A method for batch creation of custom annotations based on CATIA V6 engineering drawings

Abstract

This invention provides a method for batch creation of custom annotations in CATIA V6 engineering drawings. Its key feature is the use of the Label function in the CATIA V6 engineering drawing module to create a custom annotation template library, followed by the use of an EKL secondary development program to achieve batch creation of custom annotations. This invention enables batch creation of custom annotations in engineering drawings, offering a simple, convenient, and fast operation that significantly improves efficiency. It avoids repetitive work and reduces the waste of human resources. Furthermore, it avoids problems such as errors, omissions, and duplicate annotations caused by manual annotation. This invention enables the customization and standardization of various annotation styles, allowing for rapid response to changing enterprise needs. This invention ensures the accuracy of annotation information and styles, saving users time spent manually creating and filling in content. This invention also enables automatic updates to engineering drawings, reducing the heavy workload of checking and modifying changes caused by model alterations and ensuring the quality of the drawings.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a method for annotating engineering drawings, and more particularly to a method for batch creation of custom annotations based on CATIA V6 engineering drawings. Background Technology

[0002] CATIA V6 is an integrated CAD / CAE / CAM software released by Dassault Systèmes, widely used in aerospace, automotive manufacturing, shipbuilding, machinery manufacturing, electronics / electrical appliances, mechanical design, and consumer goods industries. EKL is the native embedded scripting language of the CATIA V6 platform. It is extremely flexible and convenient to use, with a relatively low learning curve. Users can operate not only through its commonly used formulas, rules, checks, design tables, knowledge engineering arrays, behaviors, and other knowledge engineering tools, but also by accessing a large number of knowledge packages encapsulated in the Knowledge Package, greatly improving design and development efficiency. CATIA V6's Drafting module enables designers to obtain 2D engineering drawings that are fully related to the 3D solid model. CATIA V6's native functions provide simple dimensioning (length, radius, angle, etc.), text box annotation (with customizable text content and the ability to associate with a specific attribute), tolerance annotation, and symbol annotation.

[0003] Labels used in engineering drawings are a set of reusable geometries and annotations. In CATIA V6, label templates can be created using 2D component references or other labels, and then reused to create the required number of label instances. Once a label instance is created, there is no longer any link between the label instance and the label template. Therefore, modifications made to label template properties or annotation properties within the label template during label instance creation will not be reflected in the label instance.

[0004] Taking ship design engineering drawings as an example, these drawings contain a large number of annotations that require customization, such as... Figure 1 As shown. Currently, the following two methods are commonly used to create this type of annotation:

[0005] The first method involves creating these annotations using a non-label format, which requires a combination of text box annotations, sketch tools, and other elements, consuming a significant amount of the designer's time.

[0006] The second method involves creating these annotations using labels. Designers first need to determine the style of the annotation to be created, then select a matching label template from the label library and instantiate it in the drawing, and finally assign the correct annotation content to the instantiated label.

[0007] The second method is more efficient than the first, but it still requires manual operation, and the large amount of repetitive work results in very low drafting efficiency. It should also be noted that manual annotation is prone to errors, omissions, and duplicate annotations, affecting design quality. Furthermore, changes to the annotation content cannot be updated promptly.

[0008] The technical content disclosed in existing patents, such as the invention patent application with publication number CN 111696174A, the invention patent application with publication number CN 114398507A, and the invention patent application with publication number CN 114462111A, has the following defects: (1) it does not conform to the custom annotation style target of this application; (2) it is not applicable to ship design engineering drawing examples; and (3) it cannot be implemented in CATIA V6. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The technical problems to be solved by the present invention are: (1) the existing engineering icon annotation method requires personnel to judge the custom annotation style; (2) the annotation information of the existing engineering icon annotation method needs to be filled in manually; (3) in the existing engineering icon annotation method, personnel need to manually update after design changes; (4) the native function of CATIA V6 cannot realize batch custom annotation.

[0010] To address the aforementioned technical problems, the present invention provides a method for batch creation of custom annotations based on CATIA V6 engineering drawings. The method is characterized by using the label function of the CATIA V6 engineering drawing module to create a custom annotation template library, and then employing an EKL secondary development program to achieve batch creation of custom annotations. Specifically, the method includes the following steps:

[0011] S1. Configure a complete Label custom annotation template library;

[0012] S2. Use the CATIA V6 platform to complete the 3D modeling;

[0013] S3. Create a projection view associated with the 3D model;

[0014] S4. The EKL secondary development program uses the label templates in the Label custom annotation template library configured in step S1 to create label instances in batches, forming custom annotations for the projection view.

[0015] Preferably, in step S1, the Label custom annotation template library is the engineering drawing master node in CATIA V6.

[0016] Preferably, in step S1, a template for the custom style is created using the 2D component reference in the overall node of the engineering drawing based on all custom annotation styles. After the 2D component reference is created, a label template is created using the label function.

[0017] Preferably, in step S4, after the tag instance is created, there is no longer any link between it and the tag template, and modifications made to the tag template characteristics or the annotation characteristics in the tag template will not be reflected in the tag instance.

[0018] Preferably, after step S4, the method further includes:

[0019] S5. After the design changes, run the EKL secondary development program to update the custom annotations, avoiding duplicate annotations. For newly added elements, create new annotations; for existing annotations, update the text box content.

[0020] Preferably, the implementation of the EKL secondary development program includes the following steps:

[0021] Step 401: Start the EKL secondary development program;

[0022] Step 402: Traverse all the primitives in the projected view;

[0023] Step 403: Trace the three-dimensional components in the associated three-dimensional model from the primitive;

[0024] Step 404: Based on the type of the 3D component and the annotation rules, read the standard information that needs to be annotated for the 3D component;

[0025] Step 405: If the current graphic element already has annotation information, perform the update operation and proceed to step 408; otherwise, proceed to step 406 and create a new custom annotation.

[0026] Step 406: Create a new annotation;

[0027] Step 407: Fill in the annotation content;

[0028] Step 408: End the program.

[0029] Preferably, in step 404, the type of the three-dimensional component is obtained through type conversion.

[0030] Preferably, in step 405, a custom annotation with a unique ID value is embedded in the three-dimensional component. The EKL secondary development program reads the ID parameter value. If the current element in the current projection view has a custom annotation with the ID value, it means that the current element has been annotated; otherwise, it means that the current element does not have annotation information.

[0031] Preferably, in step 406, a corresponding Label custom annotation template is instantiated at the specified drawing position according to the three-dimensional component type and annotation rules. This Label custom annotation template is referenced from the Label custom annotation template library in step S1.

[0032] Preferably, in step 407, the label content in the text box of the Label custom label template is filled in according to the labeling rules.

[0033] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0034] A) This invention enables batch creation of custom annotations on engineering drawings. The operation is simple, convenient, and fast, greatly improving efficiency. It avoids repetitive work and reduces the waste of human resources. Furthermore, it avoids problems such as annotation errors, missing annotations, omissions, and duplicate annotations caused by manual annotation.

[0035] B) Based on the label function, this invention enables the customization and standardization of various label styles. This innovative method and procedure can quickly respond to changes in enterprise needs.

[0036] C) This invention automatically reads the type and information of three-dimensional components through a program and incorporates annotation rules, ensuring the accuracy of annotation information and annotation style, and saving users time in manually creating and filling in content.

[0037] D) This invention enables automatic updating of engineering drawings, reduces the heavy inspection and modification work caused by model changes, and ensures the quality of drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0038] Figure 1 This illustrates that there are many customizable annotations in ship design engineering drawings;

[0039] Figure 2 Flowchart for batch creation of custom annotations in CATIA V6 engineering drawings;

[0040] Figure 3 Flowchart for EKL secondary development program;

[0041] Figure 4 This demonstrates a custom Label template;

[0042] Figure 5 This illustrates the 3D model created using the CATIA V6 platform.

[0043] Figure 6 It indicates that Figure 5 Related projected views;

[0044] Figure 7The annotation results are shown; Detailed Implementation

[0045] The sizes and proportions shown in the accompanying drawings are merely illustrative and intended to complement the descriptions herein. They are not intended to limit the implementation conditions of the invention and do not affect the effectiveness of the invention. The positional relationships such as "upper," "lower," "inner," and "outer" used in this specification are for ease of description only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Changes in these relative relationships, without substantially altering the technical content, are also considered to be within the scope of the invention's implementation.

[0046] This invention discloses a method for batch creation of custom annotations based on CATIA V6 engineering drawings. It utilizes the Label function of the CATIA V6 engineering drawing module to create a custom annotation template library, and then employs an EKL secondary development program to achieve batch creation of custom annotations. This embodiment uses the batch creation of custom annotations on ship design engineering drawings as an example to further illustrate the invention.

[0047] like Figure 2 As shown, the method disclosed in this embodiment includes the following steps:

[0048] S1. Configure a complete Label custom annotation template library, which further includes the following steps:

[0049] Step 101: The Label custom annotation template library is the Drawing master node in CATIA V6. Based on all custom annotation styles, create a custom style template using 2D Component references in this Drawing master node, such as... Figure 4 As shown, taking the ship T-section profile labeling template as an example, the labeling consists of two text boxes plus sketch line segments.

[0050] Step 102: After the 2D part reference is created, use the Label function to create a LabelReference. This LabelReference is then provided to the EKL secondary development program for reuse in creating the required number of LabelInstances. Once a LabelInstance is created, there is no longer any link between it and the LabelReference. Therefore, modifications made to the LabelReference's properties or annotation properties within the LabelReference will not be reflected in the LabelInstances.

[0051] S2. Use the CATIA V6 platform to complete 3D modeling, such as... Figure 5 As shown, this embodiment creates a three-dimensional model of a certain cross-section of a ship. Each component of the three-dimensional model needs to contain all the annotation information, including: attribute information, size information, type information, material information, etc.

[0052] S3. Create projection views related to the 3D model, such as Figure 6 As shown, all elements in the engineering drawing are associated with the 3D model, meaning that the corresponding 3D component can be traced from the 2D element.

[0053] S4. Use the EKL secondary development program provided by this invention to batch create custom annotations for engineering drawings, combined with... Figure 3 Please see Figure 3 The specific process of EKL secondary development includes the following steps:

[0054] Step 401: Start the EKL secondary development program;

[0055] Step 402: Use a For loop to iterate through all the elements in the projected view;

[0056] Step 403: Use the function "GetFeatureFromGenItem" to trace the 3D components in the associated 3D model from the primitive;

[0057] Step 404: Obtain the type of the 3D component through type conversion, and combine it with the annotation rules to obtain the information that the 3D component needs to be annotated using functions or type attribute methods such as "GetAttributeString" and "GetAttributeLength";

[0058] Step 405: Determine whether the current graphic element has been labeled. The principle is as follows: A custom label with a unique ID value is embedded in the 3D component. The EKL secondary development program reads the ID parameter value. If a custom label with the ID value exists in the projected view, an update operation is performed and then the process proceeds to step 408. Otherwise, the process proceeds to step 406 to create a new custom label.

[0059] Step 406, Create a new operation:

[0060] Based on the type of 3D component and the annotation rules, instantiate the corresponding Label custom annotation template at its specified drawing position. The Label custom annotation template is referenced from the Label custom annotation template library in step S1.

[0061] Step 407: Fill in the annotation content:

[0062] In the text box of the Label custom annotation template, fill in the annotation content in the corresponding format according to the annotation rules;

[0063] Step 408: End the program. The final annotation result is as follows: Figure 7 As shown.

[0064] S5. After the design changes, run the EKL secondary development program to update the custom annotations, avoiding duplicate annotations. For newly added elements, create new annotations; for existing annotations, update the text box content.

Claims

1. A method for batch creation of custom annotations based on CATIA V6 engineering drawings, characterized in that, Use the Label function of the CATIA V6 drawing module to create a custom annotation template library, and then use the EKL secondary development program to realize the batch creation of custom annotations. The specific steps include: S1. Configure a complete Label custom annotation template library; S2. Use the CATIA V6 platform to complete the 3D modeling; S3. Create a projection view associated with the 3D model; S4. The EKL secondary development program uses the label templates in the Label custom annotation template library configured in step S1 to create label instances in batches, forming custom annotations for the projected view. The implementation of the EKL secondary development program includes the following steps: Step 401: Start the EKL secondary development program; Step 402: Traverse all the primitives in the projected view; Step 403: Trace the three-dimensional components in the associated three-dimensional model from the primitive; Step 404: Based on the type of the 3D component and the annotation rules, read the standard information that needs to be annotated for the 3D component; Step 405: If the current graphic element already has annotation information, perform the update operation and proceed to step 408; otherwise, proceed to step 406 and create a new custom annotation. In step 405, a custom annotation with a unique ID value is embedded in the three-dimensional component. The EKL secondary development program reads the ID parameter value. If the current element in the current projection view has a custom annotation with the ID value, it means that the current element has been annotated; otherwise, it means that the current element does not have annotation information. Step 406: Create a new annotation; In step 406, a corresponding Label custom annotation template is instantiated at the specified drawing position according to the three-dimensional component type and annotation rules. This Label custom annotation template is referenced from the Label custom annotation template library in step S1. Step 407: Fill in the annotation content; Step 408: End the program.

2. The method for batch creation of custom annotations based on CATIA V6 engineering drawings as described in claim 1, characterized in that, In step S1, the Label custom annotation template library is the engineering drawing master node in CATIA V6.

3. The method for batch creation of custom annotations based on CATIA V6 engineering drawings as described in claim 2, characterized in that, In step S1, based on all custom annotation styles, a template for the custom style is created using the 2D component reference in the overall node of the engineering drawing. After the 2D component reference is created, a label template is created using the label function.

4. The method for batch creation of custom annotations based on CATIA V6 engineering drawings as described in claim 1, characterized in that, In step S4, after the tag instance is created, there is no longer any link between it and the tag template, and modifications made to the tag template characteristics or the annotation characteristics in the tag template will not be reflected in the tag instance.

5. The method for batch creation of custom annotations based on CATIA V6 engineering drawings as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The process following step S4 also includes: S5. After the design changes, run the EKL secondary development program to update the custom annotations, avoiding duplicate annotations. For newly added elements, create new annotations; for existing annotations, update the text box content.

6. The method for batch creation of custom annotations based on CATIA V6 engineering drawings as described in claim 1, characterized in that, In step 404, the type of the three-dimensional component is obtained through type conversion.

7. The method for batch creation of custom annotations based on CATIA V6 engineering drawings as described in claim 1, characterized in that, In step 407, fill in the annotation content in the text box of the Label custom annotation template according to the annotation rules.

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