Methods and Apparatuses for Proposing Resolutions to Conflicts in a CAD Drawing with Reflections

• US 20100223032A1
• Filed: 03/05/2010
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: M.E.P. Cad, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: M.E.P. Cad, Incorporated
• Inventors: Hoeft, Shane, Schaeffer, Phillip, Reghetti, Joseph P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,773,425 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/21 Collision detection, intersection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2016 Rotation, translation, scaling

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, systems, and software for proposing a resolution to a position conflict between a graphic object within a drawing sharing a portion of, up to all of, the one or more locations of other graphic objects, comprising the steps of: identifying a proposed new location of the graphic object within the drawing that will resolve the conflict; creating a reflection of the graphic object depicting the graphic object as it would appear at the proposed new location without moving the graphic object from its location; and determining whether the proposed new location will clear the conflict by not sharing a portion of the one or more locations, including embodiments directed to the use of reflections, alert/conflict bubbles, modeless drawing windows, and clipping planes.

Claims

1. A method of proposing a resolution to a conflict between a first three-dimensional graphic object having a first location within a drawing and one or more other three-dimensional graphic objects having one or more second locations within the drawing, the conflict resulting from the first location sharing a portion of, up to all of, the one or more second locations, comprising the steps of:

identifying a proposed new location of the first three-dimensional graphic object within the drawing that will resolve the conflict;

creating a reflection of the first three-dimensional graphic object depicting the first three-dimensional graphic object as it would appear at the proposed new location without moving the first three-dimensional graphic object from the first location; and

determining whether the proposed new location will clear the conflict by not sharing a portion of the one or more second locations.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, where the reflection is an exact, translucent depiction of at least the first three-dimensional graphic object.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the reflection is an altered, translucent depiction of at least the first three-dimensional graphic object.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, where the altered, translucent depiction provides a modified dimension or shape compared to an original dimension or shape of at least the first three-dimensional graphic object, and where the proposed new location is based on the modified dimension or shape.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

creating a three-dimensional resolution graphic object at a conflict location in the drawing, the conflict location being near where the first location shares the portion of, up to all of, the one or more second locations; and

deleting the three-dimensional resolution graphic object when the proposed new location is determined not to share a portion of the one or more second locations.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

creating a three-dimensional resolution graphic object at a conflict location in the drawing, the conflict location being near where the first location shares the portion of, up to all of, the one or more second locations, where the three-dimensional resolution graphic object is a translucent bubble having a first color;

moving the three-dimensional resolution graphic object from the conflict location to a non-conflict location near the proposed new location when the proposed new location is determined to clear the conflict; and

changing the first color of the translucent bubble to a second color.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

creating a three-dimensional resolution graphic object at a conflict location in the drawing, the conflict location being near where the first location shares the portion of, up to all of, the one or more second locations, wherein the three-dimensional resolution graphic object is a translucent bubble having a first color; and

changing the first color of the translucent bubble to a second color if the proposed new location is determined to clear the conflict.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of identifying a proposed new location includes the step of receiving from a user one or more objective distances for moving the first three-dimensional graphic object from the first location to the new location.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the one or more objective distances include a first distance to resolve the conflict and a first additional distance along a first axis, a second distance to resolve the conflict and a second additional distance along a second axis, and a third distance to resolve the conflict and a third additional distance along a third axis, wherein the step of receiving includes the step of displaying to the user a targeting screen including a movement controller and a targeting diagram, the movement controller providing the user with manual inputs for setting the first distance, the first additional distance, the second distance, the second additional distance, the third distance and the third additional distance, the targeting diagram providing a visual illustration of the manual inputs along the first axis, the second axis and the third axis.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising the step of displaying an alert bubble at the proposed new location that indicates the one or more objective distances.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the first three dimensional graphic object has a conflict location in the drawing near where the first location shares the portion of, up to all of, the one or more second locations, further comprising the step of displaying a line from the conflict location to the alert bubble.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a modeless drawing window that depicts an exact replica of an area around the conflict, wherein the area around the conflict depicted within the modeless drawing can be viewed and moved by a user within the modeless drawing window independent of a remainder of the drawing.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the user can change a magnification of the area around the conflict depicted within the modeless drawing window independent of the remainder of the drawing.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the step of identifying a proposed new location includes the step of receiving from a user one or more objective distances for moving the first three-dimensional graphic object from the first location to the new location, and wherein the one or more objective distances include a first distance to resolve the conflict and a first additional distance along a first axis, a second distance to resolve the conflict and a second additional distance along a second axis, and a third distance to resolve the conflict and a third additional distance along a third axis, wherein the step of receiving includes the step of displaying to the user a targeting screen including a movement controller and a targeting diagram, the movement controller providing the user with manual inputs for setting the first distance, the first additional distance, the second distance, the second additional distance, the third distance and the third additional distance, the targeting diagram providing a visual illustration of the manual inputs along the first axis, the second axis and the third axis.

15. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a modeless drawing that represents at least a portion of an area surrounding the first three-dimensional graphic object and the one or more three-dimensional graphic objects, wherein the modeless drawing can be viewed from one or more angles and at one or more magnifications.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising the step of moving a representation of at least the first three-dimensional graphic object depicted within the modeless drawing from the first location to the proposed new location according to one or more objective distances along one or more axes provided by a user.

17. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the drawing includes a plurality of three-dimensional graphic objects, further comprising the step of providing a clipping plane that allows a user to select a bounded area within the drawing to view and edit one or more three-dimensional graphic objects among the plurality of three-dimensional graphic objects within the bounded area, wherein only the one or more three-dimensional graphic objects visible within the bounded area can be edited by the user and no edit made within the bounded area affects any three-dimensional graphic objects among the plurality of three-dimensional graphic objects not visible within the bounded area.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

selecting a point of interest within the drawing;

placing the bounded area around the point of interest;

contracting and expanding the bounded area around the point of interest until the bounded area contains only a set of one or more three-dimensional graphic objects among the plurality of three-dimensional graphic objects that the user wants to edit; and

editing the set of one or more three-dimensional graphic objects.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the step of contracting and expanding includes the step of providing the user with a click on and drag slider.

20. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the step of placing includes the step of centering the bounded area on the point of interest.

21. The method as recited in claim 18, further comprising the step of centering the drawing visible to the user on the point of interest.

22. The method as recited in claim 20, further comprising the step of locking a position of the point of interest.

23. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of identifying a proposed new location includes the steps of providing one or more remote users with access to the drawing and permitting the one or more remote users to collaboratively determine the proposed new location.

24. The method as recited in claim 23, wherein the step of identifying a proposed new location further includes the step of receiving one or more objective distances provided by the one or more remote users and using the one or more objective distances to determine the proposed new location, and wherein the one or more objective distances include a first distance to resolve the conflict and a first additional distance along a first axis, a second distance to resolve the conflict and a second additional distance along a second axis, and a third distance to resolve the conflict and a third additional distance along a third axis, wherein the step of receiving includes the step of displaying to the one or more remote users a targeting screen including a movement controller and a targeting diagram, the movement controller providing the one or more remote users with manual inputs for setting the first distance, the first additional distance, the second distance, the second additional distance, the third distance and the third additional distance, the targeting diagram providing a visual illustration of the manual inputs along the first axis, the second axis and the third axis.

25. A method of proposing a resolution to a position conflict between a first three-dimensional graphic object and a second three-dimensional graphic object within a drawing, comprising the steps of:

identifying a set of coordinates for a proposed new location of either the first three-dimensional graphic object or the second three-dimensional graphic object that will resolve the position conflict, including the steps of receiving one or more objective distances provided by a user and using the one or more objective distances to determine the proposed new location; and

creating a replica of either the first three-dimensional graphic object or the second three-dimensional graphic object in the drawing that illustrates how the first three-dimensional graphic object or the second three-dimensional graphic object will look if moved to the proposed new location.

26. The method as recited in claim 25, further comprising the steps of:

creating an alert bubble within the drawing near an area of the position conflict; and

associating a label with the alert bubble indicating the one or more objective distances.

27. The method as recited in claim 26, further comprising the step of creating a line in the drawing from the position conflict to the alert bubble.

28. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein the one or more objective distances include a first distance to resolve the conflict and a first additional distance along a first axis, a second distance to resolve the conflict and a second additional distance along a second axis, and a third distance to resolve the conflict and a third additional distance along a third axis, wherein the step of receiving includes the step of displaying to the user a targeting screen including a movement controller and a targeting diagram, the movement controller providing the user with manual inputs for setting the first distance, the first additional distance, the second distance, the second additional distance, the third distance and the third additional distance, the targeting diagram providing a visual illustration of the manual inputs along the first axis, the second axis and the third axis.

29. The method as recited in claim 28, further comprising the step of providing a modeless drawing window that depicts an exact replica of an area around the position conflict, wherein the area around the position conflict depicted within the modeless drawing can be viewed and moved by the user within the modeless drawing window independent of a remainder of the drawing.

30. The method as recited in claim 29, wherein the user can change a magnification of the area around the position conflict depicted within the modeless drawing window independent of the remainder of the drawing.

31. The method as recited in claim 29, wherein the modeless drawing includes at least a portion of the first three-dimensional graphic object and at least a portion of the second three-dimensional graphic object, and wherein the first three-dimensional graphic object or second three-dimensional graphic object depicted in the modeless drawing window is moved based on the one or more objective distances to illustrate how the first three-dimensional graphic object or the second three-dimensional graphic object would appear in the proposed new location.

32. A method of proposing a resolution to a position conflict between a first three-dimensional graphic object and a second three-dimensional graphic object within a drawing, comprising the steps of:

identifying a set of coordinates for a proposed new location of either the first three-dimensional graphic object or the second three-dimensional graphic object that will resolve the position conflict, including the steps of receiving one or more objective values provided by a user and necessary to resolve the position conflict and using the one or more objective values to determine the proposed new location;

providing a modeless drawing that represents an area around the position conflict and includes at least a portion of the first three-dimensional graphic object and at least a portion of the second three-dimensional graphic object, wherein the modeless drawing can be viewed from one or more angles and at one or more magnifications; and

creating and displaying a replica of either the first three-dimensional graphic object or the second three-dimensional graphic object in the modeless drawing that illustrates how the first three-dimensional graphic object or the second three-dimensional graphic object will look if moved to the proposed new location.

33. The method as recited in claim 32, further comprising the step of moving the first three-dimensional graphic object depicted within the modeless drawing from an existing location to the proposed new location according to one or more objective values.

34. A method of proposing a resolution to a position conflict between a first three-dimensional graphic object and a second three-dimensional graphic object within a drawing, comprising the steps of:

identifying a set of coordinates for a proposed new location of either the first three-dimensional graphic object or the second three-dimensional graphic object that will resolve the conflict, including the steps of receiving one or more objective values provided by a user and using the one or more objective values to determine the proposed new location;

providing a clipping plane that allows the user to select a bounded area within the drawing to view an area of the drawing around the position conflict without editing any graphic object in the drawing not depicted within the area; and

creating and displaying a replica of either the first three-dimensional graphic object or the second three-dimensional graphic object in a modeless drawing that illustrates how the first three-dimensional graphic object or the second three-dimensional graphic object will look if moved to the proposed new location.

35. The method as recited in claim 34, further comprising the steps of:

selecting a point of interest within the area;

placing and centering the bounded area on and around the point of interest;

contracting and expanding the bounded area around the point of interest in response to a user initiated movement of a slider displayed to the user until the bounded area contains only one or more desired graphic objects that the user wants to edit; and

editing the one or more desired objects.