Title: Design supporting program, design supporting method, design supporting apparatus and computer-readable recording medium recorded with design supporting program
Abstract: A design supporting program, a design supporting method, a design supporting apparatus and a computer-readable recording medium recorded with a design supporting program, wherein assignment of graphical elements is simplified, and an amount of work required to input dimensions of graphical elements is reduced, by adding feature dependent graphical interpretation.
Patent Number: 7,002,575 Issued on 02/21/2006 to Tonooka
| Inventors:
|
Tonooka; Mitsuhiro (Shizuoka, JP)
|
| Assignee:
|
Fujitsu Limited (Kawasaki, JP)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
340587 |
| Filed:
|
January 13, 2003 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
| Mar 28, 2002[JP] | 2002-092442 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
345/424; 715/102; 703/1 |
| Current Intern'l Class: |
G06T 15/00 (20060101) |
| Field of Search: |
345/420,419,441
703/1
715/102
|
References Cited [Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Nguyen; Phu K.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Staas & Halsey LLP
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A design supporting program for realizing on a computer: an assignment function
for assigning a graphical element or a point between two graphical elements on
a two-dimensional drawing; a type determination function for determining a type
of feature associated with the graphical element or the point assigned by said
assignment function; and a dimension calculation function for calculating a dimension
that characterizes said feature based on the type of feature determined by said
type determination function.
2. A design supporting program for realizing on a computer: an assignment function
for assigning a graphical element or a point between two graphical elements on
a two-dimensional drawing; a type determination function for determining a type
of feature associated with the graphical element or the point assigned by said
assignment function; and a dimension calculation function for calculating a dimension
that characterizes said feature based on the type of feature determined by said
type determination function,
wherein, when it is determined by said type determination function that the type
of feature is a taper, said dimension calculation function designates an angle
formed by the graphical element assigned by said assignment function and an axis
direction of the taper, as an angular dimension of said taper.
3. A design supporting program for realizing on a computer: an assignment function
for assigning a graphical element or a point between two graphical elements on
a two-dimensional drawing; a type determination function for determining a type
of feature associated with the graphical element or the point assigned by said
assignment function; and a dimension calculation function for calculating a dimension
that characterizes said feature based on the type of feature determined by said
type determination function,
wherein, when it is determined by said type determination function that the type
of feature is a taper, said dimension calculation function designates the smaller
of an angle formed by the graphical element assigned by said assignment function
and a vertical direction, and an angle formed by said graphical element and a horizontal
direction, as an angular dimension of said taper.
4. A design supporting program for realizing on a computer: an assignment function
for assigning a graphical element or a point between two graphical elements on
a two-dimensional drawing; a type determination function for determining a type
of feature associated with the graphical element or the point assigned by said
assignment function; and a dimension calculation function for calculating a dimension
that characterizes said feature based on the type of feature determined by said
type determination function,
wherein, when it is determined by said type determination function that the type
of feature is a shell, said dimension calculation function designates a distance
between a graphical element with the shortest distance from the point assigned
by said assignment function and another graphical element on an opposite side of
said point, as a linear dimension indicating a thickness of said shell.
5. A design supporting program for realizing on a computer: a graphical element
assignment function for assigning a graphical element on a two-dimensional drawing;
a dimensional element obtaining function for obtaining a dimensional element associated
with the graphical element assigned by said graphical element assignment function;
and a dimension value extraction function for extracting a character string representing
a dimension value from the dimensional element obtained by said dimensional element
obtaining function, to designate this as a dimension of the graphical element assigned
by said graphical element assignment function.
6. A design supporting method comprising: assigning a graphical element or a
point between two graphical elements on a two-dimensional drawing; determining
a type of feature associated with the assigned graphical element or point, and
calculating a dimension that characterizes said feature based on the type of feature determined.
7. A design supporting method comprising: assigning a graphical element or a
point between two graphical elements on a two-dimensional drawing; determining
a type of feature associated with the assigned graphical element or point, and
calculating a dimension that characterizes said feature based on the type of feature determined,
wherein, when it is determined that the type of feature is a taper, an angle
formed by the assigned graphical element and an axis direction of the taper is
designated as an angular dimension of said taper, for the dimension that characterizes
said feature.
8. A design supporting method comprising: assigning a graphical element or a
point between two graphical elements on a two-dimensional drawing; determining
a type of feature associated with the assigned graphical element or point, and
calculating a dimension that characterizes said feature based on the type of feature determined
wherein, when it is determined that the type of feature is a taper, the smaller
of an angle formed by the assigned graphical element and a vertical direction,
and an angle formed by said graphical element and a horizontal direction is designated
as an angular dimension of said taper, for the dimension that characterizes said feature.
9. A design supporting method comprising: assigning a graphical element or a
point between two graphical elements on a two-dimensional drawing; determining
a type of feature associated with the assigned graphical element or point, and
calculating a dimension that characterizes said feature based on the type of feature determined
wherein, when it is determined that the type of feature is a shell, a distance
between a graphical element with the shortest distance from the assigned point
and another graphical element on an opposite side of said point is designated as
a linear dimension indicating a thickness of said shell, for the dimension that
characterizes said feature.
10. A design supporting method comprising: assigning a graphical element on a
two-dimensional drawing; obtaining a dimensional element associated with the assigned
graphical element; and extracting a character string representing a dimension value
from the dimensional element obtained, to designate this as a dimension of the
assigned graphical element.
11. A design supporting apparatus comprising: assignment means for assigning
a graphical element or a point between two graphical elements on a two-dimensional
drawing; type determination means for determining a type of feature associated
with the graphical element or the point assigned by said assignment means; and
dimension calculation means for calculating a dimension that characterizes said
feature based on the type of feature determined by said type determination means.
12. A design supporting apparatus comprising: graphical element assignment means
for assigning a graphical element on a two-dimensional drawing; dimensional element
obtaining means for obtaining a dimensional element associated with the graphical
element assigned by said graphical element assignment means; and dimension value
extraction means for extracting a character string representing a dimension value
from the dimensional element obtained by said dimensional element obtaining means,
to designate this as a dimension of the graphical element assigned by said graphical
element assignment means.
13. A computer-readable recording medium recorded with a design supporting program
for realizing on a computer: an assignment function for assigning a graphical element
or a point between two graphical elements on a two-dimensional drawing; a type
determination function for determining a type of feature associated with the graphical
element or the point assigned by said assignment function; and a dimension calculation
function for calculating a dimension that characterizes said feature based on the
type of feature determined by said type determination function.
14. A computer-readable recording medium recorded with a design supporting program
for realizing on a computer: a graphical element assignment function for assigning
a graphical element on a two-dimensional drawing; a dimensional element obtaining
function for obtaining a dimensional element associated with the graphical element
assigned by said graphical element assignment function; and a dimension value extraction
function for extracting a character string representing a dimension value from
the dimensional element obtained by said dimensional element obtaining function,
to designate this as a dimension of the graphical element assigned by said graphical
element assignment function.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a technique for reducing an amount of work required
to input dimensions of graphical elements in CAD (Computer Aided Design) systems
in which three-dimensional shapes are created using existing two-dimensional drawings.
RELATED ART OF THE INVENTION
In recent years, CAD systems using computers have been utilized extensively for
designing manufactured products, buildings and the like, in order to shorten design
time and improve design quality. Some of three-dimensional CAD systems are provided
with functions for reducing an amount of work required to input dimensions by utilizing
existing graphical element information for two-dimensional drawings, instead of
inputting linear dimensions and angular dimensions of graphical elements directly
by numerical values.
Such functions are as follows: (1) when one graphical element (limited to a
line segment) on a two-dimensional drawing is assigned, its length is designated
as a linear dimension; (2) when two parallel graphical elements on a two-dimensional
drawing are assigned, their distance is designated as a linear dimension; (3) when
two graphical elements (limited to line segments) extending at a predetermined
angle on a two-dimensional drawing are assigned, the angle between them is designated
as an angular dimension.
Incidentally, in drawing creation, there are many cases of omitting
the middle part of graphical element with long shape, creating graphical elements
by single precision, and changing only the dimension values of graphical element
without changing its shape according to the design change. At this time, since
the graphical elements do not represent the correct shapes, if the length of graphical
element or the separation between two graphical elements is designated as a linear
dimension, then there is a possibility that the linear dimension values are not correct.
Furthermore, when the angular dimension of a taper is input, in the
case where an angle between two graphical elements is an angular dimension, there
is a possibility that there is no graphical element serving as an angle reference.
On the other hand, even if there is a graphical element serving as an angle reference,
since the designer acknowledges that the angle reference of the taper is along
the direction of its axis, two graphical elements should be assigned, which complicates
the operation. Furthermore, when the thickness of a shell (linear dimension between
two graphical elements) is input, two graphical elements should be assigned, so
the operation is complicated similarly to the case of taper.
Therefore, the present invention takes the conventional problems above
into consideration, with an object of providing a design supporting technique in
which the assignment of graphical elements is simplified and an amount of work
required to input dimensions of graphical elements is reduced by adding feature
dependent graphical interpretation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to achieve the above object, in a design supporting technique according
to the present invention, a graphical element or a point between two graphical
elements is assigned on a two-dimensional drawing, the type of feature associated
with the assigned graphical element or the point is determined, and based on the
type of feature determined, a dimension that characterizes the feature is calculated.
According to such a construction, when obtaining the dimension that characterizes
the feature, if a graphical element or a point between two graphical elements is
assigned on a two-dimensional drawing, the dimension is calculated on the basis
of the type of feature associated with the assigned graphical element or point.
As a result, the graphical element assignment operation is simplified, and thus
it is possible to reduce an amount of work required to input dimensions of graphical elements.
Here, when the type of feature is a taper, it is desirable to designate an
angle formed by the assigned graphical element and an axis direction of the taper,
as an angular dimension of the taper. Furthermore, when the type of feature is
a taper, the smaller of an angle formed by the assigned graphical element and a
vertical direction, and an angle formed by the graphical element and a horizontal
direction may be designated as an angular dimension of the taper. Moreover, when
the type of feature is a shell, it is desirable to designate a distance between
a graphical element with the shortest distance from the assigned point and another
graphical element on an opposite side of the point, as a linear dimension indicating
a thickness of the shell.
According to such a construction, when obtaining the angular dimension
of a taper, the angular dimension that characterizes the taper is calculated, by
only assigning one graphical element forming the taper. As a result, not only is
a graphical element serving as a reference of the angular dimension not necessary,
but it is also possible to obtain an angular dimension by operations consistent
with an operator's understanding. On the other hand, when obtaining the thickness
of a shell, the linear dimension that characterizes the shell is calculated, by
only assigning a point between two graphical elements. As a result, similarly to
when obtaining the angular dimension of a taper, it is possible to obtain a linear
dimension by operations consistent with an operator's understanding.
Additionally, in another design supporting technique according to the
present invention, a graphical element is assigned on a two-dimensional drawing,
a dimensional element associated with the assigned graphical element is obtained,
and a character string representing a dimension value is extracted from the obtained
dimensional element, to be designated as a dimension of the assigned graphical element.
According to such a construction, when obtaining the dimensions of a graphical
element, if the graphical element is assigned directly, then the dimension values
are extracted from the dimensional element associated with the graphical element.
Therefore, for example, even if the middle part of a drawing element with a long
shape is omitted, or the graphical element is created by single precision, or the
graphical element and the dimension value are not consistent with each other, it
is possible to obtain a correct dimension value of the graphical element.
Other objects and aspects of this invention will be apparent from the following
description of embodiments associated with appended drawings.
BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a structural diagram showing a first embodiment of a design supporting
apparatus embodying the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing processing to be executed in the above embodiment.
FIG. 3 shows a first method of calculating an angular dimension of a taper,
in which (A) is an explanatory diagram of the time when a graphical element is
assigned, and (B) is an explanatory diagram of a specific method of calculating
an angular dimension.
FIG. 4 shows a second method of calculating an angular dimension of a taper,
in which (A) is an explanatory diagram of the time when a graphical element is
assigned, and (B) is an explanatory diagram of a specific method of calculating
an angular dimension.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a method of calculating a thickness of a shell.
FIG. 6 is a structural diagram showing a second embodiment of a design supporting
apparatus embodying the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing processing to be executed in the above embodiment.
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a method of obtaining a dimension of a graphical element.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
As follows is a detailed description of the present invention with reference
to
the appended drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a design supporting apparatus embodying the
present invention.
A design supporting apparatus
10 comprises a computer provided with at
least
a central processing unit (CPU) and a memory, and various functions related to
design support are realized by a program loaded into the memory. To be specific,
the design supporting apparatus
10 comprises a feature type determination
section
12, a graphical element assignment section
14, a dimension
calculation section
16, and a feature addition section
18.
In the feature type determination section
12, using a "base model" called
a basic feature as a parent, the type of feature for adding a taper, a shell or
the like is determined. The feature type may be determined, for example, by assignment
operations by an operator (designer), or by attributes of a graphical element.
In the graphical element assignment section
14, various graphical elements
comprising a two-dimensional drawing or a point between two graphical elements
are assigned by assignment operations by an operator. In the dimension calculation
section
16, dimensions that characterize a feature are calculated based
on the feature type determined by the feature type determination section
12,
and the graphical element (referred to hereunder as "assigned element") or the
point between graphical elements (referred to hereunder as "assigned point") assigned
by the graphical element assignment section
14. In the feature addition
section
18, a feature that reflects a dimension calculated by the dimension
calculation section
16 is added to the basic feature.
Here, a type determination function and type determination means, an assignment
function and assignment means, and a dimension calculation function and dimension
calculation means are realized in software by the feature type determination section
12, the graphical element assignment section
14 and the dimension
calculation section
16, respectively.
Next is a description of the operation of this design supporting apparatus
10
with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG. 2.
In step
1 (abbreviated to "S
1" in the figure, and similarly hereunder),
the type of feature to be added to a basic feature is determined. Here, the processing
in step
1 corresponds to the type determination function and the type determination means.
In step
2, branching according to the type of feature is performed. That
is, if the type of feature is "taper", control proceeds to step
3, if the
type is "shell", control proceeds to step
7, and if the type is "others",
processing is terminated.
In step
3 through step
6, processing when the feature type is a
taper is executed. That is, in step
3, an edition face of the basic feature
to which a taper, being a feature, is added is assigned by assignment operations
by the operator. In step
4, line segments serving as graphical elements
forming a taper on a two-dimensional drawing are assigned by assignment operations
by the operator as shown in (A) of FIG. 3 and (A) of FIG. 4. In step
5,
a subroutine is called for calculating an angular dimension of the taper. In step
6, a taper that reflects the calculated angular dimension is added to the
edition face of the basic feature. The processing in step
4 corresponds
to the assignment function and the assignment means, and the processing in step
5 corresponds to the dimension calculation function and the dimension calculation means.
Here is a description of calculation methods adopted in the subroutine for calculating
the angular dimension of the taper.
In a first method, as shown in (A) of FIG. 3, when an assigned element is assigned,
its axis direction is calculated by a known method. Then, as shown in (B) of FIG.
3, an angle θ formed by the axis direction and the assigned element is calculated,
and this angle is designated as the angular dimension of the taper. Furthermore,
in a second method, as shown in (A) of FIG. 4, when an assigned element is assigned,
as shown in (B) of FIG. 4, an angle θ
V formed by the vertical
direction and the assigned element, and an angle θ
H formed by
the horizontal direction and the assigned element, are calculated, respectively.
Then, the angle θ
V and the angle θ
H are compared
with each other, and the smaller angle is designated as the angular dimension of
the taper.
On the other hand, in step
7 through step
10, processing when the
feature type is a shell is executed. That is, in step
7, an edition face
of the basic feature to which a shell, being a feature, is added is assigned by
assignment operations by the operator. In step
8, a point (assigned point)
between two graphical elements forming a shell on a two-dimensional drawing is
assigned by assignment operations by the operator as shown in FIG. 5. In step
9,
a subroutine is called for calculating a thickness (linear dimension) of the shell.
In step
10, a shell that reflects the calculated linear dimension is added
to the edition face of the basic feature. The processing in step
8 corresponds
to the assignment function and the assignment means, and the processing in step
9 to the dimension calculation function and the dimension calculation means.
Here is a description of a calculation method adopted in the subroutine for
calculating the shell thickness. The following description assumes that one face
of a shell comprises a plurality of graphical elements. However, even for the one
comprising a single graphical element, it is possible to calculate the shell thickness
by the same method.
Firstly, as shown in FIG. 5, when an assigned point is assigned, an imaginary
circle is drawn with the assigned point as its center, and the shortest distances
between each of the graphical elements (e
1 to e
4) within
a region of the imaginary circle and the assigned point are all calculated. Next,
a line perpendicular to the graphical element (e
1) having the shortest
calculated distance is drawn, and an intersection point P
0 (x
0,
y
0) is calculated. Then, an imaginary line is drawn passing through
the assigned point with the coordinate P
0 as its origin, and an intersection
point P
1 (x
1, y
1) with another graphical element
(e
4) is calculated. Afterwards, a distance d between the intersection
point P
0 and the intersection point P
1 is calculated by the
following equation, and the calculation result is designated as the shell thickness.
d=√{square root over ((
x1-x0)
2+(
y1-y0)
2)}{square
root over ((
x1-x0)
2+(
y1-y0)
2)}
According to the design supporting apparatus
10 of the first embodiment,
an angular dimension of a taper may be obtained by only assigning one graphical
element forming the taper, so that the graphical element assignment operation is
simplified. As a result, not only is a graphical element serving as a reference
of the angular dimension not necessary, but an angular dimension can be obtained
by operations consistent with an operator's understanding. On the other hand, a
shell thickness may be obtained by only assigning a point between two graphical
elements, so that the graphical element assignment operation is similarly simplified.
Accordingly, depending on the type of feature, the angular dimension of a taper
or the thickness of a shell can be obtained by one operation, and through the simplification
of the graphical element assignment operation, it is possible to reduce an amount
of work required to input dimensions of graphical elements.
FIG. 6 shows a second embodiment of a design supporting apparatus embodying
the present invention.
A design supporting apparatus
20 comprises a computer provided with at
least
a central processing unit (CPU) and a memory, and various functions related to
design support are realized by a program loaded into the memory. To be specific,
the design supporting apparatus
20 comprises a graphical element assignment
section
22, a dimensional element obtaining section
24, and a dimension
value extracting section
26.
In the graphical element assignment section
22, a graphical element whose
dimensions are to be obtained is assigned by assignment operations by an operator.
In the dimensional element obtaining section
24, a dimensional element associated
with the assigned element assigned by the graphical element assignment section
22 is obtained. For obtaining a dimensional element, in the case where the
assigned element is a line, for example, a dimensional element in which both end
points of the line are extensions of the dimension may be obtained. In the dimension
value extracting section
26, a display character string representing a dimension
value is extracted from the dimensional element obtained by the dimensional element
obtaining section
24, and designated as a dimension of the assigned element.
Here, a graphical element assignment function and graphical element assignment
means, a dimensional element obtaining function and dimensional element obtaining
means, and a dimension value extracting function and dimension value extracting
means are realized in software by the graphical element assignment section
22,
the dimensional element obtaining section
24 and the dimension value extracting
section
26, respectively.
Next is a description of the operation of this design supporting apparatus
20
with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG. 7.
In step
11, a graphical element whose dimension is to be obtained is assigned
by assignment operations by the operator. In step
12, a dimensional element
associated with the assigned element is obtained. In step
13, a display
character string representing a dimension value is extracted from the dimensional
element obtained, and designated as a dimension of the assigned element. Here,
the processing in step
11, step
12 and step
13 correspond
to the graphical element assignment function and graphical element assignment means,
the dimensional element obtaining function and dimensional element obtaining means,
and the dimension value extracting function and dimension value extracting means, respectively.
According to the design supporting apparatus
20 of the second embodiment,
as shown in FIG. 8, when obtaining the dimensions of a graphical element, if the
graphical element is assigned directly, then the dimension values are extracted
from the dimensional element associated with the graphical element. Therefore,
for example, even if the middle part of a drawing element with a long shape is
omitted, or the graphical element is created by single precision, or the graphical
element and the dimension value are not consistent with each other, it is possible
to obtain a correct dimension value of the graphical element.
If a program realizing such a function is stored on a computer readable recording
medium such as CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or the like, for example, it is possible to distribute
a design supporting program according to the present invention to the market place.
Furthermore, a person who obtains such a recording medium can construct a design
supporting apparatus according to the present invention easily using a general
computer system.
*
