work as an active development platform. Three examples introduce the realization of the integration of CAD and VR software at different levels by the online coupling of complete applications or by integration of CAD core functionalities in VR systems.