Method for backshell components in 3D routing harness and flattening route harness

A computer based method for an application in a computer aided drafting (CAD) environment for flattening a three dimensional (3D) backshell component to a two dimensional (2D) representation while maintaining a connected wiring component represented in 3D, comprising the steps of:

• identifying a 3D backshell component comprising a connector, a shell housing, and a connected first route segment comprising a curved route within the shell housing and at least a first sketch segment disposed within the backshell component and/or passing through a backshell component entry point;
• storing all sketch segments for the connected first route segment;
• identifying a first entry point at a first end point of the connected first route segment;
• computing a first tangent at the first entry point;
• computing a first junction point (J1) at a connected first route segment second end point using the first tangent and a required segment length;
• calculating a flattened route for all route segments unconnected to the backshell component;
• identifying a second junction point (J2) in flattened route;
• computing a second tangent at the second junction point;
• calculating a translation and rotation transformation aligning the first junction point to the second junction point, and aligning the first tangent and the second tangent,
• calculating a transformation matrix based on the translation and rotation transformation;
• and
• displaying the flattened unconnected route segment aligned with the 3D backshell component;
• applying a transformation to the stored sketch segment points to calculate transformed sketch segment points;
• and
• calculating a first normal vector (N1) at the connector by taking a cross product between a connection point direction and a second direction between the first connection point and a second connection point, wherein a second normal vector (N2) is in a Z-direction normal to a connector surface plane, wherein the connector surface plane is referenced as the XY-plane,
• wherein the flattened unconnected route segment does not intersect the 3D backshell component.

A computer based method for an application in a computer aided drafting (CAD) environment for flattening a three dimensional (3D) backshell component to a two dimensional (2D) representation while maintaining a connected wiring component represented in 3D, comprising steps of:

• identifying a 3D backshell component comprising a connector, a shell housing, and a connected first route segment comprising a curved route within the shell housing and at least a first sketch segment disposed within the backshell component and/or passing through a backshell component entry point;
• storing all sketch segments for the connected first route segment;
• identifying a first entry point at a first end point of the connected first route segment;
• computing a first tangent at the first entry point;
• computing a first junction point (J1) at a connected first route segment second end point using the first tangent and a required segment length;
• calculating a flattened route for all route segments unconnected to the backshell component;
• identifying a second junction point (J2) in flattened route;
• computing a second tangent at the second junction point;
• calculating a translation and rotation transformation aligning the first junction point to the second junction point, and aligning the first tangent and the second tangent,
• calculating a transformation matrix based on the translation and rotation transformation;
• displaying the flattened unconnected route segment aligned with the 3D backshell component;
• obtaining a 3D direction of a connection point within the backshell component;
• determining a 2D direction of a connection point within the backshell component in the flattened representation;
• determining a cross vector comprising a cross product between a 2D connection point direction and associated tangent at 2D junction point;
• computing a viewing direction transformation based upon the cross vector and Z-axis;
• and
• calculating a combined rotation matrix based upon the viewing direction,
• wherein the flattened unconnected route segment does not intersect the 3D backshell component.