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CALS report issue summaries 3
CALS REPORT ISSUE SUMMARIES
Vol. 2 No. 1, January 1989 through no 6, June 1989
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CALS Report Vol. 2 No. 1, January 1989
New CALS Phase 1.1 Standards Due for Publication in January
New and revised CALS Phase I standards are expected to be published in
January, 1989. The CALS standards and specifications are being developed
incrementally. The initial increment, called the Phase 1.0 Core Requirements
package, was developed and coordinated during 1987. The 1988 increment, called
the Phase 1.1 Core Requirements Package, has been released for formal DoD and
Industry coordination and is now being printed. Development of the Phase 1.2
standards and specifications is underway for coordination during 1989.
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CALS ISG DIETG Standards Subcommittee Announces Plans for 1989
The CALS Industry Steering Group (ISG) Digital Information Exchange Task
Group (DIETG) Standards Subcommittee has announced it plans for 1989. The
subcommittee regularly publishes its objectives and calendar to inform the
members of the working group of events and activities related to the group.
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NIST Awards LSAR Modeling Task to Battelle and DACOM
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has awarded the first
task of their CALS master contract to the team of Battelle and D. Appleton
Company. The task is a CALS/LSA data modeling assignment. Battelle and DACOM
have a long history of data modeling in design and logistics applications. The
task will:
1. Facilitate the preparation of an IGEF1x data model.
2. Support preparation by DOD of MIL-STD-1388-2B.
3. Develop an SQL Data Definition Language expression of the prototype data
model.
The Battelle/DACOM team will work with the US Army Material Readiness Support
Activity (MRSA) at Lexington, KY.
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ASNE Conference Outlines Navy CALS Commercial Impact
The Navy plans to implement CALS through normal acquisition "opportunities"
but is concerned that small business will be overwhelmed by CALS complexity
and capital requirements. Navy plans for CALS were discussed at the recent
conference "CALS: Value Added to Government and Industry?". The conference
was sponsored by the American Society of Naval Engineers (ANSE) and The US
Merchant Marine Academy Maritime Resource Center at King's Point, NY, in
cooperation with Naval Sea Systems Command. The program was chaired by
Stanley D. Meyers of Grumman Data Systems.
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Acquistion Working Group to Define Data Verification and Acceptance
A Data Verification and Acceptance (DVA) Working Group has been created
under the Acquisition Task Group to define procedures for electronic data
delivery. The problem is considered by many in the CALS community to be
vital, because most contract data deliverables are currently checked and
approved in their hardcopy presentations. CALS data deliverables will
digital a format easily changed and not human-readable. Steve Andersen of
Honeywell and Roger J. Lagermann of McDonnell Douglas Co-Chair the DVA
Working Group.
----
Contract Expert Cautious on Data Delivery to DoD
Jack Janetatos, Attorney and Member of the Board of Directors of the Marine
Machinery Association, Washington, DC, advises contractors to use caution in
delivering data to DoD. Janetatos has spent many hours in court defending
manufacturer's data rights and has lobbied for years for more protection. He
also serves as principal outside council for the Computer Society of the IEEE.
------
EDI, Automatic Identification Link Developing
A new trend is emerging in industry to link Automation Identification (AI)
data entry with Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) output. AI uses barcode,
magnetic stripe, Radio Frequency Identification (RF/ID), vision, and other
technology. This rapidly growing trend could increase site data collection
from the field for use in concurrent engineering and other CALS-related
tasks. One example is the Panasonic Data Partner, a hand-held data collection
computer. EDI has been announced as the external (and where possible,
internal) transaction format for DLA's Modernization of Defense Logistics
Systems (MODELS) and DoD has formalized its commitment to EDI ANSI X12 (see
CALS Report, July, 1988). The growing availability of commercial products
which support EDI in field data collection will enhance this trend.
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Control Data Corporation Commercializes Pioneering IISS Technology
Control Data Corporation (CDC) introduced two new products to the commercial
market that were originally developed under U.S. Air Force Integrated
Information Support Systems (IISS), one of the Manufacturing Technology
(MANTECH) Programs. The new products introduced by Control Data are Common
Data Model* plus (CDM*plus) and Cost Benefit Analysis Model (CBAM).
CDM*plus is a set of integration software and consulting services that
allows manufacturing operations to achieve functional integration of
business information. CBAM, a microcomputer software program, provides a
systematic approach to cost justification while saving time and limiting
calculation errors. CDC introduced the new products at the Department of
Defense-sponsored MTAG/IMIP* Conference in Atlanta. Because both tools are
based on information models which could be supplied or proscribed by DoD,
they could play a significant role in CALS contracting.
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Systems Exchange Offers Two Concurrent Engineering Tools
Systems Exchange of Los Angeles, CA, now offers two concurrent engineering
tools, the Top Down System Design Utility (SDU) and Equipment Designer's
Cost-Analysis System (EDCAS). SDU provides a method of building a design
hierarchy, allocating design data to components and subassemblies, and
summing for the total system. EDCAS is a Level Of Repair (LOR) cost model
which provides data for MANPRINT or other required system studies. The two
products are aimed at the growing market for integrated systems front-end
design tools capable of considering physical and logistic performance at the
same time.
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CALS Calendar
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CALS Report Vol. 2 No. 2, February 1989
CALS Benefits WG developing Assessment Guidelines and Criteria
The CALS Benefits Working Group has developed a draft "CALS Benefits
Assessment Guidelines and Criteria". The assessment guidelines and criteria
can be used to evaluate the cost/benefits of applying CALS technology to the
various areas of weapon system contracting. The draft was compiled from
working group comments by Eric Ross of BDM Corporation, Dick Powell of CACI,
Ed Edge of Hazeltine, and Phil Livinstone of Battelle. The guidelines and
criteria can be used to document CALS benefits and report them to the task
group. They also are expected to impact both the task group's final
recommendations to DoD and the CALS handbook (MIL-HDBK-54).
----
CALS ISG Data Protection & Integrity TG Reviews New Policy, Reorganizes
The CALS Industry Steering Group (ISG) Data Protection and Integrity (DP&I)
Task Group has reviewed a draft DoD CALS security directive and as a result,
reorganized. The directive, "Computer-Aided Acquisition and Logistic Support
Data Protection and Security Policy Directive," was drafted by Dr. Ruth Davis,
President of Pymatuning Group Inc., advisors to the DoD CALS Policy Office.
Three new subgroups have been established:
1. Data Classification Management, will evaluate methods of identifying data
for secure protection.
2. System Security Engineering, will apply system security engineering
methodology to CALS requirements, standards and architectures to identify
threats and vulnerabilities.
3. Electronic Information Security, will evaluate operational, legislative and
other issues and develop audit procedures and security safeguards for data.
A fourth subgroup is planned for Operations Security and Configuration
Integrity Management is planned. A special position report on Rights in
Technical Data and Computer Software has been prepared. The DP&I Task Group
has added a third chairperson, Ralph D. Clark of TRW. Clark joins William
Jascomb and Howard E. Chambers of Rockwell.
-----
NASA Integrating Space Station Databases using Standards and Data Dictionaries
The Nasa Database Integration Working Group (DIWG) is adopting a mixture of
national, de facto and CALS standards to integrate databases for the space
station project, now called Freedom. The databases represent data, information
and knowledge bases used for the design and operation of the space station
during its life cycle. The DIWG is chaired by James L. Duda, Chief of the Data
Systems Assurance Branch, Space Station Information Systems Development
Division.
------
EIA Launches CALS Initiative for VHDL
The Electronic Industries Association (EIA) has launched a "competitive
initiative" to develop VLSIC Hardware Description Language (VHDL) behavioral
models of electronic components. The initiative is driven by the new DoD
requirement that defense electronics contractors develop their Very Large
Scale Integrated Circuit (VLSIC) designs in VHDL and deliver them to the
government. DoD is driving the VHDL modeling effort through MIL-STD-454 which
applies to all electronic equipment (see CALS Report, October, 1988). MIL-STD-
454 is asking for documentation of all electronic equipment in VHDL. However,
the government was concerned that they would get a hodgepodge of VHDL models
which would not be interoperable.
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First Public US ODA Demonstration a Success
The first public demonstration of Office Document Architecture (ODA) in the US
was successful, according to Bob Morris of Interleaf. ODA is expected by many
to join the CALS suite of standards as an architecture for composite
documents. Composite documents are those which combine source text, graphics,
photographs. The many standards tailored to each type of source data require
an architecture to manage their presentation to the author and user. ODA is
competing with extensions to SGML to become the preferred architecture for
CALS technical publications. The demonstration was part of the recent
Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) conference on document processing
systems in Sante Fe, NM.
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IGES Meeting Briefs
The IGES implementors committee voted unanimously to support IGES versions
beyond the forthcoming version 5.0. The resolution to continue support came
from the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) Committee.
"Version 5.0 is on track with publication expected in Summer '90," says
Dennette A. Harrod, Jr. of Computervision, Project manager of IGES. Version 5
includes B-rep solids and a number of changes to other entities which appeared
in version 4.0.
ANSI's ballot on Version 4.0 is expected sometime this Spring. One delay is
whether some of the "grey page" items (entities which have not been
implemented by at least three vendors) can be incorporated into the ANSI
documents.
Jill Ferrill of the CALS Test Network said that IGES testing will begin soon.
The testing committee is doing a survey on what direction the testing should
take.
The IGES project itself will no longer accept other than digital ASCII or
equivalent for their Request For Changes (RFC's). Illustrations are expected
in IGES format, preferably compliant with MIL-D-28000 subset 1 (technical
illustrations).
The Naval publications center will distribute Amendment 1 with the prior
release of MIL-D-28000. IGES application subsets work Amendment 1 (NC
manufacturing , geometry and tolerancing) was published in December 1988.
NIST has published a set of guidelines for specifying and validating IGES
Application protocols. Application protocols are specifications and procedures
for using a particular data format for transferring application data from one
data base to another.
A contractor to the US Army CALS office at Ft. Monmouth, NJ is currently doing
a survey of Army CAD sites to determine the true extent of IGES use. The
results will be used to formulate policy on Army CALS development.
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PDES Meeting Briefs
ISO Standards Committee (SC) 4 meeting in Tokyo has approved the registration
of STEP as an ISO Draft proposal in accordance with ISO directives Section
6.4.1.1. The DP comprises the following WG1 documents.:
N279 Physical File N280 Mapping N283 Intro, Scope N285 Test Methods
N287 Express N284 IPIM
SC4 directed its secretariat to circulate the DP for letter ballot according
to ISO directives Section 6.6.1.3. and 6.6.1.4.
A prototype universal information model may be demonstrated as early as April,
according to John Zimmerman of Allied Signal. The model is a central objective
of the PDES Dictionary Committee (See CALS Report, December, 1988).
"The NIDDESC structural model is one of the most integrated of the discipline
PDES information models," said John Zimmerman of Allied Signal and a member of
the PDES Data Dictionary project. NIDDESC (Navy/Industry Digital Data Exchange
Standards Committee) is a cooperative, cost-sharing effort of the Naval Sea
Systems Command (NAVSEA) and the Marine industry through the national
Shipbuilding Research program.
The Navy Rapid Acquisition of Manufactured Parts (RAMP) is using a subset of
the PDES standard to drive the RAMP facility. They will implement the geometry
of the Layered Electrical Product in an INGRESS database.
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LUDDITE IGES Predictor Software Placed in Public Domain
Luddite is the Leeds University Database for Determining IGES Transfer
Effectiveness. Database files have been created using dBaseIII+, and software
has been written in the dBaseIII+ programming language to compare the
capabilities of the IGES processors of CAE systems; the software has been
compiled using Clipper into a stand-alone executable routine.
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ITI FxIGEStm Flavors IGES Data to meet MIL-D-28000 Class One Subset
International Technegroup, Inc. (ITI) has announced FxIGESTM software to
customize and enhance IGES (Initial Graphics Exchange Specification) data
translation and exchange. FxIGES enables two incompatible applications to be
linked by "flavoring" IGES data and producing a new IGES file tailored to the
capabilities of a target CAD/CAM system. FxIGES provides many of the
customization benefits of direct translation programs, while enabling the use
of the industry standard IGES format. CALS-compliant and other government work
specifies conformance to IGES and/or specific subsets of its entities for
delivery of electronic technical data. FxIGES provides contractors and other
manufacturing companies with a key capability. It also "flattens" files to
conform to MIL-D-28000 Class One Subsets by projecting all entities onto
permitted entities and their forms (Some entities have several forms covering
specific uses).
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SCAE Conference to Review CALS Concurrent Engineering Requirements
The Society for Computer-Aided Engineering (SCAE) is sponsoring a conference
entitled "Concurrent Engineering: CALS Phase II and Beyond." Concurrent
engineering refers to consideration physical and logistic performance of a
product at design time, concurrently, if possible. The conference is chaired
by CALS Report Editor William G. Beazley, and CALS Report subscribers will
receive a discount on registration. The conference will be held March 15-16,
1989 in Costa Mesa, CA.
-----
Analysis: Industrial Cooperatives is a Growing Trend to Meet CALS Requirements
The increasing demand by the government for delivery of highly integrated
product data is encouraging formation of industrial cooperatives to create the
basic information resources needed to comply. These include:
1. PDES, Inc., formed to create and validate information models and their
encoding in PDES.
2. NIDDESC (Navy/Industry Digital Data Exchange Standards Committee), formed
to study data exchange in shipbuilding.
3. EIA VHDL Initiative, formed to develop VHDL component models.
4. Air Force/Industry Coalition, formed to demonstrate integration and
interoperability technology at public forums.
5. Apollo CALS Solution Group, formed to market a family of software products
to CALS system integrators.
6. CALS Industry Steering Group, formed to provide industry feedback on CALS.
The reasons for these business combinations are simple:
o Contractors can share the large development cost of libraries of component
models or low level data.
o Vendors and system integrators can combine sales and demonstration efforts
to address the CALS market.
o The public format of coalitions avoids anti-trust issues which have retarded
other types of relationships.
Professional societies, DoD, NIST, and many other organizations can rationally
initiate these coalitions to promote data development.
----
CALS Calendar
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CALS Report Vol. 2 No. 3, March 1989
First MIL-D-28000 Class II Test Successful
The CALS Test Network (CTN) has performed the first complete test of MIL-D-
28000 Class II (Engineering Drawings) entities at Douglas Aircraft in Long
Beach, CA. Two reference drawings were used by the CALS Test Network (CTN)
during structured end-to-end transfer testing of IGES data. IGES is the
Initial Graphics Exchange Specification used for interchanging computer aided
design (CAD) data between dissimilar CAD systems. End-to-end transfer testing
considers both input and output processing of IGES data. This test used only
the McAuto Unigraphics II CAD system. Initial results from the detailed CTN
test procedure indicate a very successful outcome.
----
TAFT Approves DoD Directive on Manpower, Personnel, Training and Safety (MPTS)
The Honorable William H. Taft, IV, Deputy Secretary of Defense has recently
approved a DoD Directive on Manpower, Personnel, Training and Safety (MPTS) in
the Defense System Acquisition Process. The action (DoD Directive 5000.53)
culminates more than one year of collective efforts by defense services and
agencies to improve the current process of designing, procuring, and fielding
DoD weapons systems. The directive provides policy guidance on "improving the
integration of MPTS in all stages of the acquisition process, to increase the
rigor of the department's manpower planning process, and to ultimately field
more capable defense weapon systems." Because of the overlap between
Integrated Logistic Support (ILS) and MPTS issues, the move will strengthen
the need for CALS integration and efficiencies.
----
ISG International Working Group Forms Four Subgroups
The Industry Steering Group (ISG) International Working Group (IWG) has
formed four subgroups to encourage international standards similar to CALS.
The IWG is charged with seeking out international cooperation and reaction to
concepts developed by CALS, but remains open to international alternatives and
suggestions. The group is chaired by Jonathan R. Tilton of GE Aircraft
Engines and Joe Arcieri serves as OSD advisor. The four subgroups are:
1. Networking (personal contacts).
2. Communications.
3. Standards.
4. International Issues.
The working group will address such issues as data protection for classified
and proprietary data.
----
POSIX FIPS to be Changed to Align with IEEE Version
The Portable Operating Systems Interface for UNIX (POSIX) requirement for
government users, Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 151 may be
changed to align it more with IEEE POSIX requirements. The current FIPS 151 is
based on draft 12 of IEEE 1003.1. FIPS 151 has been called out by a number of
federal acquistions, but is not manditory. The goal of POSIX is to promote
portablility of applications. POSIX is a major interoperability requirement
planned for DoD systems.
-----
DOE Ties Ten NWC Sites Using IGES DOEDEF Subset
The Department of Energy (DOE) has used an IGES subset to successfully
exchange CAD/CAM data between ten Nuclear Weapons Center (NWC) sites. The DOE
subset predated the CALS MIL-STD-28000 subsets and remains a case history of
using application subsets of IGES to facilitate production-quality data
exchange.
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PDES, Inc. Off to a Strong Start
PDES, Inc., the cooperative of defense contractors and automation vendors, is
off to a strong start with an expanded membership, detailed management
structure and initial results. PDES, Inc., based at the prime contractor's
(SCRA) home office in N. Charleston, SC, plans to accelerate development of
the Product Data Exchange Specification (PDES). PDES will play a significant
role in CALS Phase 2.
------
Datalogics Announces CALS Laboratory Subscription Service
Datalogics has announced a new service, designed to help users develop a CALS
strategy by placing a CALS publishing testbed in the user's facility. The
service combines production facilities, training and consulting services in a
single package price. The service is promised to be so complete as to "...
equip you to participate as a node in the DoD-sponsored CALS Test Network."
-----
A Survey of Air Force Analytical Tools
(Compiled by Cpt. David Freeman, Air Force Aeronautical Systems Division)
This is a survey of Air Force analytical tools for Manpower, Personnel,
Training, and Safety (MPTS). The Air Force has a new program called IMPACTS
(Integrated Manpower, Personnel and Comprehensive Training and Safety) for
ensuring the integration of the interrelated "people" issues of manpower,
personnel, training, safety and human engineering into weapon systems design
and acquisition. As part of IMPACTS implementation efforts, the Air Force is
attempting to employ and integrate both existing and emerging MPTS analytical
tools. Some of the tools currently being considered, as well as the programs
sponsoring their development, are described.
----
U.S. Exporters Urged to Follow European Standards Developments
The Commission of the European Communities (EC) is acting swiftly to turn the
12 member European countries into a single integrated market of 320 million
people by the end of 1992. EC legislation dealing with standardization is
likely to have a profound effect on U.S. exports, predicts a report released
by the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology
(NIST).
----
The ABC'S of U.S. Certification Programs Published
Certification programs, considered a vital link between product standards
and actual products, have significant impact on the marketplace. The
ABC's of Certification Activities in the United States (NBSIR 88-3821),
describes the different types of programs or schemes used to produce
written assurance that a product or service conforms to a standard or
specification. A sequel to The ABC's of Standards-Related Activities in
the United States (1987), the new report provides a further introduction
to certification for those not familiar with this important standards-
related activity.
-----
Interchanging ODA Documents in a CALS Environment
by Joan M. Smith, President
SGML User's Group
(Edited by William G. Beazley)
Setting the Scene
CALS currently calls for documents to be structured in accordance with SGML as
defined in MIL-M-28001, with graphical data in accordance with IGES as defined
in MIL-D-28000. Currently, SGML documents may contain any data type, where
this includes graphical data. SGML encoding does this in-line or by referring
to an external file separate from the text. So an SGML document may contain
text (which would be parsed), and graphics coded using IGES, CGM, CCITT Group
4, or TRIF, or any other data format file.
For purposes of interchange, especially in an open systems environment (using
the OSI standards), SGML documents would be transferred by means of SDIF, the
newly published ISO standard ISO 9096 SGML Document Interchange Format. This
implies that all textual and graphical data may use SDIF for interchange. Let
us suppose, however, for the sake of argument, that ODA documents are to be
included. What now has to be decided is the interchange format that should be
used. IT IS A MYTH THAT ODIF IS THE ONLY INTERCHANGE METHOD SPECIFIED IN
ISO/DIS 8613 ODA. The standard clearly allows for two document
representations in part 5 that deals with interchange formats:
o ODIF (see 4.1 of 8613-5);
o ODL and SDIF (see 4.2 of 8613-5).
ODIF is the Office Document Interchange Format for ODA documents that do NOT
have to interwork with SGML.
ODL is the Office Document Language, an SGML representation of documents
structured in accordance with ODA (an application of ISO 8879 SGML). SDIF is
our old friend the SGML Document Interchange Format, ISO 9069. Annex E
(normative) of ISO/DIS 8613-5 is devoted to a description of ODL and includes
rules for using SDIF.
A document structured in accordance with ODA (8613-2) that was to be included
in a CALS environment would be represented in ODL and interchanged using SDIF
(8613-5). If ODA is to be added to CALS, the representation of the document
must be in accordance with ODL for interchange by SDIF, in accordance with the
ODA standard.
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ANALYSIS: MIL-M-28001 Appendix B Contract Use Unclear
MIL-M-28001 Appendix B, "Output Specifcation", is close to release for
comment, according to Bob Barlow of Vitro Corporation, one of the principal
authors of the detailed spec. The output specification (OS) is required to
define the appearance or layout of SGML-tagged text. MIL-M-28001 is a CALS
"profile" of SGML for DoD technical publications. The fact that the
specification has not been implemented by any vendor nor validated by other
than verbal walk-throughs by its authors may complicate its use on defense
contracts.
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CALS Calendar
================================================================================
CALS Report Vol. 2 No. 4, April 1989
CTN Completes MIL-M-28001 Publishing Systems Structured Test
The CALS Test Network (CTN) has completed a major test of the CALS MIL-M-28001
(SGML) standard for publishing systems. The test, called the Publishing
System Test (PSST), successfully evaluated the need for formatting
information to transfer documents. The CTN is testing the effectiveness of
the CALS data interchange standards and presented their findings from the PSST
at TECHDOC Winter in New Orleans. Test results were generally viewed as
successful and will guide development and use of CALS standards by DoD.
-----
New Chairman Chosen for CALS Industry Steering Group
R. Noel Longuemare, Vice President and General Manager, Systems Development and
Technology Division, Westinghouse Electric Corporation, is the new chairman of
the CALS Industry Steering Group (ISG). Longuemare is a well respected
professional widely known in the defense electronics industry. The
chair position had been vacant since the ISG was reorganized in October, 1988.
------
OOPS! MIL-HDBK-54 Now MIL-HDBK-59
After countless references in reports, articles and speeches to MIL-HDBK-54 as
the CALS Handbook for implementing and using CALS standards, DoD found it was
assigned an existing number. The current MIL-HDBK-54 is an obsolete standard
on an unrelated topic (welding, I understand). The new number is MIL-HDBK-59.
This is another victory for document management specialists at the Pentagon.
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Navy, Air Force Agree to Coordinate Pageless Tech Manual Standards
The Navy and Air Force have agreed to coordinate two on-going standardization
efforts for pageless technical manuals. Pageless technical manual would
retrieve information from electronic technical manuals according to its
content, as opposed to format (i.e., referring to a page number). Pageless tech
manuals are seen as the delivery vehicle of the future and are often cited as
the motivation for using SGML tagging of structure and content by CALS MIL-M-
28001. In order to accommodate Navy/Air Force requirements, however, MIL-M-
28001 will have to change, perhaps fundamentally.
----
NCGA's Integrate '89 to Demonstrate CALS Standards
More than 30 companies will show their systems integration capabilities at
National Computer Graphics Association's (NCGA's) Integrate '89, April 17-20
in Philadelphia. Integrate '89 will examine how standards are used in two
important contexts: the Manufacturing Automation Protocol/Technical and Office
Protocol (MAP/TOP) and CALS. MAP/TOP is an industry program supported by
General Motors, Boeing and other major companies to address multivendor
integration. CALS is aimed at integrating and improving design, manufacturing
and logistic functions within the military and its contractors. Scenarios at
Integrate '89 will reflect situations typically found in companies and
organizations that are working to comply with MAP/TOP and CALS.
----
GCA to Support SGML Conformance Testing and Develop SGML DTD Reference Guide
The Graphic Communications Association (GCA) GENCode Committee has launched an
SGML Conformance Testing Initiative (CTI). SGML (Standard Generalized Markup
Language) is used to tag text for structure and content in accordance with
MIL-M-28001. The CTI will test whether a product that reads a conforming SGML
document correctly interprets it. The initial CTI project will be to develop a
Conforming Test Suite (CTS) which covers the core of the standard. The CTS will
consist of a set of documents that report whether or not the correct binary
has been created. Subsequent CTI projects can address the optional features of
the standard.
-----
AGFA Compugraphic Announces SGML-Based CAPSTM and Authoring/Editing Software
AGFA Compugraphic, a division of Agfa Corporation, announced that in June of
this year it will deliver the first phase of new software that produces CALS-
compliant documents on the Compugraphic Automated Publishing System
(CAPSTM). Phase One software will provide CAPS users with the ability to
accept SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language). The CAPS software is
unique in being based, by design, on SGML concepts.
----
Intergraph Announces SGML-Based Technical Publishing Product
Intergraph Corporation has announced an SGML-based technical publishing
software product which stores the document in SGML-native file format. The
composition/pagination product is part of Intergraph's Distributed Publishing
System and is said by Intergraph to emphasize their commitment to CALS
standards. The product was announced at TechDoc Winter '89, by Lani Hajagos,
Product Planning Manager for Electronic Publishing Systems at Intergraph. Ms.
Hajagos noted that the actual product architecture of Intergraph's
composition/pagination product is built with SGML as a basis. The announcement
is significant, coming from the second largest CAD/CAM vendor in the world.
----
Interleaf Announces CALS Product
Interleaf, Inc. has announced a package of software, training and support
designed to help government contractors meet CALS requirements. The CALS DoD
program is setting standards for electronic interchange of information,
including published documents. Interleaf's CALS Preparedness Package is
intended to provide users the tools they need to begin creating CALS-complaint
documents and gaining hands-on experience with the CALS standards. Interleaf
is a widely respected provider of electronic publishing systems and support to
the defense and private industry. Interleaf began shipping electronic
publishing software in 1984 and now has more than 25,000 licensed users.
----
Henderson Says CGM Use Accelerating, Could Become Standard Plotter Driver Language
Lofton Henderson, in an exclusive interview with the CALS Report, reported a
growing use of computer Graphic Metafile (CGM) and predicted its use as a
postscript-like, ROM-resident plotter driver language. Henderson is a widely
respected expert on CGM and other graphics standards and his firm markets CGM
software and tools. CALS requires use of either CGM or a special subset of
IGES in transferring technical illustrations.
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US OPM Announces Computer Security Courses
The US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has announced a series of half-day
courses designed to help agencies implement the Computer Security Act of 1987
(P.L. 100-235). The courses, entitled "Computer Security Awareness Training",
will fulfill the requirements of the Computer Security Act and will meet the
basic needs of most government agencies. Courses are available to Federal and
State, and Local government employees.
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CADKEY, Inc. Announces Upgrade Price Discount for Government Users
A price discount of more than 90% on CADKEY upgrades is now available to
Government users on a one-time basis. The new discount program is designed to
upgrade CADKEY's military users from CADKEY 2.06M to CADKEY 3. CADKEY is a
widely used Computer-Aided Design software package which has sold well within
DoD.
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CALS Calendar
================================================================================
CALS Report Vol. 2 No. 5, May 1989
DARPA Discloses First Details of Their Concurrent Engineering Initiative
Dr. Ralph T. Wood of General Electric Corporation Research & Development
disclosed details of DARPA's Initiative in Concurrent Engineering (DICE).
Concurrent Engineering (CE) refers to consideration of physical and logistic
performance of a product early and concurrently in the procurement cycle. The
DICE program is a high risk, high payoff effort to develop information
technology to support highly integrated design, production and support of
weapon systems. Dr. Wood made his comments at the Society for Computer-Aided
Engineering (SCAE) Concurrent Engineering Conference. The DICE program is
combining DoD, university, and industry research on Artificial Intelligence,
Information Science, Man-Machine Interfaces, and Design Behavior.
----
IDA Releases Concurrent Engineering Study for CALS
The Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) has released the final report of
their Department of Defense (DoD) funded study on Concurrent Engineering (CE).
DoD had tasked IDA to assess the claims of improved product quality at lower
cost and shortened product development time through the use of concurrent
engineering. Their final report, IDA Report R-338, "The Role of Concurrent
Engineering in Weapons System Acquisition", presents qualitative "case
studies" of various CE applications with the costs and benefits resulting. The
report gives many recommendations on how DoD can encourage CE development and
implementation.
---
Air Force Consolidates CALS Projects, forms Concurrent Engineering Office
Four separate Manufacturing Technology (MT) CALS research efforts at Wright
Research and Development Center (WRDC), Wright Patterson AFB, OH have been
consolidated into a single group and a new Concurrent Engineering Office
formed. MT's Integration Technology Division (MTI) consolidates EIS, IDS,
IISS, PDES and other programs dealing with software, formats and architectures
for CALS shared information. The Concurrent Engineering Office incorporates
related RAMCAD research and other programs focused on information technology
needed by software analyzing physical and logistic performance from design
data. The moves will permit merging and streamlining of several successful
programs under MTI, while broadening the application of RAMCAD technology to
all life cycle performance predictions.
---
Dupont to Supply Piping Model for Validation of 28000 Extension
DuPont will provide an IGES piping model for validation testing of the Piping
Application Protocol. The Piping Application Protocol is a formal procedure
for using IGES in transferring 3D piping data. It is expected to be the first
application protocol included in MIL-D-28000. DuPont will create the model on
PDMS, a well respected plant modeling software package marketed by CADCentre.
DuPont's participation marks the first private commercial support of the
protocol, which originated in the Navy Seawolf project.
----
PDES AEC Committee Invites Broad Industry to Review GARM Model
The Product Data Exchange Specification (PDES) Architecture, Engineering and
Construction (AEC) committee is inviting a broad review of their new General
AEC Reference Model (GARM). The GARM is an information model describing data
elements and relationships used in AEC disciplines. The GARM will form the
basis of information exchange using the emerging PDES standard. The review
began at the PDES meeting in San Antonio in April.
---
ANSI Data Representation Ideas Influencing Army Data Dictionary
The work of American National Standards Institute Committee X3L8, "Data
Representation" is influencing the syntax and overall approach to the Army
Data Dictionary (ADD). The purpose of this committee is to standardize data
element names and meaning to facilitate international data exchange. The army
has applied some of the preliminary ideas from this work in their AR 25-9 Army
Data Management and Standards program. The army is hoping to standardize data
elements for improved maintenance and exchange between Army applications,
contractors, and international Allies. The ANSI committee is chaired by
William H. Kenworthey Jr., OASD (Management Systems).
----
Digital Media Not Acceptable for Permanent Records Under Current Regulations
According to the General Services Administration, National Archives and
Records Administration (NARA), Bulletin 88-8, Optical Media is still too
untested to be used for permanent records. The bulletin contains the GSA's
position on scanned images, and the standards which should be used. The only
two media fully acceptable are paper and microfilm. GSA's bulletin was
discussed by Joseph Hardy of the US Army, during a workshop on optical storage
at FOSE '89 in Washington, DC. The position will impact CALS, which expects to
save money by digital delivery of contract documents.
----
Participants Wanted for OSI, ISDN Security Program
Outside participants are invited by NIST to join in a cooperative research
program relating to security and management of computer networks that use
the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) architecture or Integrated Services
Digital Network (ISDN) communications services. NIST is looking for
participants to provide funding, equipment, and/or staff. A major goal of
the program is to expedite the development and commercial availability of
OSI and ISDN security products. As part of the program, NIST will provide
a facility to define, develop, and test systems for a range of
telecommunications, network management, and security services in a
distributed information processing environment. The Government OSI Profile
(GOSIP) was issued as FIPS 146 in August, 1988, and becomes mandatory for use
in Federal procurements after August 15, 1990.
-----
FOSE '89 Show Features Image Management and Optical Storage
Image Management and Optical Storage of Forms, Documents, and Drawings was a
central theme of the recent FOSE '89 show in Washington, DC. 56,644 Federal
employees, contractors, vendors and consultants braved ice and snow to view
over 480 exhibits and attend 90 technical sessions. Rated the fifth largest
computer show in the country, FOSE serves as a barometer of buying trends in
Federal, state and local governments for office-oriented Automatic Data
Processing (ADP) hardware and software.
----
Optigraphics Product Line Based on CCITT Group 4 Compression
Optigraphics Corporation uses CCITT Group 4 throughout their whole product
line and foresees an easy transition to support of CALS raster standards. The
raster editing product line is used for precision editing of engineering
drawing images and implements many of the raster manipulation routines in
firmware.
---
Publishing Solutions Announces SGML Markup Utility
Publishing Solutions has announced an extension to their database tagging
utility, dataTAG for Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML). DataTAG
was originally targeted at the Desktop Publishing market almost two years ago,
but, since has been adapted to Typsetting, Interleaf, Datalogics, and most
recently, SGML Requirements. It may offer a quick way to incorporate data in
ASCII files into a CALS-compliant SGML tagged file.
----
IGES Shareware Program Available
IGESPEEK, a shareware utility for examining IGES files, has been released by
Dennette A. Harrod, Jr (d.b.a. WIZ WORX). IGESPEEK will not let you modify
the files, nor will it identify semantic errors in the file. It just lets you
look at the Directory Entry and Parameter Data fields of an entity in an easy
to read "translated" format. For example, IGESPEEK will tell you the color is
RED and the line-style is DOTTED, if that is what the data value means and
will identify PD fields so that you don't have to count them. IGESPEEK is
intended to be used as an adjunct to the various commercially available
translators and analyzers for IGES files. It saves you the trouble of
thumbing through the IGES document to decipher the fields in an entity.
----
CALS Calendar
================================================================================
CALS Report Vol. 2 No. 6, June 1989
McGrath: Commercial Markets Greatest Payoff for CALS Products
Dr. Michael McGrath, Director DOD CALS Policy Office, OASD, cautioned vendors
preparing CALS compliant products that the commercial automation markets held
the biggest payoff for their products. Although DoD plans to purchase systems
to upgrade its infrastructure, the defense contractor market is much bigger
than DoD's, and the commercial market is bigger still. Some vendors have
grumbled that neither DoD or defense contractors have spent much on CALS
products and that DoD needs to encourage product development by some short
term spending.
---
RAdm. Curtis: Navy System Spec to Form Core of Many CAD/CAM/CAE Acquisitions
RAdm. Guy H. Curtis III, USN, Assistant Deputy Chief of Naval Operations
(Logistics) and the Navy's CALS Advocate announced that the Navy has written a
core CAD/CAM acquisition specification which will be used by all Navy commands
and perhaps other services. Curtis made his remarks at a CALS Meeting
sponsored by the San Diego Section of the American Society of Naval
Engineers (ASNE). The specification was developed and reviewed by the Navy's
Information Resources Management Group and reviewed by the Navy's CALS
Steering Committee. The core spec was rewritten to incorporate CALS and other
standards.
Five Navy commands will participate in the CAD II acquisition:
1. NAVFAC (Naval Facilities Engineering Command), responsible for the design
construction and support of facilities such as buildings, docks. and roads.
2. NAVSEA (Naval Sea Systems Command), responsible for the design construction
and support of ships and shipboard weapons.
3. NAVAIR (Naval Air Systems Command), resonsible for the design, construction
and support of avaition weapon systems
4. NAVSUP (Naval Supply Systems Command), Responsible for the production and
publication of technical drawings, manuals, designs and blueprints.
5. SPAWAR (Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command), responsible for the
design, construction and support of electronic systems and subsystems.
The total amount of the Navy acquisition has been estimated to be $500 Million.
----
Navy Trend Regards On-Board Logistic Data as Critical Resource
The US Navy is showing a trend to regard the on-board logistic data and the
computers which access them as a critical system, perhaps as important as
propulsion or steering. The trend results from the increasing reliance of
naval ships on computers for all functions, including logistic support. Even
in battle, assessment of damage, damage control, and repair are using
computer-based technical manuals, ship models, and other technology to
function efficiently. For this reason, even logistic computers and data bases
might warrant the same protection afforded other critical computer components.
The issue of survivability of CALS computer-based data was raised in the
discussion at the recent Society of Naval Engineers CALS Meeting in San
Diego, CA.
---
CALS Phase 1.2 Meetings Shows Sharpened Service Focus on Specific Problems
The CALS Phase 1.2 meetings showed that the DoD service have sharpened their
focus on specific CALS problem areas. In prior presentations, the services
described programs that attacked all CALS issues simultaneously. It seems now
that each service has developed a strategy based on their own perceived needs
and assigned responsibilities within DoD. The CALS Test Network has now
assigned discipline concentrations to services along these lines.
-----
Logistics 2010 Guide Sets Goals for Contracting/Cultural Change
A new guide, Logistics 2010: Edition 1988, outlines changes needed within the
defense community to better support DoD armed services. The report was issued
by the Logistics 2010 Project, chartered by the Assistant Secretary of Defense
(Production and Logistics) in August, 1987. The project was established to
develop long-term logistics strategic planning guidance and to institute a
process to adjust the guidance as the logistics environment changes. The guide
states and refines four long-term goals affecting contracting practices,
planning, priorities, and cultural attitudes toward logistic issues.
The four goals are:
I. Ensure Operational Logistics Support to meet readiness and sustainability
requirements. This goal emphasizes direct support of the operational mission
and the needs of users and providers of operational logistics support.
II. Ensure Weapon System Availability. This addresses changes needed in weapon
system acquisition and follow-on support.
III. Improve the Quality of Logistics Management and Operations. This
addresses the core logistics operations and systems at all echelons.
IV. Improve the Industrial Base Responsiveness to DoD Needs. This includes
both DoD organic and commercial industrial bases (see CALS Report, October,
1988).
The four goals are refined into two or three objectives each, which are
future supported by a number of specific DoD strategies.
---
RAMCAD Industry Panel to Liaison with CALS Concurrent Engineering Task Group
Delegates to the 5th JLC/JPCG RAMCAD meeting voted to establish a liaison with
the CALS Concurrent Engineering Task Group with the goal of developing a
unified approach to R&M integration with Design. The RAMCAD (Reliability,
Availability, Maintainability in Computer Aided Design) program seeks to
further R&M concepts in CAD by developing software, lessons learned archives,
and curriculum. Many of the integration issues have been assigned to the new
MTI Concurrent Engineering office (See CALS Report, May, 1989). The RAMCAD
committee will work with the CALS initiative to develop standards for R&M
databases and software interfaces.
---
GIDEP Compiling R&M Statistics
The Government-Industry Data Exchange Program (GIDEP) is compiling reliability
and maintainability statistics on components used in DoD systems, but the data
must be used with caution. GIDEP is a cooperative activity between government
and industry to catalog and exchange life cycle data on systems and equipment.
GIDEP summarizes the statistics or resource in one of several databases, and
provides microfiche copies of the supporting report.
---
IGES/PDES News
The IGES/PDES meeting in San Antonio concentrated its activities on answering
ISO's responses to the STEP draft proposal. STEP (Standard for The Exchange of
Product Model Data) is the ISO (International Standards Organization) name for
the US PDES (Product Data Exchange Standard) standard activity. The draft STEP
proposal is now out for ballot by individual countries. Brad Smith, PDES
Project Chairman said that the primary purpose of the week's activities were
to have a mid-point correction in the ballot process. Each country has been
making progress toward their response to the ballot.
----
Contractors Planning for Permanent CALS Facility at Dallas INFOMART
A group of Defense contractors are planning to set up a permanent CALS
education and demonstration facility at the INFOMART in Dallas, Texas. The
facility, called the CALS connectivity center, would be the first permanent
resource devoted to CALS technologies and methods. The contractors, members of
the CALS Connectivity Industry Advisory Group have held discussions with DoD
and other CALS initiatives to determine the role and business structure of a
permanent facility. Some seed money has been provided by the TEXAS research
and technology foundation of San Antonio, which is also providing staff to run
the center.
------
Georgia Tech Establishes CALS Research Center
Georgia Tech University has established a CALS Research Center to pursue
research and educational projects on CALS technologies. The Center is
headed by Robert Fulton, widely know for his CIM database research and
professional activities. The center was established in February, 1989 and held
a NSF workshop to define CALS research issues. Advancing CALS technologies
through University level research and pedagogy has been a high priority with
DoD.
----
Auto-Trol Technology to release two MIL-STD-28000 Software Switches
Auto-Trol has developed two software switches integrated with their CAD/CAM
products capable of outputing MIL-D-28000 Class I (Technical Illustrations)
and Class II (Engineering Drawings) subsets. The software switches would limit
the input and output of CAD systems to specific protocols (allowed IGES
entities and mapping to them). MIL-D-28000 specifies four subsets of IGES
entities and is preparing to include a more complete protocol for a fifth. The
Auto-Trol CALS utilities mark the first time a major CAD/CAM vendor has
offered compliant tools as part of a regular software release.
--
Interleaf Heads Up Cals Demo At NCGA
Interleaf's electronic publishing system formed the target destination for
multi-vendor CALS data transferred at the 1989 National Computer Graphics
Association (NCGA) conference in Philadelphia, PA. NCGA is the first major
computer industry trade show to highlight CALS-compliant solutions. The CALS
event was part of the Integrate'89 program (see CALS Report, April, 1989). The
demonstration featured a production zone where SGML text, IGES and CGM
graphics and CCITT images created on a variety of computers converged at a
central Interleaf publishing system. From there the files are edited, merged
into compound CALS documents, and produced on paper and as MIL-STD-1840A CALS
magnetic tapes. Interleaf is a widely respected vendor of electronic
publishing systems, often used by defense contractors for technical manuals.
----
GTX Announces CALS Conformance Products
GTX Corporation, manufacturer of drawing conversion and management systems,
announces the availability of three products designed to produce CALS
compatible data files. The products are:
1. CALS*SCAN, a system which provides conversion of paper and CAD files to
CALS compatible databases.
2. CALS*EDIT, a series of CALS compatible editors which run on standard PC and
PS/2 platforms.
3. CALS*VIEW, a product for viewing CALS compatible files on standard PC and
PS/2 or compatible 286/386 workstations.
GTX is a privately held corporation headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. The
unqualified claim to CALS compatibility is interesting, considering that other
vendors view compatibility with the rapidly changing standards as a
commitment, rather than a claim. GTX demonstrated all of the products at the
April NCGA in Philadelphia, PA.
---
GE Information Services/International TechneGroup to Support EDI and CAD
GE Information Services Co (GEISCO), a leading provider of third party
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) services, has announced an alliance with
International TechneGroup Inc. (ITI) to provide GE Information Services,'
customers with a broad range of CAD/CAM, Data Translation and Implementation
Services. GEISCO recently announced the addition of the DESIGN*EXPRESS [TM]
System to its family of EDI products (See CALS Report, May, 1988). The
DESIGN*EXPRESS System provides the capability to exchange Computer-Aided Design
(CAD) data between companies. ITI, a Cincinnati-based company, will provide
the CAD translation software and consulting services to users of GE IS'
DESIGN*EXPRESS System service.
---
TechView IGES Viewer Outputs Drawing Markups as MIL-D-28000 Class I Data
TechView, A CAD viewing and redlining system, outputs drawing markups as MIL-
D-28000 Class I data. TechView allows the end user to annotate the IGES
drawings being viewed and then allows you to save the annotations in an IGES
overlay format. This protects the original CAD database while allowing
feedback and comments from selected reviewers. Markups are output in
compliance with the MIL-D-28000 specification for the Class I IGES Technical
Pubs subset. TechView was designed and developed by Microsystems Engineering
Corporation, (MEC), a software company.
----
ICAD System to Create Process Plans From RAMP PDES Data
The ICAD (Cambridge MA) systems has been chosen to create process plans from
RAMP PDES Data. To streamline the manufacture of replacement parts, the US
Navy is developing the Rapid Acquisition of Manufactured Parts (RAMP) CIM
facility to produce "parts-on-demand". A key step in this type of production
is creating process plans from design features encoded in PDES (Product Data
Exchange Standard). Process plans identify the equipment and routing required
for manufacturing replacement parts. The RAMP facility is expected to reduce
part procurement cycles to a month or less. Currently, that cycle can take
more than a year. The South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA) and a
consortium of firms, including Arthur D. Little, The Battelle Memorial
Institute, Grumman Data Systems, and Ingersoll Engineers Inc., are under
contract to the Navy to develop the RAMP Computer-Integrated Manufacturing
(CIM) facility in Charleston, SC.
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CALS Calendar
