Computer-produced carved signs and method and apparatus for making same

A method of forming a carved sign embodying a signage work having three-dimensional surfaces, comprising:

• (a) designing on a computer-aided design system, a three-dimensional graphical model of said signage work having three-dimensional surfaces to be carved in a signboard;
• (b) determining on said computer-aided design system, a desired mathematical representation of said three-dimensional graphical model of said signage work to be carved in said signboard;
• (c) providing said desired mathematical representation to a computer-aided machining system having a carving tool;
• and
• (d) removing constituting material of said signboard using said carving tool moving under the controlled guidance of said computer-aided machining system, to leave in said sign-board, a three-dimensional carved-pattern corresponding to said three-dimensional graphical model of said signage work, wherein said three-dimensional carved-pattern in said signboard has three-dimensional surfaces corresponding to said three-dimensional surfaces of said three-dimensional graphical model of said signage work.

A method of forming a carved sign embodying a signage work including a component having three-dimensional surfaces, comprising:

• (a) accessing from a memory storage means, a prestored three-dimensional graphical model of said component of said signage work;
• (b) providing said three-dimensional graphical model of said component to a computer-aided machining system having a carving tool;
• and
• (c) removing constituting material of said signboard using said carving tool moving under the controlled guidance of said computer-aided machining system, to leave in said signboard, a three-dimensional carved pattern corresponding to said three-dimensional graphical model of said component, said three-dimensional carved pattern in said signboard having three-dimensional surfaces corresponding to said three-dimensional surfaces of said three-dimensional graphical model of said component.

A method of generating on a computer-aided design system, a three-dimensional graphical model of a three-dimensional character from a corresponding two-dimensional character having at least one characteristic outline, said method comprising the sequence of steps:

• (a) displaying in two dimensions on said computer-aided design system, said two-dimensional graphical representation of said character;
• (b) generating from said outline of said two-dimensional character, at a predetermined offset towards the inside of said two dimensional character, a plurality of substantially similar outlines of said two-dimensional character and displaying said plurality of similar outlines on said computer-aided design system;
• (c) projecting each of said similar outlines, a predetermined distance along the third dimension of the coordinate system of said computer-aided design system;
• (d) introducing in said three-dimensional coordinate system, a plurality of points at locations corresponding to points along a three-dimensional tool path of an axially rotating carving tool of predetermined dimensions, which when moved along said three-dimensional tool path, provides in a signboard, a desired three-dimensional carved pattern having a center line and three-dimensional surfaces corresponding to the three-dimensional surfaces of said three-dimensional graphical model;
• and
• (e) interpolating said plurality of points to render the coordinates of said three-dimensional tool path, said coordinates of said three-dimensional tool path and said axially rotating carving tool corresponding to said three-dimensional carved pattern associated with said three-dimensional graphical model of said two-dimensional character.

Method of generating on a computer-aided design system, a three-dimensional graphical model of a three-dimensional character from a corresponding two-dimensional character having at least one characteristic outline, said method comprising the sequence of steps:

• (a) displaying in two dimensions on said computer-aided design system, said two-dimensional graphical model of said character;
• (b) introducing interactively an array of control points in three-dimensional space,
• (c) introducing interactively, parametric spline surface representations, at locations corresponding to three-dimensional curved surfaces of said three-dimensional graphical representation of said two-dimensional character, said characteristic outline providing boundary conditions for said spline surface representation;
• and
• (d) interpolating said array of control points, by said spline surface representation so as to generate said three-dimensional graphical model of said three-dimensional character.

Method of forming a three-dimensional carved pattern in a signboard corresponding to a three-dimensional graphical model of a signage work having three-dimensional surfaces, said method comprising the sequence of steps:

• (a) generating on a computer-aided design systems a three-dimensional graphical model of a two-dimensional character having at least one characteristic outline;
• (b) determining for a predetermined carving tool, a tool path pattern for forming a three-dimensional carved pattern in a signboard corresponding to said three-dimensional graphical model;
• (c) providing said tool path pattern to a computer-aided machining system having said carving tool;
• and
• (d) removing constituting material of said signboard using said carving tool moving under the controlled guidance of said computer-aided machining system, to leave in said signboard, said three-dimensional carved pattern corresponding to said three-dimensional graphical model of said signage work, said three-dimensional carved pattern having three-dimensional surfaces corresponding to said three-dimensional surfaces of said signage work.

A method of generating on a computer-aided design system, a three-dimensional graphical model of a signage work to be carved in a signboard, said method comprising:

• (a) graphically representing a signboard using solid geometry to provide a solid graphical model thereof;
• (b) graphically representing a carving tool using solid geometry to provide a solid graphical model thereof;
• (c) moving said solid graphical model of said carving tool through said solid graphical model of said signboard;
• (d) mathematically subtracting those parts of said solid graphical model of said signboard that are in mathematical union with said solid graphical model of said carving tool during said movement thereof in step (c), as to form a three-dimensional graphical model of a signage work in said solid graphical model of said signboard;
• and
• (e) displaying said three-dimensional graphical model of said signboard resulting from step (d).