Collaboration
     & Interoperability
                            Congress - May 3-5, 2010

Dr. Nate Hartman

Professor
Purdue University

As the software systems used in PLM environments continue to become more plentiful and specialized, the need to share data between those systems also remains. However, the ability to share requisite data is often hampered by incompatible data formats and tenuous business models. File format technology has evolved to meet this challenge through neutral standard formats or specific format translators, although often yielding less than desirable results in many situations. Users have resorted to solving this challenge as a matter of process due to the inability to force real change in the software vendor community. As such, it is important that companies develop metrics to assess the translation processes that take place when sharing heterogeneous data. This presentation will cover an overview of issues relevant to interoperability scenarios, a brief discussion of the metrics development process, and a look at the nature of establishing metrics to assess digital collaboration and data interoperability in a PLM environment.

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Speaker bio:

Nathan Hartman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Graphics Technology at Purdue University, and he has been an ASEE member since 1997. He currently teaches or has taught courses in 3D solid modeling, 3D surface modeling, virtual collaboration, and engineering design graphics standards and documentation. Nathan also teaches graduate courses in the foundations of graphics in technology and instrumentation and measurement in research design. He has worked for a variety of companies in using and integrating CAD tools in the engineering design process through the development of custom training applications and materials. His current academic interests include the use of constraint-based CAD tools in the design process, the development of expertise in the use of computer graphics tools, spatial visualization ability, and the development of graphic science as a discipline. Nathan holds a Bachelor of Science in Technical Graphics and a Master of Science in Technology from Purdue University, and a doctorate in Technology Education from North Carolina State University.