INTERACTIVE TRUSS OBJECTS IN COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN MODELS

• US 20080249749A1
• Filed: 04/03/2007
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Inventors: Egbertson, Erik, Varsanofieva, Alexandra
• Granted Patent: US 8,762,110 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/1
• 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

Embodiments of the invention provide a computer-aided design (CAD) application configured for generating interactive truss objects in a CAD model. In one embodiment, a truss creation tool allows the user to select a truss family and the endpoints of the truss. Based on these selections, the truss creation tool generates a layout and structural members of a truss. The truss may be maintained as an interactive object within the CAD model. Thus, a user may edit the truss object, resulting in the regeneration of the truss layout and the regeneration of the structural elements of the truss.

Claims

1. A method for generating a truss object for a computer-aided design (CAD) model, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of a truss family for the truss object;

receiving a selection of a beginning point and an ending point within the CAD model at which to place the truss object;

generating a layout for the truss object, wherein the layout defines a pattern for the truss based on the truss family and the beginning and ending points;

generating a plurality of structural members to represent physical components of the truss within the CAD model, wherein the plurality of structural members are positioned within the CAD model according to the layout generated for the truss object;

associating the truss layout and the plurality of structural members with the truss object; and

storing the truss object in the CAD model.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the truss object is editable by a user of a CAD application, and wherein the editing of the truss object causes the CAD application to regenerate the layout and the plurality of structural members for the truss object to reflect the editing of the truss object.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the truss object is further associated with a set of instance properties, including a height, a length, a position, and an orientation of the truss object within the CAD model.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a layout for the truss object comprises determining, based on the selected truss family and the beginning point and ending point, a centerline for a layout of the truss object, wherein the centerline provides an axis for orienting geometry of the truss object.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the truss family includes one or more properties for truss objects of that family, and wherein a modification to one of the properties causes a CAD application to modify any truss objects in the CAD model that were generated based upon that truss family to reflect the modification to one of the properties.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more properties for the truss family include a height, a length, a position, and an orientation for truss objects generated according to that truss family.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of an object of the CAD model to which the truss object is to be attached; and

attaching the truss object to the selected object, wherein the attachment is stored in the CAD model as an association between the truss object and the selected object of the CAD model.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a modification to the selected object of the CAD model; and

regenerating the layout and the plurality of structural members for the truss object to reflect the modification of the object of the CAD model attached to the truss object.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the selected object is a drawing object representing a roof, and wherein the step of attaching the truss object to the selected object comprises:

modifying a top chord of the truss object to conform to the shape of the drawing object representing the roof;

attaching the top chord to the bottom of the drawing object representing the roof;

determining a centerline of the truss layout based on the modified top chord;

generating a second truss layout to reflect the attachment to the drawing object representing the roof and the new centerline; and

generating a second plurality of structural members of the truss object according to the new truss layout.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of structural members include drawing objects representing a top chord, a bottom chord, one or more vertical members and one or more diagonal members.

11. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to generate a truss object for a computer-aided design (CAD) model by performing the steps of:

receiving a selection of a truss family for the truss object;

receiving a selection of a beginning point and an ending point within the CAD model at which to place the truss object;

generating a layout for the truss object, wherein the layout defines a pattern for the truss based on the truss family and the beginning and ending points;

generating a plurality of structural members to represent physical components of the truss within the CAD model, wherein the plurality of structural members are positioned within the CAD model according to the layout generated for the truss object;

associating the truss layout and the plurality of structural members with the truss object; and

storing the truss object in the CAD model.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the truss object is editable by a user of a CAD application, and wherein the editing of the truss object causes the CAD application to regenerate the layout and the plurality of structural members for the truss object to reflect the editing of the truss object.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the truss object is further associated with a set of instance properties, including a height, a length, a position, and an orientation of the truss object within the CAD model.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein generating a layout for the truss object comprises determining, based on the selected truss family and the beginning point and ending point, a centerline for a layout of the truss object, wherein the centerline provides an axis for orienting geometry of the truss object.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the truss family includes one or more properties for truss objects of that family, and wherein a modification to one of the properties causes a CAD application to modify any truss objects in the CAD model that were generated based upon that truss family to reflect the modification to one of the properties.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more properties for the truss family include a height, a length, a position, and an orientation for truss objects generated according to that truss family.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for:

receiving a selection of an object of the CAD model to which the truss object is to be attached; and

attaching the truss object to the selected object, wherein the attachment is stored in the CAD model as an association between the truss object and the selected object of the CAD model.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for:

receiving a modification to the selected object of the CAD model; and

regenerating the layout and the plurality of structural members for the truss object to reflect the modification of the object of the CAD model attached to the truss object.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the selected object is a drawing object representing a roof, and wherein the instructions for attaching the truss object to the selected object further comprise:

modifying a top chord of the truss object to conform to the shape of the drawing object representing the roof;

attaching the top chord to the bottom of the drawing object representing the roof;

determining a centerline of the truss layout based on the modified top chord;

generating a second truss layout to reflect the attachment to the drawing object representing the roof and the new centerline; and

generating a second plurality of structural members of the truss object according to the new truss layout.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the plurality of structural members include drawing objects representing a top chord, a bottom chord, one or more vertical members and one or more diagonal members.

29. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of structural members include drawing objects representing a top chord, a bottom chord, one or more vertical members and one or more diagonal members.

21. A method for generating a truss object for a computer-aided design (CAD) model, the method comprising:

selecting a truss family for the truss object;

selecting a beginning point and an ending point within the CAD model at which to place the truss object;

invoking a truss creation tool provided by a CAD application, wherein the truss creation tool is configured to;

generate a layout for the truss object, wherein the layout defines a pattern for the truss based on the truss family and the beginning and ending points;

generate a plurality of structural members to represent physical components of the truss within the CAD model, wherein the plurality of structural members are positioned within the CAD model according to the layout generated for the truss object;

associate the truss layout and the plurality of structural members with the truss object; and

store the truss object in the CAD model.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the truss object is editable by a user of the CAD application, and wherein the editing of the truss object causes the CAD application to regenerate the layout and the plurality of structural members for the truss object to reflect the editing of the truss object.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the truss object is further associated with a set of instance properties, including a height, a length, a position, and an orientation of the truss object within the CAD model.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the truss family includes one or more properties for truss objects of that family, and wherein a modification to one of the properties causes the CAD application to modify any truss objects in the CAD model that were generated based upon that truss family to reflect the modification to one of the properties.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the one or more properties for the truss family include a height, a length, a position, and an orientation for truss objects generated according to that truss family.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising selecting an object of the CAD model to which the truss object is to be attached, and wherein the CAD application is further configured to attach the truss object to the selected object, wherein the attachment is stored in the CAD model as an association between the truss object and the selected object of the CAD model.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

modifying the selected object of the CAD model, wherein the CAD application is further configured to regenerate the layout and the plurality of structural members for the truss object to reflect the modification of the object of the CAD model attached to the truss object.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the selected object is a drawing object representing a roof, and wherein the CAD application is further configured to:

modify a top chord of the truss object to conform to the shape of the drawing object representing the roof;

attach the top chord to the bottom of the drawing object representing the roof;

determine a centerline of the truss layout based on the modified top chord;

generate a second truss layout to reflect the attachment to the drawing object representing the roof and the new centerline; and

generate a second plurality of structural members of the truss object according to the new truss layout.