"FOR-EACH" LABEL COMPONENTS IN CAD DRAWINGS

• US 20070240049A1
• Filed: 04/10/2006
• Published: 10/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Inventors: Fox, Lisa, Blais, Gary, Haessly, Patrick, Appolo, Michael, ROGERSON, MICHAEL, Spalding, Kenneth
• Granted Patent: US 7,644,363 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/700
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide a method for generating labels for drawing elements of a computer aided design (CAD) drawing that may include some unknown number of associated or related drawing elements. The method includes receiving a selection of a set of drawing elements in the CAD drawing that are associated with the first drawing element, receiving a selection of fields specifying attributes of the drawing elements in the set of drawing elements to use in generating label content for a label of the first drawing element, and defining a label style based on the selection of the set of drawing elements and the selection of attributes of the of the drawing elements in the set of drawing elements.

Claims

1. A method of defining a label style for a first drawing element in a computer aided design (CAD) drawing, comprising:

receiving a selection of a set of drawing elements in the CAD drawing that are associated with the first drawing element;

receiving a selection of attributes of the drawing elements in the set of drawing elements to use in generating label content for a label of the first drawing element; and

defining a label style based on the selection of the set of drawing elements and the selection of attributes of the of the drawing elements in the set of drawing elements.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the label content generated for an attribute comprises text strings, symbols, or graphical images related to an instance of a drawing element in the CAD drawing.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first drawing element represents a structure object in a utility network, and wherein the drawing elements included in the set of drawing elements each represent a pipe object connected to the structure object.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the set of drawing elements includes each inlet pipe object connected to the structure object in the CAD drawing.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the set of drawing elements includes each outlet pipe object connected to the structure object in the CAD drawing.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection of the set of drawing elements is determined using a condition used to evaluate whether to include a drawing element in the set of drawing elements.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating label content for each drawing element in the set of drawing elements, according to the selection of attributes specified for the label style; and

displaying the label content in the CAD drawing in a label associated with the first drawing element.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising updating the label content displayed in the CAD drawing in response to modifications made to the CAD drawing.

9. A computer-readable medium storing instructions for defining a label style for a first drawing element in a computer aided design (CAD) drawing, including instructions for performing the steps of:

receiving a selection of a set of drawing elements in the CAD drawing that are associated with the first drawing element;

receiving a selection of attributes of the drawing elements in the set of drawing elements to use in generating label content for a label of the first drawing element; and

defining a label style based on the selection of the set of drawing elements and the selection of attributes of the of the drawing elements in the set of drawing elements.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the label content generated for an attribute comprises text strings, symbols, or graphical images related to an instance of a drawing element in the CAD drawing.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the first drawing element represents a structure object in a utility network, and wherein the drawing elements included in the set of drawing elements each represent a pipe object connected to the structure object.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the set of drawing elements includes each inlet pipe object connected to the structure object in the CAD drawing.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the set of drawing elements includes each outlet pipe object connected to the structure object in the CAD drawing.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the selection of the set of drawing elements is determined using a condition used to evaluate whether to include a drawing element in the set of drawing elements.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the steps further comprise:

generating label content for each drawing element in the set of drawing elements, according to the selection of attributes specified for the label style; and

displaying the label content in the CAD drawing in a label associated with the first drawing element.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising updating the label content displayed in the CAD drawing in response to modifications made to the CAD drawing.

17. A computing device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory configured to store an application that includes instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations method for defining a label style for a first drawing element in a computer aided design (CAD) drawing, including the steps of;

receiving a selection of a set of drawing elements in the CAD drawing that are associated with the first drawing element;

receiving a selection of attributes of the drawing elements in the set of drawing elements to use in generating label content for a label of the first drawing element; and

defining a label style based on the selection of the set of drawing elements and the selection of attributes of the of the drawing elements in the set of drawing elements.

18. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the label content generated for an attribute comprises text strings, symbols, or graphical images related to an instance of a drawing element in the CAD drawing.

19. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the first drawing element represents a structure object in a utility network, and wherein the drawing elements included in the set of drawing elements each represent a pipe object connected to the structure object.

20. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the set of drawing elements include each drawing element in the CAD drawing that is connected to the first drawing element.

21. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the selection of the set of drawing elements is determined using a condition used to evaluate whether to include a drawing element in the set of drawing elements.

22. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the steps further comprise:

generating label content for each drawing element in the set of drawing elements, according to the selection of attributes specified for the label style; and

displaying the label content in the CAD drawing in a label associated with the first drawing element.

23. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the steps further comprise updating the label content displayed in the CAD drawing in response to modifications made to the CAD drawing.