Research on a Top-Down collaborative modeling system

Based on the analyzing of a top-down product function decomposition process and a top-down collaborative design task assignment process a hierarchy tree model which indicates the internal relations of them has been given. Using the concept of VIRTUAL PART, VIRTUAL LINK and VIRTUAL DESIGN SPACE which proposed in this paper the evolving mapping process from the function to the structure has been presented. Using key points, key lines and key planes to describe the evolving product structure so that a top-down collaborative modeling process is realized.