Analysis error detection for a CAD model

• US 8,099,260 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2006
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Inventors: Kfouri, Emile E., Ingersoll, Gregory P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Paul
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Eunhee
• Application Number:
  US11/460,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20080027968A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,000 Days
• Field of Search: 703/1, 703/7
• US Class Current: 703/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/23 using finite element methods [FEM] or finite difference methods [FDM]

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for identifying an analytical representation of a plurality of physical elements in a computer aided design (CAD) model, the analytical representation comprising a plurality of analytical elements. one or more of the plurality of analytical elements corresponds to one or more of the plurality physical elements. An association is identified between corresponding analytical and physical elements such that a modification to one element can be applied to modify a corresponding other. An error is automatically detected in the analytical representation.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

identifying an analytical representation of a plurality of physical elements in a computer aided design (CAD) model, the analytical representation comprising a plurality of wire frame elements associated with connectivity conditions, one or more of the plurality of analytical elements corresponding to one or more of the plurality physical elements;

establishing an association between corresponding analytical and physical elements such that a modification to one element causes a modification to a corresponding other; and

detecting an error when a distance between a wireframe element and a corresponding physical element is greater than a tolerance distance.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing notification of the error through a user interface.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein detecting is in response to user input modifying the CAD model or the analytical representation.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein detecting is in response to the identification of an association between corresponding analytical and physical elements.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the error is one of:

a support distance error, an analytical element to a physical element distance error, or an analytical adjustment distance error.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising performing a structural analysis of the analytical representation.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input modifying a physical element or an analytical element; and

modifying a corresponding other in response.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the error is caused by movement of an analytical element away from a corresponding physical element.

9. A machine-readable storage device having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by data processing apparatus, cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

identifying an analytical representation of a plurality of physical elements in a computer aided design (CAD) model, the analytical representation comprising a plurality of wire frame elements associated with connectivity conditions, one or more of the plurality of analytical elements corresponding to one or more of the plurality physical elements;

establishing an association between corresponding analytical and physical elements such that a modification to one element causes a modification to a corresponding other; and

detecting an error when a distance between a wireframe element and a corresponding physical element is greater than a tolerance distance.

10. The machine-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise providing notification of the error through a user interface.

11. The machine-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein detecting is in response to user input modifying the CAD model or the analytical representation.

12. The machine-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the error is one of:

a support distance error, an analytical element to a physical element distance error, or an analytical adjustment distance error.

13. The machine-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the error is caused by movement of an analytical element away from a corresponding physical element.

14. The machine-readable storage device of claim 9 wherein detecting is in response to the identification of an association between corresponding analytical and physical elements.

15. The machine-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise performing a structural analysis of the analytical representation.

16. The machine-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving user input first modifying a physical element or an analytical element; and

modifying a corresponding other in response.

17. A system comprising:

one or more computers configured to execute instructions to perform operations comprising;

identifying an analytical representation of a plurality of physical elements in a computer aided design (CAD) model, the analytical representation comprising a plurality of wire frame elements associated with connective conditions, one or more of the plurality of analytical elements corresponding to one or more of the plurality physical elements;

establishing an association between corresponding analytical and physical elements such that a modification to one element causes a modification to a corresponding other; and

detecting an error when a distance between a wireframe element and a corresponding physical element is greater than a tolerance distance.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise providing notification of the error through a user interface.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein detecting is in response to user input modifying the CAD model or the analytical representation.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein the error is one of:

a support distance error, an analytical element to a physical element distance error, or an analytical adjustment distance error.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the error is caused by a movement of an analytical element away from a corresponding physical element.

22. The system of claim 17 wherein detecting is in response to the identification of an association between corresponding analytical and physical elements.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise performing a structural analysis of the analytical representation.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving user input first modifying a physical element or an analytical element; and

modifying a corresponding other in response.