Supporting a CAD Framework on an Advanced Distributed System

This paper describes the use of a general purpose distributed object support platform, including an advanced action model, to support Computer Aided Design (CAD) applications. In particular, it describes the use of the Amadeus/RelaX platform to support the DASSY tool interface which, in turn, supports a range of cooperating CAD tools. The paper provides an overview of the Amadeus/RelaX platform and of the DASSY interface and describes the implementation of the DASSY interface on Amadeus/RelaX. Our experience shows that implementing such a complex application is significantly simplified when using an advanced distributed application support platform. We conclude that such a platform can provide real benefits for CAD applications but only if the interface on which the tools are based has been designed to exploit the oppurtunities provided by the underlying platform.