METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A PRESUMPTIVE DRAFTING SOLUTION

• US 20080244463A1
• Filed: 06/09/2008
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Inventors: Thompson, Daniel Lee
• Application Number:
  US12/135,862
• Publication Number:
  US 20080244463A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/856
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/203 Drawing of straight lines or curves

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for providing a presumptive drafting solution. Input from a cursor control device is received, wherein the input reflects a movement in a computer drawing program of a cursor over a drawing having one or more geometric entities (having one or more geometric attributes). In one or more embodiments, a relevant geometric entity is identified based on how the cursor is moved over the drawing. A presumptive drafting solution is then provided based on the identified relevant geometric entity. In addition, prior drawing solutions (having one or more solution attributes) are obtained and compared to the one or more geometric attributes. A drawing solution having one or more solution attributes similar to the one or more geometric attributes may be provided to the user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing a presumptive drafting solution comprising:

receiving input from a cursor control device relating to a geometric entity of a drawing, wherein the geometric entity has one or more geometric attributes;

obtaining one or more prior drawing solutions of a computer drawing program, wherein the one or more prior drawing solutions each have one or more solution attributes;

comparing the one or more geometric attributes to the one or more solution attributes; and

providing the drawing solution having one or more solution attributes similar to the one or more geometric attributes.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein a geometric attribute and a solution attribute comprise a line style.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein a geometric attribute and a solution attribute comprise a line weight.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein a geometric attribute and a solution attribute comprise a color.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein a geometric attribute and a solution attribute comprise a layer.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein a geometric attribute and a solution attribute comprise an offset with another geometric entity.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein a geometric attribute and a solution attribute comprise an alignment with another geometric entity.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein a prior drawing solution comprises other geometry in the drawing.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein a prior drawing solution comprises other geometry that a user of the drawing has drawn in the past.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein a prior drawing solution comprises a set of solution rules for a specific type of work.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the solution rules are inherited from other drawings.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the set of solution rules is managed explicitly by a user.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the solution rules are established across multiple users doing a similar type of work.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the one or more prior drawing solutions are stored in a sorted list; and

when the one or more geometric attributes are similar to one or more solution attributes, a prior drawing solution, from the sorted list, previously selected more often by a user is provided.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the sorted list is self-correcting in that the sorted list is updated when a prior drawing solution is selected by a user.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the user does not explicitly take any action to cause the list to be updated.

17. An article of manufacture comprising a program storage device, readable by a computer, tangibly embodying at least one program of instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps for providing a presumptive drafting solution, the method steps comprising the steps of:

receiving input from a cursor control device relating to a geometric entity of a drawing, wherein the geometric entity has one or more geometric attributes;

obtaining one or more prior drawing solutions of a computer drawing program, wherein the one or more prior drawing solutions each have one or more solution attributes;

comparing the one or more geometric attributes to the one or more solution attributes; and

providing the drawing solution having one or more solution attributes similar to the one or more geometric attributes.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 17 wherein a geometric attribute and a solution attribute comprise a line style.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 17 wherein a geometric attribute and a solution attribute comprise a line weight.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 17 wherein a geometric attribute and a solution attribute comprise a color.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 17 wherein a geometric attribute and a solution attribute comprise a layer.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 17 wherein a geometric attribute and a solution attribute comprise an offset with another geometric entity.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 17 wherein a geometric attribute and a solution attribute comprise an alignment with another geometric entity.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 17 wherein a prior drawing solution comprises other geometry in the drawing.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 17 wherein a prior drawing solution comprises other geometry that a user of the drawing has drawn in the past.

26. The article of manufacture of claim 17 wherein a prior drawing solution comprises a set of solution rules for a specific type of work.

33. The article of manufacture of claim 17 wherein:

the one or more prior drawing solutions are stored in a sorted list; and

when the one or more geometric attributes are similar to one or more solution attributes, a prior drawing solution, from the sorted list, previously selected more often by a user is provided.

34. The article of manufacture of claim 33 wherein the sorted list is self-correcting in that the sorted list is updated when a prior drawing solution is selected by a user.

35. The article of manufacture of claim 34 wherein the user does not explicitly take any action to cause the list to be updated.

27. The article of manufacture of claim 28 wherein the solution rules are inherited from other drawings.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 30 wherein the set of solution rules is managed explicitly by a user.

31. The article of manufacture of claim 32 wherein the solution rules are established across multiple users doing a similar type of work.

36. An apparatus for providing a presumptive drafting solution in a computer system comprising:

(a) a computer system having a memory, a display device, and a cursor control device coupled thereto;

(b) a computer drawing program executing on the computer system, wherein the computer drawing program is configured to;

(i) receive input from the cursor control device relating to a geometric entity of a drawing, wherein the geometric entity has one or more geometric attributes;

(ii) obtain one or more prior drawing solutions of the computer drawing program, wherein the one or more prior drawing solutions have one or more solution attributes;

(iii) compare the one or more geometric attributes to the one or more solution attributes; and

(iv) provide the drawing solution having one or more solution attributes similar to the one or more geometric attributes.

37. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein a geometric attribute and a solution attribute comprise a line style.

38. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein a geometric attribute and a solution attribute comprise a line weight.

39. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein a geometric attribute and a solution attribute comprise a color.

40. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein a geometric attribute and a solution attribute comprise a layer.

41. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein a geometric attribute and a solution attribute comprise an offset with another geometric entity.

42. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein a geometric attribute and a solution attribute comprise an alignment with another geometric entity.

43. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein a prior drawing solution comprises other geometry in the drawing.

44. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein a prior drawing solution comprises other geometry that a user of the drawing has drawn in the past.

45. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein a prior drawing solution comprises a set of solution rules for a specific type of work.

52. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein the computer program is further configured to:

store prior drawing solutions in a sorted list of prior drawing solutions;

provide a prior drawing solution, from the sorted list, that has been selected more often by a user when the one or more geometric attributes are similar to one or more solution attributes.

53. The apparatus of claim 52 wherein the sorted list is self-correcting in that the sorted list is updated when a prior drawing solution is selected by a user.

54. The apparatus of claim 53 wherein the user does not explicitly take any action to cause the list to be updated.

46. The apparatus of claim 47 wherein the solution rules are inherited from other drawings.

48. The apparatus of claim 49 wherein the set of solution rules is managed explicitly by a user.

50. The apparatus of claim 51 wherein the solution rules are established across multiple users doing a similar type of work.