Methods for designing pop-up cards, and cards produced thereby

A computer-implemented method for automatically determining a position for a pop-up vertex B of a pop-up mechanism in communication with a folding card, a user of the method indicating selections presented to the user on a graphical user interface, the method comprising:

• selecting by the user, a folding card having planar surfaces π1 and π2 pivotal about an axis L;
• selecting by the user, proposed pop-up mechanism coordinates indicated by vertices A, D, and C;
• automatically determining a pop-up vertex B, a planar surface π3 defined by vertices A, B, D, and a planar surface π4 defined by vertices A, B, C, where surface π3 is integral to surface π1, and surface π4 is integral to surface π2;
• intersecting three geometrical objects, each object having a radius and being respectively defined about vertices A, C and D, such intersection identifying intersection points common to each geometrical object;
• and
• automatically determining pop-up vertex B to be such common intersection point spatially positioned at or above surfaces π1 and π2.

A computer-implemented method for determining a closed-card position for a pop-up vertex B of an asymmetric slit pop-up mechanism in a folding card, a folding axis L for the folding card, such mechanism having a bounding triangle defined by vertices A, C, and D, the method automatically determining a first inner triangle defined by vertices A, B, D, and a second inner triangle defined by vertices A, B, C, the method comprising:

• receiving input indicating the bounding triangle;
• determining automatically a point E along line segment DC, and aligning line segment AE with the axis L;
• determining automatically, an angle γ between AC and AE;
• and
• determining automatically pop-up vertex B along DC such that the angle between AD and AB is equivalent to γ.

A computer-implemented system for creating pop-up cards in a computerized virtual development environment allowing selection and placement of pop-up mechanisms on a card, each card containing at least one pop-up mechanism spatially positioned relative to an underlying card or other pop-up mechanism, the system comprising:

• graphical interface means for displaying and manipulating a pop-up card and a pop-up mechanism for such card;
• graphical selection means for selecting the pop-up mechanism with a set of minimum constraints;
• attachment means for automatically determining at least one other constraint for the pop-up mechanism and attaching the pop-up mechanism to the pop-up card;
• means for interactively reconfiguring the pop-up card and the pop-up mechanism constraint with the graphical selection means;
• and
• means for animating the pop-up card and the pop-up mechanism subject to the constraints.

A computerized graphical card design system for designing, displaying, and manipulating a pop-up card, comprising:

• design arrangement for designing a pop-up card including receiving user input indicating certain design constraints, and the automatic determination of another design constraint;
• data accessing arrangement for storing and accessing data corresponding to geometric characteristics of the pop-up card, and data corresponding to features of the pop-up card;
• adjustment arrangement, in communication with the data accessing arrangement, for adjusting the geometric characteristics of the pop-up card in response to user input;
• and
• display arrangement, in communication with the data accessing arrangement, for displaying the geometric characteristics of the pop-up card.

A computer-implemented method of designing a pop-up card on a computer system, comprising:

• defining a base having first and second members coupled about a fold axis;
• determining from user input a proposed spatial relationship of a pop-up portion with the base;
• determining automatically from the proposed spatial relationship, both an actual location where the pop-up portion is fixed to the base and an actual spatial relationship with the base;
• and
• displaying the determined actual location and actual spatial relationship of the pop-up portion with the base when the first and second members of the base have a given angle there between.

A computer-implemented system for printing a pop-up card developed in a graphical interactive environment implemented by plural computer-readable program modules, in which the pop-up card contains at least one pop-up mechanism spatially positioned relative to an underlying card or other pop-up mechanism, the system comprising:

• a design module configured to provide interactive design and development of a pop-up card;
• a printing module configured to provide for printing the pop-up card on an output media;
• and
• a packing module operating in conjunction with the printing module, in which the packing module determines an optimized layout for printing the underlying card and the pop-up mechanism by seeking a largest available block that will fit on the current page, so that use of output media is minimized;
• wherein the printing module prints the underlying card with markings indicating an affixment location for a pop-up mechanism.

A computerized method for designing pop-up cards, including an input device and a display, the method comprising:

• displaying a pop-up card base with a left side and a right side pivotally joined along an L axis, said L axis logically extending beyond the pop-up card base;
• receiving at the input device an indication of a pop-up to be mounted on the pop-up card base;
• determining from the indication of the pop-up, two points of intersection, a first point of intersection being an intersection between the left side of the base card and the left side of the pop-up, a second point of intersection being an intersection between the right side of the based card and the right side of the pop-up;
• determining from the indication of the pop-up, a third point along the L axis;
• designing based on the three points, a fourth point located on the pop-up;
• and
• designing a folding line for the pop-up, the folding line being defined by an imaginary line between the fourth point and the third point.