Three-dimensional modeling apparatus and method utilizing the extraction of topological data, as from two-dimensional drawings

• US 5,671,343 A
• Filed: 12/09/1994
• Issued: 09/23/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kondo, Satoshi, Sato, Yuichi, Shimizu, Kazuma
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Application Number:
  US08/354,886
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 395/120, 395/127, 395/123, 395/141, 395/119, 382/22, 382/25, 382/26, 382/28, 382/154, 382/199, 382/203, 382/204, 382/206
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/10 Constructive solid geometry [CSG] using solid primitives, e.g. cylinders, cubes

Abstract

A three-dimensional model is formed from information of two-dimensional drawings. Information representing section is formed from the two-dimensional drawing information. Geometrical and topological information is then extracted, and the three-dimensional model is thereby formed.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional drawing forming apparatus comprising:

recognizing means for recognizing a closed region of two-dimensional drawings, said recognizing means performing recognizing with regard to two-dimensional drawings of a first direction and those of a second direction, respectively;

addition means for adding information in a depth direction to the closed region recognized by said recognizing means, said addition means performing addition with regard to two-dimensional drawings of a first direction and those of a second direction, respectively;

section forming means for forming a plurality of sectional information in accordance with the information in the depth direction added to the recognized closed region; and

drawing forming means for forming a three-dimensional drawing from the plurality of sectional information.

2. A three-dimensional drawing forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the two-dimensional drawings are a three-dimensional drawing expressed from three directions.

3. A three-dimensional drawing forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising display means for displaying a three-dimensional drawing formed by said drawing forming means.

4. A three-dimensional drawing forming method comprising the steps of:

recognizing a closed region of two-dimensional drawings, said recognizing step performing recognizing with regard to two-dimensional drawings of a first direction and those of a second direction, respectively;

adding information in a depth direction to the closed region recognized in the recognizing step, said adding step performing addition with regard to two-dimensional drawings of a first direction and those of a second direction, respectively;

forming a plurality of sectional information in accordance with the information in the depth direction added to the recognized closed region; and

forming a three-dimensional drawing from the plurality of sectional information.

5. A three-dimensional drawing apparatus comprising:

storage means for storing two-dimensional drawings of a three-dimensional drawing expressed from three directions;

recognizing means for recognizing a closed region of the two-dimensional drawings, said recognizing means performing recognizing with regard to two-dimensional drawings of a first direction and those of a second direction, respectively;

addition means for adding information in a depth direction to the closed region recognized by said recognizing means, said addition means performing addition with regard to two-dimensional drawings of a first direction and those of a second direction, respectively;

section forming means for forming section information of at least two directions in accordance with the information in the depth direction added to the recognized closed region; and

drawing forming means for forming a three-dimensional drawing in accordance with the formed section information.

6. A three-dimensional drawing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising indicating means for indicating a form of a three-dimensional drawing, said recognizing means recognizing the closed region in response to the form indicated by said indicating means.