Systems and methods for creating virtual objects in a sketch mode in a haptic virtual reality environment

• US 7,864,173 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2004
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc. (3D Systems Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SensAble Technologies, Inc. (3D Systems Corporation)
• Inventors: Midura, Marc, Payne, Bradley, Handley, Joshua, Shannon, Walter C. III, Massie, Thomas H., Aviles, Walter A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hajnik; Daniel F
• Application Number:
  US10/900,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20050062738A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,352 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/420
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/00 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/013 Force feedback applied to a game
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/00 3D [Three Dimensional] image rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/21 Collision detection, intersection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/28 Force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2016 Rotation, translation, scaling

Abstract

A user of a modeling application modifies an initial virtual object using a sketch drawn on one or more construction planes. Typically, construction planes are connected by an axis that intersects the virtual object. The user can draw a sketch on each construction plane, and the modeling application interpolates a shape along the axis between the sketches to determine what material in the virtual object is to be removed from it. In this manner, material may be removed to create a recess or hole in the virtual object or otherwise to slice away material from the object. A user can use two or more axes and construction planes to produce complex shapes from the initial virtual object. A user can also select a portion of a virtual object and mirror the selected portion. Modifications that the user makes in the selected portion are made correspondingly in the mirrored portion.

Claims

1. A method of modifying a virtual object in a virtual environment, the method comprising the steps of:

rendering a three-dimensional virtual object within a three-dimensional virtual environment, the virtual object having an initial shape;

rendering a plurality of two-dimensional construction planes within the three-dimensional virtual environment, wherein the construction planes form a stack;

rendering a virtual tool in the three-dimensional virtual environment, wherein the virtual tool is responsive to a user-operated haptic real-space interface device;

rendering a sketch on each of at least two of the construction planes in the three-dimensional virtual environment in accordance with a movement of the virtual tool, wherein at least two of the sketches are different from one another; and

representing the three-dimensional virtual object using a scene graph comprising a sketch block node, a plane stack node representing the stack, and a plurality of sketch plane nodes represent the plurality of two-dimensional construction planes;

modifying the initial shape of the virtual object represented in the scene graph according to an interpolation among the sketches, wherein the sketches are displayed prior to modification of the shape of the virtual object according to the interpolation among the sketches.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the construction planes is capable of occupying a smaller cross-sectional area than the virtual object.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying step comprises at least one of:

(i) adding virtual material to the virtual object; and

(ii) removing virtual material from the virtual object.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the construction planes is capable of being positioned at least one of:

(i) a location external to the virtual object;

(ii) a location adjacent to the virtual object; and

(iii) a location within the virtual object.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional virtual object has a voxel representation.