Systems and methods for merging and splitting intersecting solids and surfaces

• US 8,207,990 B1
• Filed: 01/04/2008
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ansys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Spaceclaim Corporation, Inc.
• Inventors: DeSimone, Frank, Sevici, Constantin, Mental, Ken
• Primary Examiner(s): Amini, Javid A
• Application Number:
  US11/969,509
• Time in Patent Office: 1,635 Days
• Field of Search: 345/420, 345/630, 345/467
• US Class Current: 345/630
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/10 Constructive solid geometry [CSG] using solid primitives, e.g. cylinders, cubes
• 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 2219/2021 Shape modification
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/02 characterised by the way in which colour is displayed details of colour display specific for CRTs G09G1/28; specific for flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/377 for mixing or overlaying two or more graphic patterns G09G5/02, G09G5/397 take precedence

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to merging and splitting intersecting geometry-only solids and surfaces in an intuitive manner. One embodiment is a method of merging and cutting geometry-only format CAD objects without related history information, using a single geometry modification tool and interface. In response to receiving a group selection from the user, of a plurality of CAD objects, the method infers a merge operation and automatically merges the plurality of CAD objects into a single merged CAD object. In response to receiving an individual selection from the user of a CAD object, the geometry modification tool enters a merged state when the subsequent second selection from the user is selected in a manner indicating a merger operation, or alternatively, enters a cut state when the subsequent second selection from the user is selected in a manner indicating a cut operation.

Claims

1. A method of merging and cutting geometry-only format CAD objects stored within a computer aided design modeling system and without related history information, using a single geometry modification tool and interface for merging and cutting geometry-only format CAD objects, comprising:

(a) displaying a plurality of CAD objects and a plurality of geometry modification tools, including the single geometry modification tool, within a graphical user interface of the computer aided design modeling system;

(b) receiving an activation, from a user of the computer aided design modeling system, of the single geometry modification tool;

(c) in response to receiving a group selection, from the user, of a plurality of CAD objects while the single geometry modification tool is active, inferring a merge operation in response to the group selection from the user, and automatically merging the plurality of CAD objects into a single merged CAD object, wherein the inferring is based on the user'"'"'s group selection;

(d) in response to receiving an individual selection from the user of a first selected single CAD object, while the single geometry modification tool is active, receiving a subsequent second selected single CAD object from the user, and further;

(i) entering a merged state when the subsequent second selection from the user is selected in a first manner indicating the user'"'"'s preference for a merger operation, and in response to the user'"'"'s second selection in a first manner while the tool is active automatically merging the first selected single CAD object and the second selected single CAD object into a single merged CAD object;

(ii) entering a cut state when the subsequent second selection from the user is selected in a second manner indicating the user'"'"'s preference for a cut operation, and in response to the user'"'"'s second selection in a second manner while the tool is active automatically cutting the first selected single CAD object with the second selected single CAD object, wherein the first selected single CAD object is cut into at least two distinct CAD objects, wherein the first manner is different from the second manner; and

(e) displaying the automatically generated CAD objects from the merge or cut operation within the graphical user interface of the computer aided design modeling system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one first selected CAD object is at least one of a solid object and a surface object.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second selected single CAD object is deleted after the first selected single CAD object is cut into at least two distinct CAD objects.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein an automatically generated merged CAD object is generated with the attributes of the first selected single CAD object.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein an automatically generated merged CAD object is generated with the attributes of CAD object within a plurality of CAD objects having the most faces.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two distinct CAD objects is deleted in response to a further received selection from the user.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a selection of a third single CAD object from the user, and cutting at least one of the at least two distinct CAD objects by the selected third single CAD object.

8. A system of merging and cutting geometry-only format CAD objects stored within a computer aided design modeling system and without related history information, using a single geometry modification tool and interface for merging and cutting geometry-only format CAD objects, comprising:

a graphical user interface of the computer aided design modeling system displaying a plurality of CAD objects and a plurality of geometry modification tools, including the single geometry modification tool;

receiving an activation, from a user of the computer aided design modeling system, of the single geometry modification tool;

the single geometry modification tool, in response to receiving a group selection, from the user, of a plurality of CAD objects, inferring a merge operation in response to the group selection from the user and automatically merging the plurality of CAD objects into a single merged CAD object, wherein the inferring is based on the user'"'"'s group selection;

the single geometry modification tool, in response to receiving an individual selection from the user of a first selected single CAD object, receiving a subsequent second selected single CAD object from the user, and further;

(i) entering a merged state when the subsequent second selection from the user is selected in a first manner indicating the user'"'"'s preference for a merger operation, and in response to the user'"'"'s second selection in a first manner while the tool is active automatically merging the first selected single CAD object and the second selected single CAD object into a single merged CAD object;

(ii) entering a cut state when the subsequent second selection from the user is selected in a second manner indicating the user'"'"'s preference for a cut operation, and in response to the user'"'"'s second selection in a second manner while the tool is active automatically cutting the first selected single CAD object with the second selected single CAD object, wherein the first selected single CAD object is divided into at least two distinct CAD objects, wherein the first manner is different from the second manner; and

the graphical user interface displaying the automatically generated CAD objects from the merge or cut operation within the graphical user interface of the computer aided design modeling system.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one first selected single CAD object is at least one of a solid object and a surface object.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the second selected single CAD object is deleted after the first selected single CAD object is cut into at least two distinct CAD objects.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein an automatically generated merged CAD object is generated with the attributes of the first selected single CAD object.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein an automatically generated merged CAD object is generated with the attributes of CAD object within a plurality of CAD objects having the most faces.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein at least one of the at least two distinct CAD objects is deleted in response to a further received selection from user.

14. The system of claim 8, further comprising receiving a selection of a third single CAD object from the user, and cutting at least one of the at least two distinct CAD objects by the third selected single CAD object.