LAYOUT DESIGN SUPPORT SYSTEM, METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20070260432A1
• Filed: 11/15/2006
• Published: 11/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Okada, Yuuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,676,348 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2113/14 Pipes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/13 Architectural design, e.g. computer-aided architectural design [CAAD] related to design of buildings, bridges, landscapes, production plants or roads

Abstract

The present invention enables support of a process for creating a detailed layout design which takes construction into account, and contributes to a reduction in the workload of the layout design process. A layout editing unit causes an interface unit to display a layout design data editing screen, receives an edit instruction input onto the screen, and edits the layout design data in accordance with the edit instruction. The layout editing unit classifies the layout design data into five data types, namely building data, equipment arrangement data, equipment connection element data, equipment connection path data, and user-specified range data, and edits the data of each data type individually. A storage unit stores the editing results of the layout design data. A CAD conversion unit converts the layout design data into a two-dimensional CAD drawing or a three-dimensional CAD model, and causes the interface unit to display the two-dimensional CAD drawing or three-dimensional CAD model on a screen.

Claims

1. A layout design support system for supporting a layout design, including an arrangement of a building and a plurality of equipments within a layout range space of a plant and a connection between said equipments, using a computer, wherein said computer comprises:

interface means for inputting various instructions and data and displaying various screens;

layout editing means for causing said interface means to display a layout design data editing screen relating to layout design data, which include building data relating to a building center line and a building arrangement, equipment arrangement data relating to an arrangement of said equipments, equipment connection data relating to a physical connection between said equipments, and user-specified range data relating to a range specified by a user, receiving an edit instruction input onto said screen, and editing said layout design data in accordance with said edit instruction;

storage means for storing a layout design data editing result generated by said layout editing means; and

CAD converting means for converting said layout design data generated by said layout editing means into a two-dimensional CAD drawing or a three-dimensional CAD model, and causing said interface means to display said two-dimensional CAD drawing or said three-dimensional CAD model on a screen.

2. The layout design support system according to claim 1, wherein said layout editing means comprise, as said layout design data editing screen displayed by said interface means, a plurality of depiction screens which depict the edited content of said layout design data in the form of a layout diagram, and a plurality of control screens which display an input/select/display field or an operation image element relating to an editing subject item of said layout design data, and into which an edit instruction and data corresponding to a user operation are input, and

each control screen is associated with at least one depiction screen such that information obtained on a control screen is transmitted to a corresponding depiction screen and reflected in said layout diagram.

3. The layout design support system according to claim 2, wherein said layout editing means comprise:

display range modifying means for switching said building and arrangement displayed on said depiction screen and enlarging or reducing said depiction screen in accordance with an instruction input through said input/select/display field or said operation image element displayed on said control screen or said depiction screen;

output format switching means for switching an output format of said depiction screen to said two-dimensional CAD drawing or said three-dimensional CAD model using said CAD converting means in accordance with an instruction input through said input/select/display field or said operation image element displayed on said control screen or said depiction screen; and

screen switching means for switching between said control screen and said depiction screen in accordance with an instruction input through said input/select/display field or said operation image element displayed on said control screen or said depiction screen.

4. The layout design support system according to claim 2, wherein said layout editing means comprise individual editing means for individually editing said building data, said equipment arrangement data, said equipment connection data, and said user-specified range data,

said equipment connection data individual editing means comprise individual editing means for individually editing equipment connection element data, which relate to the constitution of a physical equipment connection element, and equipment connection path data, which relate to the constitution of an ancillary element serving as a path of said equipment connection element, and

each individual editing means comprise said depiction screen and said associated control screen.

5. The layout design support system according to claim 2, further comprising evaluation calculation means for performing evaluation calculation processing, including an evaluation calculation or a repeated optimization calculation of said layout design data, using a preset algorithm, and causing said interface means to display an obtained calculation result on a screen,

wherein said layout editing means comprise evaluation calculation activating means for causing said evaluation calculation means to begin said evaluation calculation processing in accordance with an instruction input through said input/select/display field or said operation image element displayed on said control screen or said depiction screen.

6. The layout design support system according to claim 5, wherein said evaluation calculation means comprise comparing means for reading past layout design data stored in said storage means as past record data, performing said evaluation calculation processing on a plurality of layout design data including said past record data, and causing said interface means to display the calculation result of said plurality of layout design data on a screen in a comparison format.

7. The layout design support system according to claim 6, wherein said comparing means comprise graph displaying means for performing a state value evaluation calculation on said plurality of layout design data, displaying the calculation result on a screen in a graph format, and in accordance with a selection instruction relating to a point indicating a state on said graph format screen, causing said interface means to display said state on a screen in the form of a layout diagram.

8. The layout design support system according to claim 5, wherein said evaluation calculation means comprise animation means for causing said interface means to display a layout diagram depiction of log data relating to said layout design data output from said layout editing means continuously on a screen.

9. A layout design support method for supporting a layout design, including an arrangement of a building and a plurality of equipments within a layout range space of a plant and a connection between said equipments, using a computer, wherein said computer comprises interface means, layout editing means, storage means, and CAD converting means, said method comprising:

input/output processing for inputting various instructions and data and displaying various screens using said interface means;

layout editing processing for having said layout editing means cause said interface means to display a layout design data editing screen relating to layout design data, which include building data relating to a building center line and a building arrangement, equipment arrangement data relating to an arrangement of said equipments, equipment connection data relating to a physical connection between said equipments, and user-specified range data relating to a range specified by a user, receive an edit instruction input onto said screen, and edit said layout design data in accordance with said edit instruction;

storage processing for storing a layout design data editing result generated by said layout editing means in said storage means; and

CAD conversion processing for having said CAD converting means convert said layout design data generated by said layout editing means into a two-dimensional CAD drawing or a three-dimensional CAD model and cause said interface means to display said two-dimensional CAD drawing or said three-dimensional CAD model on a screen.

10. A layout design support program for supporting a layout design, including an arrangement of a building and a plurality of equipments within a layout range space of a plant and a connection between said equipments, using a computer, said program causing said computer to realize:

interface means for inputting various instructions and data and displaying various screens;

layout editing means for causing said interface means to display a layout design data editing screen relating to layout design data, which include building data relating to a building center line and a building arrangement, equipment arrangement data relating to an arrangement of said equipments, equipment connection data relating to a physical connection between said equipments, and user-specified range data relating to a range specified by a user, receiving an edit instruction input onto said screen, and editing said layout design data in accordance with said edit instruction;

storage means for storing a layout design data editing result generated by said layout editing means; and

CAD converting means for converting said layout design data generated by said layout editing means into a two-dimensional CAD drawing or a three-dimensional CAD model, and causing said interface means to display said two-dimensional CAD drawing or said three-dimensional CAD model on a screen.