A Graphical User Interface for the FIDO Project

Objective: The Framework for Interdisciplinary Design Optimization (FIDO) project is developing a general computational environment for performing multidisciplinary design using networked heterogeneous computers. The goal of the Graphical User Interface (GUI) development is to provide an easy way for the user to monitor and control a design cycle that involves complex programs running on a variety of computers across the network.

Approach: The current Motif-based GUI consists of three separate elements: setup, application status, and data display. The setup GUI provides the user with a convenient means of choosing the initial design geometry, material properties, and run conditions from a pre-defined set of files. The interface displays the choices using a series of pop-up Motif data windows, and allows the user to modify and store new condition files. The application status GUI allows the user to monitor the status of a design run. An example of this display is shown in the left figure during the middle of the fourth design cycle. Within this figure, the upper left window displays current run parameters and contains pull-down menus for setting various options. The right window graphically displays the state of the overall design process by changing the color of each labeled box according to the work being done. The color key is shown in the lower left window. Additional detail of the system state can be obtained by selecting the boxes with a 3-D appearance. Doing so brings up an associated window that displays sub-detail for that box. The data display GUI is the third interface element, providing the user with a variety of ways to plot data during the design process. The right figure is an example of a color-coded contour plot of wing surface pressures. The buttons at the top of the plot window provide the user a variety of view controls.

Accomplishment: The three GUI elements have been implemented, and were used to produce the results in the figures. The setup interface now provides a full capability for initializing a FIDO run. In addition to contour plots of aerodynamic pressures and structural stresses on the wing, the data display interface provides line-plots of cycle history for a variety of design parameters and data results.

Significance: A graphical interface provides easier understanding and access to data than the previous text-based method. Also, less training of users is needed.

Status/Plans: In the next version of the interface, more detail will be provided in various sub-windows of the application status GUI. The three elements of the GUI will be combined into a single interface, replacing the text-based menu that currently controls the data display. After the first implementation of FIDO has been tested and documented, the project will move to its next phase: incorporation of the full HISAIR ''Pathfinder'' engineering problem, which will increase the amount of information handled by an order of magnitude. Points of Contact:

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curator: Larry Picha