Design support method and apparatus therefor
AssigneeHitachi, Ltd.
InventorsYutaka Wada, Takashi Kiguchi, Yasuhiro Kobayashi, Toru Mitsuta
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A design support apparatus displays components of a design object on a display screen in the same positional relationship as that of actual layout, and graphically displays an installation inhibit area for the components which is derived from the design object or its components, on the display scree. An operator may design the layout while he/she looks as the display screen to designate installation position of the components so that they do not enter into the installation inhibit area. The installation inhibit area displayed on the screen may be a minimal space from a wall of the component or a working space for the component.
Claims31
A design support method, for use in a design support apparatus including input means;
- a display device;
- a memory device;
- and a data processor connected to said input means, said display device and said memory device, for performing design support operations, comprising the steps of:
- selecting, by said processor, design data and design reference data for a design object designated by said input means from design data and design reference data stored in said memory device;
- generating, by said processor, second information for graphically representing a restriction area for the structure of said design object based on said selected design reference data, said restriction area excluding an area occupied by the structure of said design object;
- and
- displaying, by said processor, a graphic pattern representing the structure of said design object and a graphic pattern representing said restriction area on said display device.
A design support apparatus comprising:
- a console panel for designating a design object;
- a first memory for storing therein design data;
- a second memory for storing therein design reference data;
- a third memory for storing therein a procedure for selecting design data from said first memory based on the design object entered from said console panel, generating first information for graphically representing a structure of said design object based on said selected design data, selecting design reference data from said second memory based on said design object entered from said console panel, and generating second information for graphically representing a restriction area for the structure of said design object based on said selected design reference data, said restriction area excluding an area occupied by the structure of said design object;
- processing means for generating said first and second information in accordance with said procedure;
- and
- a display device for displaying said first and second information outputted by said processing means.
A design support apparatus comprising:
- means for selecting design data and design reference data for a designated object from design data and design reference data stored in a memory;
- means for generating first information for graphically representing a structure of said design object based on said selected design data;
- means for generating second information for grahically representing a restriction area for the structure of said design object based on said selected design reference data, said restriction area excluding an area occupied by the structure of said design object;
- and
- means for displaying a graphic pattern representing the structure of said design object and a graphic pattern representing said restriction area on a display device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.