Methods and apparatuses for resolving a CAD drawing conflict with an arm around

• US 8,441,502 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2008
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: M.E.P. Cad, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: M.E.P. Cad, Incorporated
• Inventors: Reghetti, Joseph P., Hoeft, Shane
• Primary Examiner(s): Tung, Kee M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wu, Sing-Wai
• Application Number:
  US12/150,867
• Publication Number:
  US 20080309678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,839 Days
• Field of Search: 345/958
• US Class Current: 345/635
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2113/14 Pipes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]

Abstract

The present invention is directed to methods, systems, and apparatuses for automatically determining an object type in a computer automated design application, and more particularly to automatically determining and drawing the pipe type of a pipe in a sprinkler system CAD drawing. The present invention allows a user to make various pipe parameter choices and decisions up front, and to then draw each individual pipe without having to each time make the numerous selections and decisions required to determine that pipe'"'"'s proper type. The present invention may also be used to determine other component types in non-piping related CAD designs, such as electrical wiring, for example.

Claims

1. A method for altering a first graphic object to avoid an obstruction created by a second graphic object within a CAD drawing, comprising the steps of:

identifying the obstruction created by the second graphic object, wherein the first and second graphic objects have been created prior to the identifying step;

proposing a temporary arm around resolution graphic object based on one or more options selected by a user that would alter the first graphic object to avoid the obstruction, wherein the temporary arm around resolution graphic object has a graphic property that is different than a graphic property of the first graphic object;

displaying the temporary arm around resolution graphic object to the user; and

if an accepted selection which is based on input from the user is received, where the accepted selection relates to the temporary arm around resolution graphic object, automatically altering the first graphic object to avoid the obstruction based on the temporary arm around resolution graphic object.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the step of identifying includes the steps of:

retrieving a listing of one or more obstructions from the CAD drawing;

receiving a selection from the user of a first obstruction from the listing of one or more obstructions; and

recognizing the first obstruction as the obstruction.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein the step of identifying includes the step of receiving a user selected obstruction as the obstruction.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein the step of identifying includes the steps of:

receiving a user defined work area within the CAD drawing;

automatically identifying one or more obstructions within the user defined work area;

displaying a listing of the one or more obstructions;

receiving a selection from the user of a first obstruction from the listing of one or more obstructions; and

recognizing the first obstruction as the obstruction.

5. The method as in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the CAD drawing is displayed on a computer screen, and wherein the step of identifying includes the step of displaying the obstruction to the user in a center of the computer screen.

6. The method as in claim 1, wherein the one or more options includes a first distance that the temporary arm around resolution graphic object must stay away from the second graphic object.

7. The method as in claim 6, wherein the temporary arm around resolution graphic object includes one or more sections, and wherein the one or more options includes a second distance that the one or more sections must stay away from the second graphic object.

8. The method as in claim 6, wherein the temporary arm around resolution graphic object includes a moved pipe segment, a first cut line segment, and a second cut line segment, and wherein the one or more options includes a moved pipe distance that the moved pipe segment must stay away from the second graphic object, a first cut line distance that the first cut line segment must stay away from the second graphic object, and a second cut line distance that the second cut line segment must stay away from the second graphic object.

9. The method as in claim 1, wherein the one or more options includes a desired method of avoiding the obstruction.

10. The method as in claim 1, wherein the one or more options includes a clearance distance between the temporary arm around resolution graphic object and the second graphic object.

11. The method as in claim 10, wherein the temporary arm around resolution graphic object includes one or more sections, and wherein the one or more options includes one or more clearance distances between each of the one or more sections and the second graphic object.

12. The method as in claim 1, wherein the temporary arm around resolution graphic object includes a moved pipe segment, a first cut line segment, and a second cut line segment, and wherein the one or more options includes a moved pipe clearance distance by which the moved pipe segment must stay away from the second graphic object, a first cut line clearance distance by which the first cut line segment must stay away from the second graphic object, and a second cut line clearance distance by which the second cut line segment must stay away from the second graphic object.

13. The method as in claim 12, wherein the one or more options includes a desired method of avoiding the obstruction.

14. The method as in claim 1, wherein the one or more options includes avoiding the obstruction by moving the temporary arm around resolution graphic object above the obstruction.

15. The method as in claim 1, wherein the one or more options includes avoiding the obstruction by moving the temporary arm around resolution graphic object below the obstruction.

16. The method as in claim 1, wherein the one or more options includes avoiding the obstruction by moving the temporary arm around resolution graphic object right of the obstruction.

17. The method as in claim 1, wherein the one or more options includes avoiding the obstruction by moving the temporary arm around resolution graphic object left of the obstruction.

18. The method as in claim 1, wherein the one or more options includes avoiding the obstruction using a shortest possible route for the temporary arm around resolution graphic object.

19. The method as in claim 18, wherein the one or more options further includes a search angle.

20. The method as in claim 19, wherein the search angle may be an angle below 180 degrees or an angle of any size.

21. The method as in claim 1, wherein the one or more options includes avoiding the obstruction while avoiding one or more additional obstructions with one or more other graphic objects.

22. The method as in claim 1, wherein the step of automatically altering the first graphic object to avoid the obstruction includes the step of automatically drawing one or more fittings for the first graphic object.

23. The method as in claim 1, wherein the step of automatically altering the first graphic object to avoid the obstruction includes the step of automatically drawing one or more connectors for the first graphic object.

24. A method for altering a primary graphic object to avoid a multitude of obstructions created by a multitude of secondary graphic objects within a CAD drawing, comprising the steps of:

identifying the multitude of obstructions created by the secondary graphic objects, wherein the secondary graphic objects have already been created;

proposing a temporary arm around resolution graphic object based on one or more options selected by a user that would alter the primary graphic object to simultaneously avoid the multitude of obstructions;

displaying the temporary arm around resolution graphic object to the user; and

if an accepted selection which is based on input from the user is received, where the accepted selection relates to the temporary arm around resolution graphic object, automatically altering the primary graphic object to simultaneously avoid the multitude of obstructions based on the temporary arm around resolution graphic object.

25. The method as in claim 24, wherein the step of identifying includes the steps of:

receiving a user defined work area within the CAD drawing; and

automatically identifying the multitude of obstructions within the user defined work area.

26. The method as in claim 24, wherein at least a portion of the CAD drawing is displayed on a computer screen, and wherein the step of identifying includes the step of displaying the primary graphic object to the user in a center of the computer screen.

27. The method as in claim 24, wherein the one or more options includes a first distance that the temporary arm around resolution graphic object must stay away from the multitude of secondary graphic objects.

28. The method as in claim 27, wherein the temporary arm around resolution graphic object includes one or more sections, and wherein the one or more options includes a second distance that the one or more sections must stay away from the multitude of secondary graphic objects.

29. The method as in claim 27, wherein the temporary arm around resolution graphic object includes a moved pipe segment, a first cut line segment, and a second cut line segment, and wherein the one or more options includes a moved pipe distance that the moved pipe segment must stay away from the multitude of secondary graphic objects, a first cut line distance that the first cut line segment must stay away from the multitude of secondary graphic objects, and a second cut line distance that the second cut line segment must stay away from the multitude of secondary graphic objects.

30. The method as in claim 24, wherein the one or more options includes a clearance distance between the temporary arm around resolution graphic object and the multitude of secondary graphic objects.

31. The method as in claim 30, wherein the temporary arm around resolution graphic object includes one or more sections, and wherein the one or more options includes one or more clearance distances between each of the one or more sections and the multitude of secondary graphic objects.

32. The method as in claim 24, wherein the temporary arm around resolution graphic object includes a moved pipe segment, a first cut line segment, and a second cut line segment, and wherein the one or more options includes a moved pipe clearance distance by which the moved pipe segment must stay away from the multitude of secondary graphic objects, a first cut line clearance distance by which the first cut line segment must stay away from the multitude of secondary graphic objects, and a second cut line clearance distance by which the second cut line segment must stay away from the multitude of secondary graphic objects.

33. The method as in claim 24, wherein the one or more options includes a desired method of avoiding the multitude of obstructions.

34. The method as in claim 24, wherein the one or more options includes avoiding the multitude of obstructions by moving the temporary arm around resolution graphic object above the multitude of obstructions.

35. The method as in claim 24, wherein the one or more options includes avoiding the multitude of obstructions by moving the temporary arm around resolution graphic object below the multitude of obstructions.

36. The method as in claim 24, wherein the one or more options includes avoiding the multitude of obstructions by moving the temporary arm around resolution graphic object right of the multitude of obstructions.

37. The method as in claim 24, wherein the one or more options includes avoiding the multitude of obstructions by moving the temporary arm around resolution graphic object left of the multitude of obstructions.

38. The method as in claim 24, wherein the one or more options includes avoiding the multitude of obstructions using a shortest possible route for the temporary arm around resolution graphic object.

39. The method as in claim 38, wherein the one or more options further includes a search angle.

40. The method as in claim 39, wherein the search angle may be an angle below 180 degrees or an angle of any size.

41. The method as in claim 24, wherein the one or more options includes avoiding the multitude of obstructions while avoiding one or more additional obstructions with one or more other graphic objects.

42. The method as in claim 24, wherein the step of automatically altering the first graphic object to avoid the multitude of obstructions includes the step of automatically drawing one or more fittings for the first graphic object.

43. The method as in claim 24, wherein the step of automatically altering the first graphic object to avoid the multitude of obstructions includes the step of automatically drawing one or more connectors for the first graphic object.