Modris Dobelis

The Relationship Between Students’ Ability to Model Objects from Assembly Drawing Information and Spatial Visualization Ability as Measured by the PSVT:R and MCTWith the reduced amount of instructional time for engineering graphics content in manyengineering and technology programs, faculty have expressed concern that students’ ability tovisualize 3D parts from 2D drawings is not being developed as well as in the past. Moreemphasis is being placed on learning the semantics of 3D modeling programs than on visualizing3D objects from 2D drawings. With the increased emphasis on modeling and the decreasedemphasis on interpreting engineering drawings, how well do students correctly model objectswhen given a 2D assembly drawing? How well does their modeling ability correlate with astandard measure of spatial visualization ability?There are many measures of spatial visualization ability. Most studies involving engineeringgraphics students in the United States over the last 30 years have measured this ability using thePurdue Spatial Visualization Test: Visualization of Rotations (PSVT:R) (Guay, 1978). Whenexamining the international literature related to engineering graphics, the most common measureof spatial ability outside of the United States is the Mental Cutting Test (MCT) (CEEB, 1939).During the Fall 2012 semester a study was conducted in a junior-level constraint-based modelingcourse to determine the relationship between students’ ability to create solid models when givenan assembly drawing and their spatial visualization ability. During the 20th class meeting of thesemester, students were administered the PSVT:R and the MCT. During the very next classmeeting of that week, students were given an assembly drawing and asked to model as many ofthe seven parts as possible during a 110 minute class period. The parts in the assembly ranged incomplexity from a ball to a valve body. Students were given a ruler to measure parts on the B-size drawing and determine sizes of features based on the given scale (2:1). Relationships wereexamined between the PSVT:R, MCT, and the modeling activity. This paper will present theresults of this study and discuss implications for future research in the United States and in othercountries.

Evident boost in Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry now is possible using BIM concept – Building Information Modelling. A similar workflow under a term Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) is known for quite a time. Successful introduction of these technologies require extensive application of 3D geometric models. Development of spatial imagination and 3D models by means of CAD systems should be tackled in the engineering courses. Universities have to participate more actively in the process of faster implementation of these technologies into life. A common background knowledge required to handle this problem is a development of spatial visualization skills since in the backbone of the both these concepts there is a three-dimensional (3D) geometric model or database. The former classic university courses like descriptive geometry and engineering graphics used in the last century have undergone considerable reduction in credit points, sometimes caused by administrative orders or experienced decent content changes dictated by IT achievements. However, development of the spatial comprehension and visualization skills should not be under estimated in the future syllabuses, because they are crucial for 3D modelling in a wide range of engineering applications. The paper will share an experience about recent research about teaching spatial comprehension, 3D visualization and CAD communication skills in technical universities. Results of the experience gained from a 2011 Fulbright Scholarship teaching and research project about the measuring the engineering graphics literacy skills and further application in practice are represented as well. The paper will focus on a review of adopted and tested teaching methods and approaches rather than detailed analysis of the situation in general.

For long years, Baltic cities and Kobe city had strong relationship at administrative aspect and academic aspect. Recent several years, the relationship has been recognized again and started cooperative activities again. And there are some cooperative plans in future. In this paper, authors would like to explain history and starting/restarting chance of relationship between Baltic university and Kobe University, cooperative activities in recent years, and cooperative activities at now and in future.

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a complex process of managing not only design documentation in 3D form but it also includes all the consecutive stages of the design analysis, followed by construction management, and including facility management after the site completion. The success in the collaboration to unite common efforts of architects, constructors and HVAC engineers would make the work of all involved stakeholders more productive because the existing information technologies provide this option already for a long time. The training for effective use of this relatively new and very complex approach from the very beginning of the building lifecycle in the construction industry is even a more complex task. Universities have to join the promotion of BIM ideas not only to the designers and engineers, but to a much wider public than at present. The history of BIM teaching and the approaches used at Riga Technical University (RTU) are outlined in this paper. RTU along with several other universities from Lithuania have joined the EU sponsored Leonardo da Vinci project BIMTRAIN initiated by regional software distributer and developer AGA-CAD which facilitates the BIM implementation through the training.