SYMMETRY OF DISCOVERED GEOMETRIC RELATIONSHIPS IN A THREE DIMENSIONAL MODEL

• US 20130346029A1
• Filed: 06/21/2012
• Published: 12/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Industry Software Inc. (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Mattson, Howard Charles Duncan, King, Douglas Joseph, Zhu, Yanong
• Granted Patent: US 9,141,731 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/04 Constraint-based CAD
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]

Abstract

Systems and methods for identifying symmetry relationships in product data management (PDM) systems. A method includes receiving a 3D model including a plurality of components and identifying a plurality of target components from the plurality of components. The method includes identifying a symmetry plane in the 3D model and determining the location of each of the target components with respect to the symmetry plane. The method includes adding the target components to respective groups according to the determined locations, and creating an equivalence class for each group of target components. The method includes storing a symmetry relationship between the created equivalence classes.

Claims

1. A method for identifying symmetry relationships, comprising:

receiving, in a product data management (PDM) system, a 3D model including a plurality of components;

identifying a plurality of target components from the plurality of components;

identifying a symmetry plane in the 3D model;

determining the location of each of the target components with respect to the symmetry plane;

adding the target components to respective groups according to the determined locations;

creating an equivalence class for each group of target components; and

storing a symmetry relationship between the created equivalence classes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein symmetry relationship is stored in a geometric relationship graph.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective groups include those target components on either side of the symmetry plane.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the created equivalence classes are stored in a geometric relationship graph.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the PDM system also identifies a target component that is not on either side of the symmetry plane, and adds that target to a third group.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the PDM system assigns each target component a sense with respect to one or more symmetry planes.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the target components are grouped according to respective signatures defined by the sense of each target component.

8. A product data management (PDM) system comprising:

at least one processor; and

an accessible memory, the client PDM system configured to;

receive a 3D model including a plurality of components;

identify a plurality of target components from the plurality of components;

identify a symmetry plane in the 3D model;

determine the location of each of the target components with respect to the symmetry plane;

add the target components to respective groups according to the determined locations;

create an equivalence class for each group of target components; and

store a symmetry relationship between the created equivalence classes.

9. The PDM system of claim 8, wherein symmetry relationship is stored in a geometric relationship graph.

10. The PDM system of claim 8, wherein the respective groups include those target components on either side of the symmetry plane.

11. The PDM system of claim 8, wherein the created equivalence classes are stored in a geometric relationship graph.

12. The PDM system of claim 8, wherein the PDM system also identifies a target component that is not on either side of the symmetry plane, and adds that target to a third group.

13. The PDM system of claim 8, wherein the PDM system assigns each target component a sense with respect to one or more symmetry planes.

14. The PDM system of claim 13, wherein the target components are grouped according to respective signatures defined by the sense of each target component.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause a product data management (PDM) system to:

receive a 3D model including a plurality of components;

identify a plurality of target components from the plurality of components;

identify a symmetry plane in the 3D model;

determine the location of each of the target components with respect to the symmetry plane;

add the target components to respective groups according to the determined locations;

create an equivalence class for each group of target components; and

store a symmetry relationship between the created equivalence classes.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein symmetry relationship is stored in a geometric relationship graph.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the respective groups include those target components on either side of the symmetry plane.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the created equivalence classes are stored in a geometric relationship graph.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the PDM system also identifies a target component that is not on either side of the symmetry plane, and adds that target to a third group.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the PDM system assigns each target component a sense with respect to one or more symmetry planes, and wherein the target components are grouped according to respective signatures defined by the sense of each target component.