CREATING DYNAMIC SETS TO AUTOMATICALLY ARRANGE DIMENSION ANNOTATIONS

• US 20100201684A1
• Filed: 02/03/2010
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dassault Systemes SolidWorks Corp. (Dassault Systemes SA)
• Original Assignee: Dassault Systemes SolidWorks Corp. (Dassault Systemes SA)
• Inventors: Yadav, Sumit, Kandage, Shailesh, Parvate, Vajrang, Leizza, Marc
• Granted Patent: US 8,817,028 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/420
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/12 characterised by design entry means specially adapted for CAD, e.g. graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for CAD
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/17 Mechanical parametric or variational design
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/10 Constructive solid geometry [CSG] using solid primitives, e.g. cylinders, cubes
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/012 Dimensioning, tolerancing

Abstract

A computer-implemented method and system creates dynamic sets to automatically arrange dimension annotations in a CAD model. The invention method/product/data storage medium/system determines a location to place a new dimension annotation based on dimension type of the entity selected to annotate. One or more sets of existing dimension annotations are created. The existing dimension annotations in the same set together with the new dimension annotation with similar characteristics as those in the same set are sorted, and then displayed in sorted order in a view of the CAD model on the computer screen.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for automatically placing a new dimension annotation of a computer-aided design model representing a real-world object, the method comprising:

determining at least one location for placement of the new dimension annotation on a computer screen based on dimension type of an entity selected to annotate, wherein the new dimension annotation is instructive of constructing the real-world object, and wherein the determining includes;

creating one or more sets of existing dimension annotations, wherein existing dimension annotations of any one or combination of a similar proximity range, a same dimension type, and a same orientation belong to a same set; and

sorting the existing dimension annotations in the same set and the new dimension annotation having any one or combination of the similar proximity range, the same dimension type, and the same orientation as the existing dimension annotations in the same set; and

rendering the existing dimension annotations in the same set and the new dimension annotation on the computer screen in an arrangement, wherein the rendered arrangement of the existing dimension annotations in the same set and the new dimension annotation corresponds to an order resulting from the sorting.

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

displaying a user-interface widget on the computer screen, the user-interface widget comprised of a number of divisions, each division designating a respective one of the locations determined for placement of the new dimension annotation.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the widget is displayed with one division in an active state, and the rendered arrangement corresponds to the one division that is active.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 where the step of sorting is based on at least a size of the entity being dimensioned.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4 wherein the sorting based on size results in a dimension annotation having a largest linear dimension being last in the order in the same set;

and

the rendered arrangement places the largest linear dimension annotation furthest away from the computer-aided design model on the computer screen.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining includes determining optimal location for placement of the new dimension annotation.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining at least one location for placement of the new dimension annotation employs collision detection.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining includes staggering respective text of dimension annotations to avoid overlap.

9. A computer program product for automatic placement of dimension annotations of a CAD model, comprising:

a computer-readable data storage medium having instructions embedded thereon and configured to cause a computer to;

determine at least one location for placement of a new dimension annotation on a computer screen based on a dimension type of an entity selected to annotate, wherein the new dimension annotation is instructive of construction of a real-world object, and wherein the determining being by;

creating one or more sets of existing dimension annotations, wherein existing dimension annotations of any one or combination of a similar proximity characteristic, a same dimension type, and a same orientation belong to a same set; and

sorting the existing dimension annotations in the same set and the new dimension annotation having any one or combination of the similar proximity characteristic, the same dimension type and the same orientation as the existing dimension annotations in the same set; and

display an arrangement of the existing dimension annotations in the same set and the new dimension annotation on the computer screen, wherein the displayed arrangement of the existing dimension annotations in the same set and the new dimension annotation corresponds to an order resulting from the sorting.

10. A computer-readable data storage medium comprising instructions for causing a computer to automatically adjust an arrangement of dimension annotations of a computer-aided design model representing a real-world object, the instructions causing a computer to:

receive input to adjust the arrangement, wherein the input specifies one of adding a certain dimension annotation to the arrangement and deleting one dimension annotation from the arrangement;

create one or more sets of existing dimension annotations, wherein existing dimension annotations of any one or combination of a similar proximity, a same dimension type, and a same orientation belong to a same set;

sort the existing dimension annotations in the same set resulting in one or more probable locations for placement of dimension annotations in the arrangement when adjusted either without the one dimension annotation or with the certain dimension annotation added, and if the input specifies adding the certain dimension annotation to the arrangement and the certain dimension annotation has any one or combination of the similar proximity, the same dimension type, and the same orientation as the existing dimension annotations in the same set, then sort the certain dimension annotation along with the existing dimension annotations in the same set; and

adjust the arrangement of the dimension annotations and render the adjusted arrangement on a computer screen by employing an ordering resulting from the sorting, wherein;

the ordering including the certain dimension annotation in the adjusted arrangement if the input specifies adding the certain dimension annotation, wherein a location of the certain dimension annotation in the adjusted arrangement corresponds to the ordering resulting from the sort; and

the ordering excluding the one dimension annotation from the adjusted arrangement if the input specifies deleting the one dimension annotation from the arrangement.

11. The data storage medium as claimed in claim 10 further comprising instructions to display a user-interface widget on the computer screen, the user-interface widget comprised of a number of divisions, each division designating a respective one of the probable locations for placement of dimension annotations in the adjusted arrangement.

12. The data storage medium as claimed in claim 11 wherein the widget is displayed with one division in an active state, and the rendered adjusted arrangement corresponds to the one division that is active.

13. The data storage medium as claimed in claim 10 where the step of sorting is based on at a least size of the entity being dimensioned.

14. The data storage medium as claimed in claim 10 wherein the input specifies adding the certain dimension annotation, and the steps of creating and sorting include determining optimal location for placement of the certain dimension annotation.

15. The data storage medium as claimed in claim 10 further comprising instructions to stagger respective text of dimension annotations in the adjusted arrangement.

16. A computer apparatus for automatically adjusting an arrangement of dimension annotations of a CAD model, comprising:

a computer module receiving input to adjust the arrangement, wherein the input specifies one of adding a certain dimension annotation to the arrangement and deleting one dimension annotation from the arrangement, in response to the input, the computer module;

creates one or more sets of existing dimension annotations, wherein existing dimension annotations of any one or combination of a similar proximity range to the CAD model, a same dimension type, and a same orientation belong to a same set;

sorts the existing dimension annotations in the same set resulting in one or more probable locations for placement of dimension annotations in the arrangement when adjusted either without the one dimension annotation or with the certain dimension annotation added, and if the input specifies adding the certain dimension annotation to the arrangement and the certain dimension annotation has any one or combination of the similar proximity range, the same dimension type, and the same orientation as the existing dimension annotations in the same set, then sorting the certain dimension annotation along with the existing dimension annotations in the same set; and

adjusts the arrangement of the dimension annotations and rendering the adjusted arrangement on a computer screen by employing an ordering resulting from the sorting, wherein;

the ordering including the certain dimension annotation in the adjusted arrangement if the input specifies adding the certain dimension annotation, wherein a location of the certain dimension annotation in the adjusted arrangement corresponds to the ordering resulting from the sorting; and

the ordering excluding the one dimension annotation from the adjusted arrangement if the input specifies deleting the one dimension annotation from the arrangement.

17. The computer apparatus as claimed in claim 16 further comprising:

a widget displayed in a user interface on the computer screen, the widget being formed of a number of divisions, each division representing a respective one of the probable locations for placement of the dimension annotations, the widget enabling user selection of the adjusted arrangement; and

through the different divisions, the widget further enables viewing of different ones of the probable locations for placement of the dimension annotations.

18. The computer apparatus as claimed in claim 17 wherein the widget is displayed with one division in an active state, and the rendered adjusted arrangement corresponds to the one division that is active.

19. The computer apparatus as claimed in claim 16 wherein the computer module sorting is based on dimension size.

20. The computer apparatus as claimed in claim 16 wherein the computer module further staggers respective text of dimension annotations in the adjusted arrangement.