Background Engineering Optimization Capabilities and Methods: The Engineering Optimizer has the ability to take a parameter and drive it toward a defined optimized value by varying other free parameters. First, a parameter needs to be chosen that will be the optimized parameter. Then an optimizing type must be chosen. Optimizing types are as follows: Maximize (find the biggest value), Minimize (find the smallest value), Target Value (find a value closest to a desired value), and Only Constraints (try to move toward values that satisfy all constraints). The parameters that can be optimized are the dimensions of the part, as well as functions defined using CATIA’s Formula Editor. Next, all of the free parameters need to be defined. These generally are picked from the dimensions that make up the part, or functions using those dimensions. Last, but not least, constraints need to be defined to insure that the optimizer's solution is feasible. When all of this is done correctly the optimization can be run using the one of the five optimization algorithms. The optimizer fixes all but one of the variables and varies that remaining variable, looking for a trend that moves toward an optimized value. After some number of iterations, the optimizer changes the variable to be varied and continues with the process. It does this for a certain number of total iterations (defaulted at 200), or for a certain number of iterations without improvement toward the goal (defaulted at 50), or a maximum amount of time taken on the optimization (defaulted at 5min). The Optimizer will take the best permutation of the free variables and apply them to the part, and can be shown on the part if visualization is enables. The Optimizer can also save the iteration data to an Excel Spreadsheet file that will help to track the Optimization process as shown in this figure. Engineering Optimizer Formula Formation: Using the formula editor in the Knowledge Advisor workbench, formulas can be entered to define aspects of a part or assembly as a function of existing measurements or features. These equations can be entered manually in the editor, or built using functions and elements in the editor’s dictionary, including part measurements such as smartvolume, and logical operators. Features or parameters can be entered into the equation by double-clicking them in the design tree. Once entered, a formula-derived parameter can be used in the optimizer. Variables:
Background Engineering Optimization Capabilities and Methods: The Engineering Optimizer has the ability to take a parameter and drive it toward a defined optimized value by varying other free parameters. First, a parameter needs to be chosen that will be the optimized parameter. Then an optimizing type must be chosen. Optimizing types are as follows: Maximize (find the biggest value), Minimize (find the smallest value), Target Value (find a value closest to a desired value), and Only Constraints (try to move toward values that satisfy all constraints). The parameters that can be optimized are the dimensions of the part, as well as functions defined using CATIA’s Formula Editor. Next, all of the free parameters need to be defined. These generally are picked from the dimensions that make up the part, or functions using those dimensions. Last, but not least, constraints need to be defined to insure that the optimizer's solution is feasible. When all of this is done correctly the optimization can be run using the one of the five optimization algorithms. The optimizer fixes all but one of the variables and varies that remaining variable, looking for a trend that moves toward an optimized value. After some number of iterations, the optimizer changes the variable to be varied and continues with the process. It does this for a certain number of total iterations (defaulted at 200), or for a certain number of iterations without improvement toward the goal (defaulted at 50), or a maximum amount of time taken on the optimization (defaulted at 5min). The Optimizer will take the best permutation of the free variables and apply them to the part, and can be shown on the part if visualization is enables. The Optimizer can also save the iteration data to an Excel Spreadsheet file that will help to track the Optimization process as shown in this figure. Engineering Optimizer Formula Formation: Using the formula editor in the Knowledge Advisor workbench, formulas can be entered to define aspects of a part or assembly as a function of existing measurements or features. These equations can be entered manually in the editor, or built using functions and elements in the editor’s dictionary, including part measurements such as smartvolume, and logical operators. Features or parameters can be entered into the equation by double-clicking them in the design tree. Once entered, a formula-derived parameter can be used in the optimizer. Variables:
Final%20Project%20Engineering%20Optimizer.docx