Composite Information Display for a Part

• US 20110087463A1
• Filed: 10/13/2009
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Clare, Michael T., Huynh Ba, Thanh Van, Nakhle, Joelle
• Granted Patent: US 8,620,627 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/02 CAD in a network environment, e.g. collaborative CAD or distributed simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2113/24 Sheet material
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2113/26 Composites
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/15 Vehicle, aircraft or watercraft design
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/008 Cut plane or projection plane definition
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

A method and apparatus for processing a model of a part. A number of locations are identified in the model of the part in response to receiving a request from a client application for information about the number of locations on the part. A section cut is created at each of the number of locations to form a number of section cuts. Data is obtained for layers in each of the number of section cuts. The model with the number of section cuts is changed to form a formatted model with a format used by the client application. The layers in each of the number of section cuts in the formatted model are associated with the data for the number of layers in the each of the number of section cuts. The formatted model and the data for the layers is returned to the client application.

Claims

1. A method for processing a model of a part, the method comprising:

responsive to receiving a request from a client application for information about a number of locations on the part, identifying the number of locations in the model of the part;

creating a section cut at each of the number of locations in the model of the part to form a number of section cuts;

obtaining data for a number of layers in each of the number of section cuts;

changing the model with the number of section cuts to form a formatted model with a format used by the client application to display the formatted model;

associating the number of layers in the each of the number of section cuts in the formatted model with the data for the number of layers in the each of the number of section cuts to form an association between the formatted model and the data; and

returning the formatted model and the data for the number of layers in a response to the client application.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying a plane for the number of section cuts.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is formatted in an extensible markup language format.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the client application comprises a web browser.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the client application further comprises a plug-in for the web browser configured to present the formatted model.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the client application comprises a viewer for computer-aided design files.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of associating the number of layers in the each of the number of section cuts in the formatted model with the data for the number of layers in the each of the number of section cuts to form the association between the formatted model and the data comprises:

creating metadata correlating the data for the number of layers for the each of the number of section cuts with layers for the each of the number of section cuts in the formatted model, wherein the metadata is included in the response.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the data for the number of layers and the metadata are returned in a web page having program code configured to make calls to a viewer to indicate a layer in the formatted model in response to a selection of the data for the number of layers in the web page.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the part is a composite part and the number of layers is a number of plies in a composite part.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the composite part is for an aircraft.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a bus;

a memory connected to the bus, wherein program code is stored in the memory;

a processor unit configured to run the program code to identify a number of locations in a model of a part in response to receiving a request from a client application for information about the number of locations on the part;

create a section cut at each of the number of locations in the model of the part to form a number of section cuts;

obtain data for a number of layers in each of the number of section cuts;

change the model with the number of section cuts to form a formatted model with a format used by the client application to display the formatted model;

associate the number of layers in the each of the number of section cuts in the formatted model with the data for the number of layers in the each of the number of section cuts to form an association between the formatted model and the data; and

return the formatted model and the data for the number of layers in a response to the client application.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor unit is configured to run the program code to identify a plane for the section cut for the number of layers.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the data is formatted in an extensible markup language format.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the client application comprises a web browser.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the client application further comprises a plug-in for the web browser configured to present the formatted model.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the client application comprises a viewer for computer-aided design files.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein in associating the number of layers in the each of the number of section cuts in the formatted model with the data for the number of layers in the each of the number of section cuts to form the association between the formatted model and the data, the processor unit is configured to run the program code to create metadata correlating the data for the number of layers for the each of the number of section cuts with layers for the each of the number of section cuts in the formatted model in which the metadata is included in the response.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the data for the number of layers and the metadata are returned in a web page having the program code configured to make calls to a viewer to indicate a layer in the formatted model in response to a selection of the data for the number of layers in a web page.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the part is a composite part and the number of layers is a number of plies in the composite part.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the composite part is for an aircraft.

21. A computer program product for processing a model of a part, the computer program product comprising:

a computer recordable storage medium;

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, responsive to receiving a request from a client application for information about a number of locations on the part, identifying the number of locations in the model of the part;

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for creating a section cut at each of the number of locations in the model of the part to form a number of section cuts;

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for obtaining data for a number of layers in each of the number of section cuts;

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for changing the model with the number of section cuts to form a formatted model with a format used by the client application to display the formatted model;

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for associating the number of layers in the each of the number of section cuts in the formatted model with the data for the number of layers in the each of the number of section cuts to form an association between the formatted model and the data; and

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for returning the formatted model and the data for the number of layers in response to the client application.

22. The computer program product of claim 21 further comprising:

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for identifying a plane for the number of section cuts.

23. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for associating the number of layers in the each of the number of section cuts in the formatted model with the data for the number of layers in the each of the number of section cuts to form the association between the formatted model and the data comprises:

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for creating metadata correlating the data for the number of layers for the each of the number of section cuts with the layers for the each of the number of section cuts in the formatted model in which the metadata is included in the response.