Towards a Multi-view and Multi-representation CAD Models System for Computational Design of Multi-material 4D Printed Structures

The emerging technology of 4D printing combines additive manufacturing and active materials under energy stimulation to create objects with shape and/or property-changing capacities. Designing such structures requires careful consideration of the transformation’s specifications, shape and structure, stimulation strategy, and materials selection, thereby integrating multiple perspectives constraints and knowledge. The long-term objective aims to develop a computational design synthesis for 4D printing framework that comprises generative, evaluation, and recommendation procedures. To do so, these procedures require a suitable information backbone aligned with the involved stakeholders and the design process. Therefore, we propose a multi-view and multi-representation system in a computer-aided design (CAD) environment to support generation and synthesis while streamlining design intents. An implementation is made through an CAD add-on and a case study is introduced to demonstrate its applicability.