Managing geometric information with a database management system

Current database management systems do not meet the needs of CAD/CAM users. Boeing's Integrated Programs for Aerospace-Vehicle Design (IPAD) project strikes at the heart of the problem-moving data across heterogeneous distributed systems. A fundamental goal of IPAD is increased industrial productivity. The key to this increase is the concept of integration. The project does not pursue new advances in geometry or graphics, but focuses on the problem of managing information flow in the engineering/manufacturing environment. The creation and use of effective tools for this purpose will reduce the manual intervention in the data flow, speed up the interactions in the process, and make the information more readily available to those who need it.