Method and system for design and drafting
AssigneeSoftech, Inc.
InventorsRene LoNegro, Stuart Wells
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dimension indicator is automatically created to define the size of a geometric object or the spatial relationship between two geometric objects for a user of a computer-aided design and drafting system by the data processing steps of displaying one or more geometric objects; determining the geometry of one or more of the displayed objects; choosing one of a plurality of possible dimension indicators for the object(s) based on the determination in the previous step; displaying an image of the chosen dimension indicator until a placement location is selected for the chosen dimension indicator; and then displaying the dimension indicator in the vicinity of the placement location.
Claims20
A method for automatically creating a dimension indicator to define the size of a geometric object for a user of a computer-aided design and drafting system, comprising:
- providing programming means for controlling the system into
- (a) displaying at least one geometric object;
- (b) determining the geometry of the displayed object;
- (c) choosing one of a plurality of possible dimension indicators for the object based on the determination in step (b);
- (d) displaying an image of the chosen dimension indicator until a placement location is selected for the chosen dimension indicator;
- and
- (e) displaying the dimension indicator in the vicinity of the placement location.
A method for automatically creating a dimension indicator to define the spatial relationship between two geometric objects for a user of a computer-aided design and drafting system, comprising:
- providing programming means for controlling the system into
- (a) displaying at least two geometric objects;
- (b) determining the geometry of a first one of the displayed objects;
- (c) determining the geometry of a second one of the displayed objects;
- (d) choosing one of a plurality of possible dimension indicators for the first and second objects based on the determinations in steps (b) and (c);
- (e) displaying an image of the chosen dimension indicator until a placement location is selected for the chosen dimension indicator;
- and
- (f) displaying the dimension indicator in the vicinity of the placement location.
A computer-aided design and drafting system, comprising:
- a computer having at least a memory and a processor;
- a display device coupled to the computer;
- a cursor controlling device coupled to the computer for generating signals indicative of desired movement on the display device;
- and
- programming means for operating the computer, comprising:
- (a) means for displaying at least one geometric object on the display device;
- (b) means for determining the geometry of the displayed object;
- (c) means for choosing, based on the determination made by the geometry determining means, a dimension indicator for the object from a plurality of possible dimension indicators stored in the memory;
- (d) means for displaying an image of the chosen dimension indicator on the display device, in response to the signals generated by the cursor controlling device, until a placement location is selected for the chosen dimension indicator on the display device via the cursor controlling device;
- and
- (e) means for displaying the dimension indicator on the display device in the vicinity of the placement location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.