Visualizing Relations Between Grammar Rules, Objectives, and Search Space Exploration in Grammar-Based Computational Design Synthesis1

Abstract

Design grammars have been successfully applied in numerous engineering disciplines, e.g., in electrical engineering, architecture, and mechanical engineering. A successful application of design grammars in computational design synthesis (CDS) requires (a) meaningful representation of designs and the design task at hand, (b) careful formulation of grammar rules to synthesize new designs, (c) problem-specific design evaluation, and (d) selection of an appropriate algorithm to guide the synthesis process. Determining these different components of a CDS method requires not only a detailed understanding of each individual part but also of the interdependencies between them. In this paper, a new method is presented to support both CDS method development and application. The method analyzes the designs generated during the synthesis process and visualizes how the design space is explored with respect to design characteristics and objectives. The search algorithm as well as the grammar rules are analyzed with this approach. Two case studies, the synthesis of gearboxes and of bicycle frames, demonstrate how the method can be used to analyze the different components of CDS methods. The presented research can analyze the interplay between grammar rules and the search process during method development.