Method to compensate for pattern distortion on sheet-type work material spread onto a support surface

A method for compensating for pattern distortion on sheet-type work material spread onto a support surface, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing at least one layer of sheet-type work material defining a pattern thereon;
• providing a work material cutting apparatus having a frame and a support surface carried by said frame, a beam extending transversally across said support surface and movable back and forth longitudinally there along, a cutting head coupled to said frame for movement longitudinally thereof and a camera mounted to said cutting head;
• spreading said work material onto said support surface;
• providing a controller programmed to analyze distortion in said pattern defined by said work material, said controller being in communication with said camera and said cutting apparatus;
• providing a display in communication with said controller;
• causing said beam and said cutting head to move over said support surface and thereby said work material in response to commands issued from said controller and operating said camera to selectively capture images of areal portions of said work material spread on said support surface and transmitting said images to said controller;
• projecting said images onto said display based on signals received from said controller;
• mapping the distortion of said pattern defined by said areal portions of said spread work material;
• causing said controller to undistort said images of said areal portions and projecting undistorted images of said areal portions onto said display;
• positioning undistorted digital representations of pattern pieces onto said undistorted images of said work material;
• and
• causing said controller to distort geometry defined by said pattern pieces to correspond to the pattern distortion of said areal portions of said work material so that when said pattern pieces are cut from said work material the pattern therein will be undistorted;
• and
• causing said cutting head to cut said pattern pieces in accordance with said distorted geometry from said work materials so that when said pattern pieces are removed from said support surface the pieces and the patterns defined within their boundaries will be undistorted.