Method for the automatic material classification and texture simulation for 3D models

A method of automatically transforming a 3D model image texture, comprising the steps of:

• using a computer system to perform the steps of:
• locating, with one or more processors executing computer executable instructions stored on one or more non-transitory computer readable medium, representations of predetermined structural roof elements in the 3D model image texture, utilizing an edge detection algorithm on the 3D model image texture;
• examining, using computer executable code operated on the computer system, at least a portion of the representations of predetermined structural roof elements in the 3D model image texture, by:
• comparing, with the one or more processors executing computer executable instructions stored on the one or more non-transitory computer readable medium, the representations of predetermined structural roof elements in the 3D model image texture to texture images of entries in a palette of structural roof element textures representing structural roof elements stored on the computer system to determine best matches for the representations of predetermined structural elements;
• assigning, with the one or more processors executing computer executable instructions stored on the one or more non-transitory computer readable medium, the entries in the palette of structural roof element textures with the best match to the structural roof element found in the 3D model image texture;
• and
• inserting, with the one or more processors executing computer executable instructions stored on the one or more non-transitory computer readable medium, material property information about the material from the entries in the palette of structural roof element textures with the best match into a computerized 3D model at the same size and position as the structural roof elements as found in the 3D model image texture by the edge detection algorithm.

A system for automatically transforming a computerized 3D model having portions of images utilized as image textures on one or more physical objects including one or more roofs represented in the computerized 3D model to include material property information for one or more regions of the image textures of the computerized 3D model, the system comprising:

• a computer comprising;
• a processor;
• and
• a non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer executable code that when executed by the processor causes the computer to:
• examine at least a portion of a first image texture having material properties and applied to or to be applied to a roof represented in a computerized 3D model, by comparing the first image texture of the roof of the computerized 3D model to second texture images of material entries in a palette of material entries stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium, the palette of material entries comprising a set of the second texture images, the second texture images associated with material properties of physical roof materials, the material properties having material property information about the physical roof material;
• determine a best match for the first image texture;
• and
• assign the material entry in the palette that best matches the first image texture to the first image texture to indicate a physical roof material of the roof represented by the portion of the first image texture in the computerized 3D model, the non-transitory computer readable medium storing the material property information of a selected material entry in the computerized 3D model.