Automating the Generation of Interactive Interfaces

The key to the effectiveness of any CAD system is the effectiveness of its human interface. Designers need an interface that is easily mastered, consistent across the variety of tools within the system, and adaptable. In an effort to provide this type of interface, the authors and others within the MCC CAD Program have built a software platform that isolates the input/output functions used by each CAD tool from the software of the tool itself. This platform includes a grammar-driven front end which supports ´modeless´ input and standardized subsystems for graphical input and output. Use of this platform is supported by a suite of utilities that simplify the effort required of the CAD tool developer in specifying a user interface.