Passive associativity in three-dimensional (3D) modeling
AssigneeAutodesk, Inc.
InventorsJiri Kripac, Hans-Frederick Brown, Pei Zhan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method, system, apparatus, article of manufacture, and computer-readable storage medium provide the ability to edit surface objects in a surface modeler. A dependent surface object (that is dependent on one or more input objects) having one or more properties is obtained. First user input is received that indicates that a surface associativity for the dependent surface object is off. In response to the receiving, an association between the dependent surface object and the one or more input objects is maintained. The association is used to expose the one or more properties of the dependent surface object. The properties are then displayed for editing by the user.
Claims15
A method for editing surface objects in a computer implemented surface modeler, comprising:
- (a) obtaining, in the computer-implemented surface modeler, a dependent surface object having one or more properties, wherein:
- (1) the dependent surface object is dependent on one or more input objects;
- (2) the dependent surface object comprises a blend surface;
- and
- (3) the one or more input objects comprise two or more input surface objects that establish a continuity condition and a general shape of the dependent surface object;
- (b) receiving first user input indicating that a surface associativity for the dependent surface object is off;
- (c) in response to the receiving, maintaining an association between the dependent surface object and the one or more input objects;
- (d) utilizing the association to expose the one or more properties of the dependent surface object;
- and
- (e) displaying, on a display device, the one or more properties for editing by the user;
- wherein the utilizing and displaying comprises:
- receiving second user input modifying the blend surface in a manner resulting in a loss of continuity between the blend surface and one of the two or more input surface objects;
- and
- in response to the second user input, migrating the blend surface into a different object type that is non-associative.
An apparatus for editing surface objects in a computer system comprising:
- (a) a computer having a memory;
- (b) a surface modeler application executing on the computer, wherein the surface modeler application is configured to:
- (a) obtain a dependent surface object having one or more properties, wherein:
- (1) the dependent surface object is dependent on one or more input objects;
- (2) the dependent surface object comprises a blend surface;
- and
- (3) the one or more input objects comprise two or more input surface objects that establish a continuity condition and a general shape of the dependent surface object;
- (b) receive first user input indicating that a surface associativity for the dependent surface object is off;
- (c) in response to the receiving, maintain an association between the dependent surface object and the one or more input objects;
- (d) utilize the association to expose the one or more properties of the dependent surface object;
- and
- (e) display, on a display device communicatively coupled to the computer, the one or more properties for editing by the user;
- wherein the surface modeler is configured to utilize and display by:
- receiving second user input modifying the blend surface in a manner resulting in a loss of continuity between the blend surface and one of the two or more input surface objects;
- and
- in response to the second user input, migrating the blend surface into a different object type that is non-associative.
A computer readable non-transitory storage medium encoded with computer program instructions which when accessed by a computer cause the computer to load the program instructions to a memory therein creating a special purpose data structure causing the computer to operate as a specially programmed surface modeling computer, executing a method of editing surface objects, comprising:
- (a) obtaining, in the specially programmed surface modeling computer, a dependent surface object having one or more properties, wherein:
- (i) the dependent surface object is dependent on one or more input objects;
- (ii) the dependent surface object comprises a blend surface;
- and
- (iii) the one or more input objects comprise two or more input surface objects that establish a continuity condition and a general shape of the dependent surface object;
- (b) receiving, in the specially programmed surface modeling computer, first user input indicating that a surface associativity for the dependent surface object is off;
- (c) in response to the receiving, maintaining, in the specially programmed surface modeling computer, an association between the dependent surface object and the one or more input objects;
- (d) utilizing, in the specially programmed surface modeling computer, the association to expose the one or more properties of the dependent surface object;
- and
- (e) displaying, on a display device communicatively coupled to the specially programmed surface modeling computer, the one or more properties for editing by the user;
- wherein the utilizing and displaying comprises:
- receiving, in the specially programmed surface modeling computer, second user input modifying the blend surface in a manner resulting in a loss of continuity between the blend surface and one of the two or more input surface objects;
- and
- in response to the second user input, migrating, in the specially programmed surface modeling computer, the blend surface into a different object type that is non-associative.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.