Part standard geometry management in a computer aided design system

A computer implemented method for creating a part model and eliminating a need for generating a new parts library and associated data storage in any computer aided design system involved in a product design that uses the part model, the computer implemented method comprising:

• using a processor unit comprising:
• a product standard single source authoring and content management system, a product standards selection service, a geometry server, and a product standards application service, for:
• receiving, into the product standard single source authoring and content management system, an input comprising a part standard representing a part family, and deriving therefrom, parts standard data;
• creating, in the product standard single source authoring and content management system, parts standard data for a part;
• responsive to the geometry server receiving a request to distribute a particular part in the part family and using rules in the product standards selection service, transforming the parts standard data into:
• a geometric master model, standards that apply to the geometric master models, and parts selection criteria for generating specific parts from the geometric master model, the standards comprising criteria specified by a parts specification comprising:
• a part category, and a classification;
• validating, in the product standard single source authoring and content management system, the parts standard data via determining:
• an accuracy of a set of views in the parts standard data, the set of views comprising:
• a document view, a data view, and a geometric view;
• and
• a correlation between each different view for the part;
• responsive to finding the parts standard data inaccurate, the product standard single source authoring and content management system regenerating the parts standard data and revalidating the parts standard data;
• responsive to finding the parts standard data accurate, storing the parts standard data in the product standard single source authoring and content management system;
• creating and storing, in the geometry server, the geometric master model comprising a format, neutral with respect to any computer aided design system in order to handle parts information;
• receiving, in a geometry service, a request for the part from a client computer using a particular type of computer aided design system;
• determining, in response to the request, the particular type of computer aided design system in use by the client computer;
• creating, using the geometric master model, comprising an attribute that comprises an unfilled value, in the geometry service, an explicit computer aided design geometry via combining a specific geometric view, applicable to the particular type of computer aided design system, with a value, for the attribute, generated from selections comprising a key identifying a data location in a dimension table in published parts standard content derived from the part standard;
• creating, in the product standards application service, the part model for use by the particular type of computer aided design system, via applying explicit standard parts metadata from the product standards selection service to the explicit computer aided design geometry;
• storing the part model in a computer aided design and product data management system;
• and
• sending the part model to the client computer.

An apparatus that comprises:

• a network data processing system;
• and
• a part management environment configured to:
• execute on the network data processing system, such that the part management environment comprises:
• a product standard single source authoring and content management system configured to:
• receive an input that comprises a part standard that represents a part family, and to generate parts standard data based upon the part standard;
• a product standards selection service configured to:
• receive input that comprises selection criteria for:
• a part model;
• and
• a particular computer aided design system;
• and
• send a request for the part model configured for use by the particular computer aided design system to:
• a geometry server, and to a computer aided design and product data management system;
• the geometry server configured to:
• receive a request to distribute a particular part in the part family;
• determine the particular computer aided design system;
• transform, based upon rules in the product standards selection service, the parts standard data into:
• a geometric master model, standards that apply to the geometric master models, and parts selection criteria configured for generation of specific parts from the geometric master model, such that the standards comprise criteria specified by a parts specification that comprises a part category;
• and
• create an explicit computer aided geometry for the particular computer aided design system based upon the request for the part model and from the geometric master model derived from the part standard, such that the geometric master model comprises a first format, independent of differing formats used by the plurality of different types of computer aided design systems in communication with the apparatus, that comprises attributes that comprise unfilled values;
• a product standards application service configured to create the part model based upon a combination of the explicit computer aided geometry with explicit standard parts metadata that comprises values, based upon parts standard data based upon a standard part, for the attributes that comprise unfilled values;
• and
• a computer aided design and product data management system configured to store the part model and to transmit the part model to the particular computer aided design system.

A non-transitory computer recordable storage medium configured to:

• store a part management environment, such that the part management environment comprises:
• a processor unit that comprises:
• a computer aided design and product data management system that comprises a storage capacity for a part model produced responsive for a request for the part model, a product standard single source authoring and content management system, a product standards selection service, a geometry server, and a product standards application service;
• the product standard single source authoring and content management system authoring component configured to create, from a received part standard input that represents a part family that comprises a set of parts, data for the set of parts that comprises a platform that comprises a format, unique from any format used by a plurality of different types of computer aided design systems configured to handle parts information, such that a geometric master model that represents a part family remains independent of any format used by the plurality of different types of computer aided design systems, and comprises:
• information needed to form a three-dimensional drawing for a part in the set of parts, and metadata describing attributes about the part;
• a distribution component configured to transform data for the part in the set of parts into:
• published parts standard content, parts standard metadata, and published parts selection criteria;
• the geometry server configured to:
• receive a request to distribute a particular part in the part family;
• determine a particular computer aided design system associated with the request for the part model;
• transform, based upon rules in the product standards selection service, parts standard data into:
• the geometric master model;
• standards that apply to the geometric master model;
• and
• parts selection criteria configured for generation of specific parts from the geometric master model, such that the standards comprise criteria specified by a parts specification that comprises a part category;
• create a geometric view of the part in the set of parts generated by the distribution component into an explicit computer aided design geometry based upon the request for the part model and from the geometric master model of the part family derived from the part standard, such that a format of the geometric master model remains unique from formats used by a plurality of different types of computer aided design systems and comprises attributes that comprise unfilled values;
• and
• the product standards application service configured to create, responsive to an absence of an existing part model corresponding to a part model request, the part model based upon a combination of the explicit computer aided geometry with explicit standard parts data that comprises values, based upon the parts standard data based upon a standard part, for the attributes that comprise unfilled values;
• and
• the computer aided design and product data management system configured to:
• store the part model, and send the part model to the particular computer aided design system.

A computer implemented method of creating, storing, and transmitting a part model for use by a plurality of different types of computer aided design systems and eliminating a need to generate a parts library and storage space associated therewith for each of the plurality of different types of computer aided design systems involved in a product design using the part model, the computer implemented method comprising:

• using a processor unit comprising a computer aided design and product data management system-for:
• creating, from a part standard input representing a part family, in a product standard single source authoring and content management system, a geometric master model of a part, the geometric master model comprising:
• attributes that comprise unfilled values describing the part, and information for generating a three-dimensional model of the part;
• receiving, in a product standards selection service, a request for a selected part for a selected computer aided design system and querying whether storage in the computer aided design and product data management system comprises the selected part;
• generating, responsive to an unsuccessful query, a standard parts geometry request from the product standards selection service to a geometry server;
• responsive to the geometry server receiving the standard parts geometry request and using rules in the product standards selection service, transforming parts standard data into:
• the geometric master model;
• standards that apply to the geometric master model;
• and
• parts selection criteria for generating specific parts from the geometric master model, the standards comprising criteria specified by a parts specification comprising a part category;
• generating, responsive to the standard parts geometry request in the geometry server, an explicit computer aided design geometry for the selected part;
• adding, using a product standards application service, attribute values, from explicit standard part metadata provided by the product standards selection service, to the explicit computer aided design geometry for the selected part and thereby forming the part model;
• and
• storing the part model in the computer aided design and product data management system;
• and
• sending, via the computer aided design and product data management system, the part model to the selected computer aided design system.