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US 9,177,422 B2Granted
Method for generating regular elements in a computer-aided design drawing
AssigneeAutodesk, Inc.
InventorsPaul Joseph McArdle, Lang Sheng Yun
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The process of generating regular elements in a CAD drawing is accelerated by providing a CAD designer with graphical user interface (GUI) tools to generate regular elements for a CAD drawing interactively, dynamically, and in real-time. The GUI tools allow the CAD designer to preview the regular elements that he or she will be adding to the CAD drawing and modify the number of regular elements to be added interactively and in real-time.
Claims21
A computerized method for automatically generating supporting structures for architectures using a graphical drawing computer program, comprising the steps of:
- displaying a graphical representation of a data object associated with an architecture that requires structural support by supporting structures;
- receiving a selection from a user of one of a plurality of supporting structure types;
- generating a layout for the architecture that comprises a plurality of the selected supporting structure type arranged in a formation that is based upon both a position of an input device of the user within the graphical representation of the data object and a plurality of configurable properties relating to the selected supporting structure type;
- automatically overlaying a graphical preview of the generated layout on the graphical representation of the data object, wherein the graphical preview indicates which of the configurable properties included in the plurality of configurable properties are selected, and wherein the graphical preview does not occlude the graphical representation of the data object;
- receiving an update from the user indicating which properties included in the plurality of configurable properties are selected while the graphical representation of the data object and the graphical preview that is overlaid on the graphical representation of the data object are displayed;
- and
- updating the graphical representation of the data object and graphical preview that is overlaid on the graphical representation of the data object based upon both a position of the input device of the user within the graphical representation of the data object and the update received from the user.
4 more elements
A computer readable medium including instructions for a graphical drawing computer program that, when executed by a processing unit of a computer system, causes the processing unit automatically generate supporting structures for architectures, by performing the steps of:
- displaying a graphical representation of a data object associated with an architecture that requires structural support by supporting structures;
- receiving a selection from a user of one of a plurality of supporting structure types;
- generating a layout for the architecture that comprises a plurality of the selected supporting structure type arranged in a formation that is based upon both a position of an input device of the user within the graphical representation of the data object and a plurality of configurable properties relating to the selected supporting structure type;
- automatically overlaying a graphical preview of the generated layout on the graphical representation of the data object, wherein the graphical preview indicates which of the configurable properties included in the plurality of configurable properties are selected, and wherein the graphical preview does not occlude the graphical representation of the data object;
- receiving an update from the user indicating which properties included in the plurality of configurable properties are selected while the graphical representation of the data object and the graphical preview that is overlaid on the graphical representation of the data object are displayed;
- and
- updating the graphical representation of the data object and graphical preview that is overlaid on the graphical representation of the data object based upon both a position of the input device of the user within the graphical representation of the data object and the update received from the user.
4 more elements
A computer system adapted to execute a graphical drawing computer program to automatically generate supporting structures for architectures comprising:
- a display device for displaying a graphical user interface of the computer graphics drawing program;
- an input device enabling a user to interact with the graphical user interface;
- and
- a processing unit configured to execute the graphical drawing computer program by performing the steps of:
- displaying, in the graphical user interface, a graphical representation of a data object associated with an architecture that requires structural support by supporting structures,
- receiving a selection from the user, through the input device, of one of a plurality of supporting structure types,
- generating a layout for the architecture that comprises a plurality of the selected supporting structure type arranged in a formation that is based upon a position of the input device of the user within the graphical representation of the data object and a plurality of configurable properties relating to the selected supporting structure type,
- automatically overlaying a graphical preview of the generated layout on the graphical representation of the data object, wherein the graphical preview indicates which of the configurable properties included in the plurality of configurable properties are selected, and wherein the graphical preview does not occlude the graphical representation of the data object,
- receiving an update from the user indicating which properties included in the plurality of configurable properties are selected while the graphical representation of the data object and the graphical preview that is overlaid on the graphical representation of the data object are displayed, and
- updating the graphical representation of the data object and graphical preview that is overlaid on the graphical representation of the data object based upon both a position of the input device of the user within the graphical representation of the data object and the update received from the user.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.