VIEW-SPECIFIC REPRESENTATION OF REINFORCEMENT

• US 20080238918A1
• Filed: 04/02/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Inventors: Snell, Erik Michael, Culver, Timothy D.
• Application Number:
  US11/695,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20080238918A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/420
• 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

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for representing reinforcement. A three-dimensional (3D) solid object in a computer aided design (CAD) model is identified. The solid object has a volume. A reinforcement element is associated with the solid object. The reinforcement element defines a path within the volume, occupies no space in the volume, and has a width value greater than zero. The reinforcement element is rendered as a ribbon having a width and having no volume. The width of the ribbon is the width value of the reinforcement element. A view of the solid object, including a view of the ribbon, is presented. The width of the ribbon is orthogonal to a direction of the view of the solid object.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

identifying a three-dimensional (3D) solid object in a computer aided design (CAD) model, the solid object having a volume;

associating a reinforcement element with the solid object, the reinforcement element defining a path within the volume and occupying no space in the volume, the reinforcement element having a width value greater than zero;

rendering the reinforcement element as a ribbon having a width and having no volume, wherein the width of the ribbon is the width value of the reinforcement element; and

presenting a view of the solid object, including a view of the ribbon, wherein the width of the ribbon is orthogonal to a direction of the view of the solid object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the reinforcement element is substantially cylindrical; and

the width value of the reinforcement element is a diameter value of the reinforcement element.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the solid object is a complex solid object.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the view of the solid object is a two-dimensional (2D) view of the solid object.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the view of the solid object is a section view, an elevation view or a plan view.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accepting user input to cause creation of the reinforcement element.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the reinforcement element is represented as a 3D line in the CAD model.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the solid object is one of;

a wall, a floor slab, a column, and a beam.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

an axis of the ribbon is aligned with an axis of the reinforcement element.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the ribbon traces at least a portion of the path defined by the reinforcement element.

11. A computer program product, encoded on a computer-readable medium, operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

identifying a three-dimensional (3D) solid object in a computer aided design (CAD) model, the solid object having a volume;

associating a reinforcement element with the solid object, the reinforcement element defining a path within the volume and occupying no space in the volume, the reinforcement element having a width value greater than zero;

rendering the reinforcement element as a ribbon having a width and having no volume, wherein the width of the ribbon is the width value of the reinforcement element; and

presenting a view of the solid object, including a view of the ribbon, wherein the width of the ribbon is orthogonal to a direction of the view of the solid object.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein:

the reinforcement element is substantially cylindrical; and

the width value of the reinforcement element is a diameter value of the reinforcement element.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein:

the solid object is a complex solid object.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein:

the view of the solid object is a two-dimensional (2D) view of the solid object.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein:

the view of the solid object is a section view, an elevation view or a plan view.

16. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising:

accepting user input to cause creation of the reinforcement element.

17. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein:

the reinforcement element is represented as a 3D line in the CAD model.

18. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein:

the solid object is one of;

a wall, a floor slab, column, and a beam.

19. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein:

an axis of the ribbon is aligned with an axis of the reinforcement element.

20. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein:

the ribbon traces at least a portion of the path defined by the reinforcement element.

21. A system, comprising:

means for identifying a three-dimensional (3D) solid object in a computer aided design (CAD) model, the solid object having a volume;

means for associating a reinforcement element with the solid object, the reinforcement element defining a path within the volume and occupying no space in the volume, the reinforcement element having a width value greater than zero;

means for rendering the reinforcement element as a ribbon having a width and having no volume, wherein the width of the ribbon is the width value of the reinforcement element; and

means for presenting a view of the solid object, including a view of the ribbon, wherein the width of the ribbon is orthogonal to a direction of the view of the solid object.

22. A system, comprising:

a display device;

memory; and

one or more processors; and

instructions stored in the memory, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processor to perform operations comprising;

identifying a three-dimensional (3D) solid object in a computer aided design (CAD) model, the solid object having a volume;

associating a reinforcement element with the solid object, the reinforcement element defining a path within the volume and occupying no space in the volume, the reinforcement element having a width value greater than zero;

rendering the reinforcement element as a ribbon having a width and having no volume, wherein the width of the ribbon is the width value of the reinforcement element; and

presenting on the display device a view of the solid object, including a view of the ribbon, wherein the width of the ribbon is orthogonal to a direction of the view of the solid object.