Tool for three-dimensional analysis of a drawing

• US 6,654,027 B1
• Filed: 06/09/2000
• Issued: 11/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dassault Systemes SA
• Original Assignee: Dassault Systemes SA
• Inventors: Hernandez, Luc
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Kristine
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, NHON D
• Application Number:
  US09/590,977
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• Field of Search: 345/771, 345/782, 345/850, 345/551, 345/964, 345/619, 345/664, 345/804, 345/821-823, 345/767, 345/419, 345/581, 345/650, 345/661-665, 345/653, 345/672, 345/676
• US Class Current: 345/619
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/028 Multiple view windows (top-side-front-sagittal-orthogonal)
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2012 Colour editing, changing, or manipulating; Use of colour codes

Abstract

A method and system for assisting a user in identifying an element of an object in various displayed views in a drawing of the object. A method is employed that will allow automatic highlighting of a selected edge of an object in each view, as well as separately highlighting the edges of faces of an object adjoining the selected edge. The process facilitates the user'"'"'s comprehension of the three dimensional geometry of the object. The invention is particularly suited to computer-aided design, computer aided manufacturing, and computer aided engineering.

Claims

1. A computer system operation method for use with a system capable of displaying a plurality of views of an object taken from different vantage points, the method comprising:

displaying simultaneously at least two views of said object wherein at least one of said at least two views is a two-dimensional view;

receiving input from a user selecting a representation of an edge of said object; and

altering the appearance of the corresponding representation of said edge in each of said at least two views in which said edge is visible to make the selected edge distinguishable from the remainder of the object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said at least two views is a three-dimensional view.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein when said user selects said element in said two-dimensional view, said two-dimensional view having a particular one of said different vantage points, the method further comprises the step of:

realigning said three-dimensional view to said particular one of said different vantage points.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of realigning is user-selectable.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said input received from said user is said user moving a cursor over said element.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said user selects said representation of said element of said object in any of said at least two views.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of views of said object have a common edge and wherein the method further comprises the step of:

displaying a plurality of folding lines wherein said plurality of folding lines link said common edges.

8. A computer system operation method for use with a system capable of displaying a plurality of views of an object taken from different vantage points, the method comprising:

displaying simultaneously at least two views of said object wherein at least one of said at least two views is a two-dimensional view;

receiving input from a user selecting a representation of an edge of the object;

altering the appearance of the representation of the selected edge of the object in the current view to make the selected edge visually discernable from the remainder of the object;

altering the appearance of the corresponding representation of the selected edge of the object in each other displayed view in which it is visible to make the selected edge visually discernable from the remainder of the object;

altering in the current view the appearance of the representation of the edges of faces of the object that adjoin the selected edge to make the adjoining faces visually discernable from the remainder of the object and from the selected edge; and

altering the appearance of the corresponding representation of the edges of faces of the object that adjoin the selected edge in each other displayed view in which they are visible to make the adjoining faces visually discernable from the remainder of the object and from the selected edge.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the method of altering the appearance of the representation of the selected edge comprises changing its displayed color.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of altering the representation of the edges of faces of the object that adjoin the selected edge further comprises the steps of:

identifying the edges of faces adjoining the selected edge by obtaining from a database a list of faces adjoining the selected edge;

storing said list of faces; and

obtaining from a database a list of the edges for each face in said stored list.

11. A computer data signal embodied in a digital data stream comprising data representing the physical configuration of an object, data for displaying simultaneously at least two views of said object with at least one of said two views being a two-dimensional view, and data discerned from user input specifying an edge of said object to be displayed in a manner distinguishing said edge from the remainder of said object in each of said at least two views.

12. A computer data signal embodied in a digital data stream comprising data representing the physical configuration of an object, data for simultaneously displaying at least two views of said object with at least one of said two views being a two-dimensional view, data discerned from user input specifying an edge of said object to be displayed in a manner distinguishing said edge from the remainder of said object in each of said at least two views, and data specifying edges of faces adjoining said selected edge to be displayed in a manner distinguishing said edges of faces from the remainder of said object in each of said at least two views.

13. A CAD/CAM apparatus comprising:

an input device;

a central processing unit;

a memory device for storing data; and

a display device;

wherein the central processing unit runs an application program comprising code for obtaining data pertaining to the shape of an object, displaying simultaneously at least two views of said object with at least one of said two views being a two-dimensional view, discerning from user input an edge of said object selected by said user, and altering the representation of the object in each of said at least two views so as to distinguish the representation of the selected edge of the object from the representation of the remainder of the object in each of said at least two views.

14. A computer system operation method for use with a system capable of displaying a plurality of views of an object taken from different vantage points, the method comprising:

displaying simultaneously at least two views of said object with at least one of said two views being a two-dimensional view;

receiving input from a user selecting a representation of an edge of said object;

accessing a database containing information relating to the three-dimensional configuration of said object;

determining from said database the location in each view of the representation of the edge of the object corresponding to the representation of the edge selected by the user; and

altering the appearance of the corresponding representation of said edge in each view in which said representation of said edge is visible to make the selected edge distinguishable from the remainder of the object.

15. A computer system operation method for use with a system capable of displaying a plurality of views of an object taken from different vantage points, the method comprising:

displaying simultaneously at least two views of an object with at least one of said two views being a two-dimensional view;

receiving input from a user selecting a representation of an edge of the object;

accessing a database containing information relating to the three-dimensional configuration of the object;

determining from said database the location in each view of the representation of the edge of the object corresponding to the representation of the edge selected by the user, and the location in each view of the representation of the edges of faces of the object that adjoin the selected edge; and

altering the appearance of the corresponding representation of the selected edge of the object, and the representation of the corresponding edges of faces of the object that adjoin the selected edge, in each view in which they are visible, to make them visually discernable from the remainder of the object.

16. A computer system operation method for use with a system capable of displaying a plurality of views of an object taken from different vantage points, wherein each of said plurality of views of said object have a common edge, the method comprising:

displaying simultaneously at least two views of said object wherein at least one of said at least two views is a two-dimensional view;

receiving input from a user selecting a representation of an element of said object;

altering the appearance of the corresponding representation of said element in each of said at least two views in which said element is visible to make the selected element distinguishable from the remainder of the object; and

displaying a plurality of folding lines wherein said plurality of folding lines link said common edges.