Method for nesting a computer model of a part with a computer model of a fixture

A method of nesting a computer model of a part and a computer model of a fixture, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) creating a model of a part in a computer tool;
• b) creating a model of a fixture in the computer tool;
• c) insetting the model of the fixture by a distance D sufficient to avoid interference between the part and the inset fixture for a first degree of freedom of movement between the part and the fixture;
• d) identifying a minimum normal distance segment between the part and the inset fixture, the minimum normal distance segment having as endpoints an inset fixture minimum distance point and a part minimum distance point (X1,Y1,Z1);
• e) constructing a vector having a length D and an origin at the inset fixture minimum distance point and extending in the direction of the minimum normal distance segment to a fixture minimum distance point (x1,y1,z1) on the fixture surface;
• f) identifying a part minimum distance point (Xi,Yi,Zi) and a fixture minimum distance point (xi,yi,zi) for each of the six degrees of freedom of movement between the part and the fixture;
• g) transforming the model of the part by applying a transformation matrix to generate a transformed part model having points (X′i,Y′i,Z′i) such that the aggregate distance calculated as ∑ i = 0 6 ⁢ ⁢ ( ( X i ′ - x i ) 2 + ( Y i ′ - y i ) 2 + ( Z i ′ - z i ) 2 )
• is minimized;
• and
• h) recording the transformation matrix.

A method of determining the magnitude and direction of overlap between two model in a computer tool, the method comprising:

• generating a first object model in a computer tool;
• generating a second object model in a computer tool, the second object model having a geometric overlap with the first object model;
• insetting the first object model by a distance D sufficient to eliminate the overlap;
• identifying a first minimum distance segment between the inset first object model and the second object model;
• constructing a vector along the first minimum distance segment beginning at a minimum distance point on the surface of the inset first object model and extending a distance D to a first object model contact point;
• identifying a second minimum distance segment between the first object model contact point and the second object model;
• recording the magnitude and direction of the second minimum distance segment.