Defining CAD systems adaptable to design process

Design with CAD systems is a process based on user's knowledge, CAD models and man-machine interfaces. Knowledge acquisition by CAD systems is an important feature in order to facilitate the design process. This is done using interactive, graphically based systems. The main problem is that CAD systems are developed by computer scientists. In order to match the needs of end users the author tried to give them tools to define their own man-machine interface and in some way "architecture" their software using a single dialog primitive (the interaction). The author is now working on a new generation (REGAIN) implementing the results of the previous project (single dialog primitive and multi-modellers approach) and aiming to acquire knowledge in order to enrich the models and the man-machine interface. Giving an end user or an interface programmer interactive easy to use tools to define man machine interfaces and overall architecture of its CAD system, in a multi-model environment, is a first step the author achieved. The author presents some other ideas to take into account in the design process, in particular to describe models, compare them and deduct, as automatically as possible, applications models.