System and method for computer aided design

• US 20070046695A1
• Filed: 08/23/2006
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: University of Utah Research Foundation (State of Utah)
• Original Assignee: University of Utah (State of Utah)
• Inventors: Bamberg, Eberhard, Hoskere, Shreyas
• Application Number:
  US11/509,459
• Publication Number:
  US 20070046695A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/619
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/17 Mechanical parametric or variational design

Abstract

The invention provides a system and method for computer aided design. The system can include an electronic design tool configured to model a mechanical system. A first view type window can be in communication with the electronic design tool. In addition, a second view type window can be in communication with the electronic design tool. The second view type window can be simultaneously viewable with the first view type window. A drawing interface can be provided that is common to the first view type window and the second view type window in which design elements are capable of being drawn. A design element started in a first view window is capable of being completed in a second view window.

Claims

1. A system for computer aided design, comprising:

an electronic design tool configured to model a mechanical system;

a first view type window, in communication with the electronic design tool;

a second view type window in communication with the electronic design tool, the second view type window being simultaneously viewable with the first view type window; and

a drawing interface common to the first view type window and the second view type window in which design elements are capable of being drawn, wherein a design element started in a first view window is capable of being completed in a second view window.

2. A system as in claim 1, wherein the first view type window and the second view type window can be selected from the group consisting of:

an orthogonal view, a perspective view, a true perspective view, and an isometric perspective view.

3. A system as in claim 2, wherein the orthogonal view includes a plurality of orthogonal drawing views and a design element started in a first orthogonal view window is capable of being completed in a perspective view window.

4. A system as in claim 2, wherein the orthogonal view includes a plurality of orthogonal drawing views and a design element started in a first orthogonal window is capable of being completed in a second orthogonal window.

5. A system as in claim 2, wherein the orthogonal view includes a plurality of orthogonal drawing views and a design element started in a perspective view window is capable of being completed in an orthogonal view window.

6. A system as in claim 2, wherein a perspective view is inset into at least one orthogonal view window.

7. A system as in claim 1, wherein each design element is treated as a finite element under finite element analysis.

8. A system as in claim 1, wherein each design element has a plurality of nodes that are intensity coded based on node depth in a view window.

9. A system as in claim 1, wherein each design element has a plurality of nodes that are color coded based on node depth in a view window.

10. A method for computer aided design, comprising the steps of:

displaying a first view type window for an electronic design tool;

displaying a second view type window for the electronic design tool;

arranging the first view type window and the second view type window to enable the first view type window and the second view type window to be viewed simultaneously; and

enabling a design element that is sketched in the first view type window to be completed in the second view type window.

11. A method as in claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

creating a first node in the first view type window in response to a user input;

creating a second node in the second view type window in response to a user input;

creating a design element that is displayed in both windows based on the combination of the first and second nodes in separate views.

12. A method as in claim 11, further comprising the step of dragging a pointer from the first node in the first view type window to the second view type window to create a second node.

13. A method as in claim 12, further comprising the step of generating a design element from the first and second node that is consistent between both views.

14. A method as in claim 11, wherein the first view type window and the second view type window can be selected from the group consisting of:

an orthogonal view, a perspective view, a true perspective view, and an isometric perspective view.

16. A method as in claim 11, further comprising the step of displaying a plurality of nodes for each design element that are intensity coded based on node depth in a view window.

17. A method as in claim 11, further comprising displaying each design element with a plurality of nodes that are color coded based on node depth in the view window.

15. A method as in claim 15, further comprising the step of displaying the perspective view as an inset into at least one orthogonal view window.

18. A method for computer aided design, comprising the steps of:

displaying an orthogonal view window for an electronic design tool;

displaying an isometric view window for the electronic design tool that is simultaneously viewable with the orthogonal view;

arranging the orthogonal view window and the isometric view window to enable the orthogonal view window and the isometric view window to be viewed simultaneously; and

enabling a design element that is drawn in either of the orthogonal view window or the isometric view window to be completed in either view window.

19. A method as in claim 19, further comprising the step of dragging a pointer from a first node in either of the orthogonal view window or the isometric view window to a remaining respective view window to create a second node to complete the design element.

20. A method as in claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

creating a first node in either of the orthogonal view window or the isometric view window in response to a user input;

creating a second node in either of the orthogonal view window or the isometric view window in response to a user input;

creating a design element that is displayed in both windows based on the combination of the first and second nodes in separate views.