Automated dimensional drawing generating apparatus

• US 7,561,996 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2006
• Issued: 07/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FCA US LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Chrysler LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Goecke, David M, Mattarella, Bruce P, Cumming, Hugh W, Landrum, Stephen E, Lu, Yun
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez; Paul L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thangavelu; Kandasamy
• Application Number:
  US11/331,910
• Publication Number:
  US 20070168165A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: 703/1, 703/11, 703/8, 703/7, 703/6, 707/2, 707/103.R, 345/420, 345/156, 345/419, 700/182, 715/234, 715/849, 715/700, 716/11
• US Class Current: 703/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/15 Vehicle, aircraft or watercraft design

Abstract

A dimensioning apparatus for generating a dimensional drawing from a model includes an element database with predetermined element names. A plurality of model elements can be associated with corresponding element names. The apparatus also includes a model sectioning tool operable to section the model to thereby generate at least a portion of the model elements. The apparatus further includes a dimensioning tool with a plurality of predetermined dimension names and a plurality of dimensioning algorithms associated with corresponding dimension names. At least two of the model elements are utilized by each of the dimensioning algorithms to thereby automatically detect dimension values of the model. The dimensioning tool is further operable to associate the detected dimension values with corresponding ones of the dimension names. In addition, the dimensioning apparatus includes a plotting tool operable to output the dimensional drawing showing the dimension values of the model detected by the dimensioning tool.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions which when executed on a computer perform a method for generating dimensional drawings for a model object comprising a plurality of model elements, the medium comprising instructions for:

storing in an element database a plurality of predetermined model elements of the model object and corresponding element names that are standardized for a plurality of computerized models of the model object;

selecting using a user interface a plurality of model elements of one of the computerized models, and associating, using the user interface, at least some of the model elements with corresponding element names;

sectioning the one of the computerized models using a model sectioning tool to generate at least a portion of the model elements;

defining in a dimensioning tool a plurality of predetermined dimension names that are standardized for each of the computerized models and a plurality of dimensioning algorithms associated with corresponding ones of the dimension names;

automatically computing, using the dimensioning tool, dimension values of at least one of the model elements of the one of the computerized models using the dimensioning algorithms and the coordinates and dimensions of at least some of the model elements;

automatically associating, using the dimensioning tool, the computed dimension values with corresponding ones of the dimension names; and

outputting, using a plotting tool, a dimensional drawing showing the dimension values of at least of the model elements of the one of the computerized models detected by the dimensioning tool.

2. The medium of claim 1, wherein the model elements generated by the model sectioning tool are section lines that are included in the dimensional drawing outputted by the plotting tool.

3. The medium of claim 1, further comprising a contextual map that shows at least one element name and the dimension names that utilize the model element associated with the at least one element name.

4. The medium of claim 1, wherein the element database indicates whether or not a model element is associated with the corresponding one of the element names.

5. The medium of claim 1, wherein the plotting tool outputs the dimensional drawing such that the dimensional drawing shows the dimension values of at least one of the model elements of the one of the computerized models having a plurality of configurations.

6. The medium of claim 1, wherein the plotting tool outputs a plurality of predetermined views of the one of the computerized models and the dimension values detected by the dimensioning tool.

7. The medium of claim 1, wherein the dimensioning tool automatically indicates when a model element has not been associated with the corresponding element name needed for generating a particular dimension value.

8. The medium of claim 1, wherein the model object comprises a model vehicle comprising a plurality of vehicle model elements.

9. A computer implemented method for generating dimensional drawing for a model object comprising a plurality of model elements, the method comprising:

storing in an element database a plurality of predetermined model elements of the model object and corresponding element names that are standardized for a plurality of computerized models of model object;

selecting using a user interface a plurality of model elements of one of the computerized models, and associating, using the user interface, at least some of the model elements with corresponding element names;

sectioning the one of the computerized models using a model sectioning tool to generate at least a portion of the model elements;

defining in a dimensioning tool a plurality of predetermined dimension names that are standardized for each of the computerized models and plurality of dimensioning algorithms associated with corresponding ones of the dimension names;

automatically computing, using the dimensioning tool, dimension values at least one of the model elements of the one of the computerized models using the dimensioning algorithms and the coordinates and dimensions of at least some of the model elements;

automatically associating, using the dimensioning tool, the computed dimension values with corresponding ones of the dimension names; and

outputting, using a plotting tool, a dimensional drawing showing the dimension values of at least one of the model elements of the one of the computerized models detected by the dimensioning tool.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the model elements generated by the model sectioning tool are section lines that are included in the dimensional drawing outputted by the plotting tool.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising a contextual map that shows at least one element name and the dimension names that utilize the model element associated with the at least one element name.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the element database indicates whether or not a model element is associated with the corresponding one of the element names.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the plotting tool outputs the dimensional drawing such that the dimensional drawing shows the dimension values of at least one of the model elements of the one of the computerized models having a plurality of configurations.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the plotting tool outputs a plurality of predetermined views of the one of the computerized models and the dimension values detected by the dimensioning tool.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the dimensioning too automatically indicates when a model element has not been associated with the corresponding element name needed for generating a particular dimension value.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the model object comprises a model vehicle comprising a plurality of vehicle model elements.