# US 2018/0322694 A1 · System and method for model drawing tool > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0322694 A1 - Document ID: US20180322694A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/584,951 - Filed: 2017-05-02 - Published: 2018-11-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-05-02 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Jason Anton Byers; Alexandria Cochrane; Xuefeng Zhang; Brian Christopher Wheeler; Prashant Madhukar Kulkarni - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180322694A1 ## CPC - G06T 17/05: Geographic models - G06F 3/048: Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] - G06F 30/00: Computer-aided design [CAD] - G06F 30/12: characterised by design entry means specially adapted for CAD, e.g. graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for CAD - G06F 30/13: Architectural design, e.g. computer-aided architectural design [CAAD] related to design of buildings, bridges, landscapes, production plants or roads - G06F 30/15: Vehicle, aircraft or watercraft design - G06T 2207/20108: Interactive selection of 2D slice in a 3D data set - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable medium including instructions presents a graphical user interface (GUI) and the GUI provides an indication of two or more output file types. Further, the medium including instructions receives an indication of a selection of at least two of the two or more output file types. Moreover, the medium including instructions generates corresponding output files for the selection of the at least two of the two or more output file types by accessing an applicable computer-aided-design (CAD) model associated with a part number. Also, the medium including instructions generates corresponding output files for the selection of the at least two of the two or more output file types. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable medium, comprising machine-readable instructions to: present a graphical user interface (GUI), wherein the GUI provides an indication of two or more output file types; receive an indication of a selection of at least two of the two or more output file types; generate corresponding output files for the selection of the at least two of the two or more output file types, by: accessing an applicable computer-aided-design (CAD) model associated with a part number; accessing one or more attributes associated with the CAD model; deriving applicable data that is applicable to the at least two of the two or more output file types from the CAD model and from the one or more attributes; and generating an output file for each of the at least two of the two or more output file types, wherein the output file is formatted in accordance with a formatting specification of a corresponding output file type. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The machine-readable medium of claim 1, comprising machine-readable instructions to: generate a datum table, comprising the one or more attributes; wherein one of the at least two of the two or more output file types comprises a datum table output file type. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The machine-readable medium of claim 1, comprising machine-readable instructions to: generate a two-dimensional (2D) portable document format file, comprising the CAD model; wherein one of the at least two of the two or more output file types comprises a 2D portable document format file type. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The machine-readable medium of claim 3, comprising machine-readable instructions to: project a portion of the CAD model comprising a three-dimensional model onto a 2D plane; wherein the portion of the CAD model is the portion shown in at least one drawing comprising the CAD model. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The machine-readable medium of claim 3, comprising machine-readable instructions to: generate a preview of the 2D portable document format file before generating the 2D portable document format file; wherein the preview comprises an image of the 2D portable document format file. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The machine-readable medium of claim 1, comprising machine-readable instructions to: generate a second CAD model, comprising a fewer number of manipulable features than the CAD model; wherein one of the at least two of the two or more output file types comprises at least one of a three-dimensional portable document format file type, a Jupiter Tessellation file type, a Parasolid file type, an initial graphics exchange specification file type, a standard for the exchange of product 214 file type, or a standard for the exchange of product 203 file type. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The machine-readable medium of claim 1, comprising machine-readable instructions to: search a database for a last-saved version of the CAD model; wherein the database is configured to store the CAD model and a plurality of versions of the CAD model; wherein the last-saved version of the CAD model is one of the plurality of versions of the CAD model; compare the CAD model and the last-saved version of the CAD model; determine whether the CAD model is out-of-date, may be out-of-date, or up-to-date based on the differences between the comparison of the CAD model and the last-saved version of the CAD model. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The machine-readable medium of claim 7, comprising machine-readable instructions to: display an indication on the GUI that indicates the CAD model is out-of-date if at least one of the plurality of differences is categorized into the third level. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The machine-readable medium of claim 7, comprising machine-readable instructions to: categorize each of a plurality of differences between the CAD model and the last-saved version of the CAD model into a first level, a second level, and a third level based on the type of each of the plurality of differences, wherein the first level, the second level, and the third level indicate relative levels of importance of differences; and display an indication on the GUI that indicates the CAD model may be out-of-date if at least one of the plurality of differences is categorized into the second level and none of the plurality of differences is categorized into the third level. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The machine-readable medium of claim 1, comprising machine-readable instructions to: determine if a permission to save or create files is received; prevent generation of the output file is the permission is not received. ### Claim 11 A computer system, comprising a processor, configured to: present a graphical user interface (GUI), wherein the GUI provides an indication of two or more output file types; receive an indication of a selection of at least two of the two or more output file types; generate corresponding output files for the selection of the at least two of the two or more output file types, by: accessing an applicable computer-aided-design (CAD) model associated with a part number; accessing one or more attributes associated with the CAD model; deriving applicable data that is applicable to the at least two of the two or more output file types from the CAD model and from the one or more attributes; and generating an output file for each of the at least two of the two or more output file types, wherein the output file is formatted in accordance with a formatting specification of a corresponding output file type. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The computer system of claim 11, comprising a processor, configured to: generate a second CAD model, comprising a fewer number of manipulable features than the CAD model; wherein one of the at least two of the two or more output file types comprises at least one of a three-dimensional portable document format file type, a Jupiter Tessellation file type, a Parasolid file type, an initial graphics exchange specification file type, a standard for the exchange of product 214 file type, or a standard for the exchange of product 203 file type. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The computer system of claim 11, comprising a processor, configured to: search a database for a last-saved version of the CAD model; wherein the database is configured to store the CAD model and a plurality of versions of the CAD model; wherein the last-saved version of the CAD model is one of the plurality of versions of the CAD model; compare the CAD model and the last-saved version of the CAD model; categorize each of a plurality of differences between the CAD model and the last-saved version of the CAD model into a first level, a second level, and a third level based on the type of each of the plurality of differences, wherein the first level, the second level, and the third level indicate relative levels of importance of differences; and determine whether the CAD model is out-of-date, may be out-of-date, or up-to-date based on the differences between the CAD model and the last-saved version of the CAD model. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The computer system of claim 13, comprising a processor, configured to: display an indication on the GUI that indicates the CAD model is out-of-date if at least one of the plurality of differences is categorized into the third level, wherein the third level comprises a relatively higher importance than the first level and the second level. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The computer system of claim 13, comprising a processor, configured to: display an indication on the GUI that indicates the CAD model may be out-of-date if at least one of the plurality of differences is categorized into the second level and none of the plurality of differences is categorized into the third level. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The computer system of claim 11, comprising a processor, configured to: determine if a permission to save or create files is received; prevent generation of the output file is the permission is not received. ### Claim 17 A computer-implemented method, comprising: presenting a graphical user interface (GUI), wherein the GUI provides an indication of two or more output file types; receiving an indication of a selection of at least two of the two or more output file types; generating corresponding output files for the selection of the at least two of the two or more output file types, by: accessing an applicable computer-aided-design (CAD) model associated with a part number; accessing one or more attributes associated with the CAD model; deriving applicable data that is applicable to the at least two of the two or more output file types from the CAD model and from the one or more attributes; and generating an output file for each of the at least two of the two or more output file types, wherein the output file is formatted in accordance with a formatting specification of a corresponding output file type. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, comprising: generate a two-dimensional (2D) portable document format file, comprising the CAD model; wherein one of the at least two of the two or more output file types comprises a 2D portable document format file type. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, comprising: project a portion of the CAD model comprising a three-dimensional model onto a 2D plane; wherein the portion of the CAD model is the portion shown in at least one drawing comprising the CAD model. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18 comprising: generate a preview of the 2D portable document format file before generating the 2D portable document format file; wherein the preview comprises an image of the 2D portable document format file.