Computer aided automated shape synthesis of plate-like structures

A method comprising:

• receiving, by a shape synthesis computer program, two or more preserves defined in a data structure used by the shape synthesis computer program;
• producing, by the shape synthesis computer program, a candidate solution by synthesizing plates that join the two or more preserves with each other through the plates, wherein each of the plates is defined by a base plane, a two-dimensional profile, and a thickness, and wherein the candidate solution represents a new geometry defined in the data structure, wherein the producing comprises
• assessing preserve geometry for each of the two or more preserves;
• generating, from the two or more preserves, an initial shape inclusive of the two or more preserves;
• generating, based on the preserve geometries of the two or more preserves, a set of candidate plates, wherein each candidate plate contacts at least one of the two or more preserves;
• selecting, from the set of candidate plates, at least two candidate plates to form the candidate solution;
• and
• providing, by the shape synthesis computer program, the candidate solution for use in manufacturing a physical structure corresponding to the candidate solution using one or more computer-controlled manufacturing systems, or for use in displaying the candidate solution on a display screen.

A method comprising:

• receiving, by a shape synthesis computer program, two or more preserves defined in a data structure used by the shape synthesis computer program;
• producing, by the shape synthesis computer program, a candidate solution by synthesizing candidate plates that join the two or more preserves with each other through the candidate plates, wherein each of the candidate plates is defined by a base plane, a two-dimensional profile, and a thickness, and wherein the candidate solution represents a new geometry defined in the data structure, wherein the producing comprises
• determining a number of preserves in a current set of preserves defined in the data structure;
• and
• in response to determining the number of preserves in the current set of preserves is greater than or equal to two, iteratively selecting candidate plates for inclusion in the candidate solution, comprising
• classifying each preserve of the current set of preserves defined in the data structure into shape classifications based in part on one or more symmetries of the preserve,
• selecting a set of base planes for a set of candidate plates from predefined plate configurations stored in a repository and based on the shape classifications of the current set of preserves,
• generating a ranking for the candidate plates, wherein a rank of each candidate plate with respect to each other candidate plate of the candidate plates corresponds to (A) a number of the current set of preserves contacting the candidate plate and (B) a classification of the predefined plate configuration in the repository,
• selecting, from the ranked set of candidate plates, a candidate plate to form the candidate solution, and
• updating the current set of preserves to include the candidate plate as a new preserve in a next iteration,
• in response to determining the number of preserves in the current set of preserves is less than two, providing, by the shape synthesis computer program, the candidate solution for use in manufacturing a physical structure corresponding to the candidate solution using one or more computer-controlled manufacturing systems, or for use in displaying the candidate solution on a display screen.