A "change 'n play" software architecture integrating CAD, CAE and immersive real-time environments

This paper presents a "change'n play" software architecture in order to realize user-centric aspects for, integrated engineering analysis tasks within immersive environments. The proposed architecture has been designed to enable conceptual simulations performed on an engineering mock-up. Major attention is given to the realization of modules and functionalities going far beyond traditional post-processing capabilities, establishing a user centric problem solving environment. It allows closed turnaround simulation-to-visualization loops as well as an inclusion of traditional point-and-click legacy systems, steered from an immersive environment and providing interchangeable mechanism. Existing research work addresses only different aspects, even worse neither does provide a holistic approach nor does show on how to actually do it. Aim of this paper is therefore, to propose and develop an architectural blueprint, supporting "what-if" reasoning with respect to preliminary design analysis objectives: Executed within one single point of access and based on a distributed, hybrid 2D legacy system/VR interactive environment.