Method for transferring properties to a CAD model

Abstract

A method for transferring properties to a CAD model (30) is proposed. The method comprises the steps of data-technically defining a plurality (20) of points (2, 3) located in three-dimensional space, hereinafter referred to as "voxels (2, 3)", with predefined properties (I, II, III) representing a (FBM) means of locomotion (10), automatically determining a predefined spatial relationship between the voxels (2, 3) and an element (4') of the CAD model (30), and in response thereto, automatically transferring the properties (I, II, III) of the voxels (2, 3) to the element (4') of the CAD model.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for transferring properties to a CAD model.

[0002] Modern vehicles are becoming increasingly complex, and the number of components they contain is increasing. When components are redesigned or adapted to a successor model, the information they contain, such as part properties, names, etc., must be manually assigned to the new component.

[0003] In computer science, voxels (https: / / de.wikipedia.org / wiki / voxel) are used to spatially describe environments. Voxels represent the environmental information itself. A voxel is defined as a "pixel in space." Each voxel has a predefined position.

[0004] In the current state of the art, components of a CAD model are organized into groups, each of which is assigned a unique name. Each component name can then be assigned a function. In an existing model, the component can then be searched for by name, and the corresponding function can be assigned to the component.

[0005] Based on the aforementioned prior art, it is an object of the present invention to simplify the updating of CAD models. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to populate a current CAD model as comprehensively as possible with the information known from a previous CAD model.

[0006] The aforementioned object is achieved according to the invention by a method for transferring properties to a CAD model. The subclaims describe preferred developments of the invention.

[0007] The transfer of properties to the CAD model can be done automatically, particularly using computer data processing. The transfer can be from an earlier CAD model to a subsequent CAD model. The CAD model can be an evolutionary stage of an earlier CAD model or represent a new vehicle project to be developed based on an earlier vehicle project. In other words, the CAD models can differ from one another geometrically, with regard to the number of components they contain, the distribution of surfaces, the materials used, and many other properties, but they each represent a mutual best possible approximation to define the properties of the new CAD model. In a first step, a large number of points located in three-dimensional space, hereinafter referred to as "voxels," are defined using data processing.The voxels have assigned properties which can be understood as physical / technical properties. A voxel can in particular define several independent properties. The points or voxels encompass a means of transport or a part of it and thus represent it. A predefined spatial relationship between the voxels and an element of the CAD model is then automatically determined. In particular, this can include a spatial relationship, spatial proximity, being inscribed or similar. In other words, a spatial relationship between the voxel and the CAD model can be described. The voxels can contain a relationship to a surface point of a previous CAD model as a property, so that the surface of the subsequent CAD model can automatically receive information based on the surface description and its properties. The spatial relationship orThe predefined spatial relationship between the voxels and the element of the CAD model automatically transfers the properties of the voxels to the element of the (successor) CAD model. The process described above roughly reflects the way the human mind proceeds when it wants to transfer the properties of an earlier model or object to a similar object. The human mind is guided by the spatial relationships between individual elements that are arranged in similar positions. For example, the left and right headlights of an earlier vehicle model are usually arranged in similar positions to the headlights of a subsequent model.The properties are also similar, so that, at least to a first approximation, the properties can be automatically transferred to the successor model according to the procedure described above, thus providing the best possible starting point for any necessary customization / adaptation of the CAD model. An IT or deterministic connection between an earlier element of the (previous) CAD model and the element of the (current) CAD model is therefore not required. The effort typically required by a user for this can be eliminated, making the development process more cost-effective and less time-consuming.

[0008] The properties of the voxels can vary greatly depending on the application, and one or a few properties, as well as a multitude of properties, can be predefined for each voxel. For example, the property "color" and / or a gloss level of a voxel can be particularly interesting for surface descriptions. The opacity or transparency of a point on an object represented by a voxel can also be stored as properties. If the voxel is a component, in particular a surface part, of a light source, the intensity of the light emitted by the voxel or voxels can be predefined. Similarly, a light color / wavelength / spectral composition can be predefined for the voxel. For example, properties can include a main radiation direction for light sources, surface roughness, surface conductivity, a heat transfer coefficient, or similar.Optical reflection properties, surface finishes, corrosion resistance, or incompatibilities with other chemical substances and compositions can also be defined. The voxel can have a property that identifies the material, its mass, its density, and its thermal / electrical conductivity. For data processing, specifications for converting a mathematically described surface to a reduced form can be described, for example, to optimize display speeds.

[0009] The element can be a component of an assembly of a means of transport. For example, a headlight and / or a taillight and / or a lighting device and / or a user interface and / or an engine and / or a braking system or something else can be predefined as an assembly. In particular, the element is made of a respective material and combined with other elements to form the assembly. During the modernization of a CAD model, an assembly can be represented / defined by a smaller or larger number of elements. In this way, complete inheritance of all properties by the element of the subsequent CAD model can potentially result in difficulties and coordination effort. Similarly, an element of an earlier model can be broken down or split into several elements of a subsequent CAD model.In this case, the inheritance of properties can occur automatically, and a (manual) correction by a user can be automatically initiated, or the properties of the successor element can initially be left blank to avoid filling them with incorrect information. In this way, at least the names / functions / function groups of a previous CAD model can be inherited / transferred to a new CAD model with the information they contain. This reduces the effort required to create an updated CAD model.

[0010] The voxels have a fixed spatial assignment and can be automatically derived from the earlier CAD model. Properties of a voxel can be defined depending on the position of an earlier element, in particular on a property of the earlier element. If a voxel is located within an earlier element or within an earlier assembly, it can be assumed that in the event of a (at least slight) deviation in the shape of the element or assembly in the subsequent CAD model, the element that is spatially closest to or inscribed in the voxels in the subsequent CAD model will adopt the information from the voxels. In this way, a weighting or probability assessment can be carried out automatically such that the voxels closest to the new assembly have the highest probability of successfully and correctly assigning the properties assigned to them to the element or assembly.to inherit the assembly and voxels further away from the element / assembly have a lower probability of matching / correctly inheriting their properties to the element / assembly.

[0011] Preferably, the position of the voxels can be defined based on the surface geometry of the previous element. Voxels always have the same position in space. The optimization according to the invention consists in omitting "empty" voxels that do not intersect anything. For example, for a simplified or data-reduced description of a previous model, only the set of inscribed voxels can be transferred to the new model, and an attempt can be made to transfer the properties to the subsequent CAD model. If the voxels are assigned sufficiently clearly to the elements / assemblies of the subsequent CAD model, further use or evaluation of voxels can be omitted. This reduces the required computing power and processing time.If there is insufficient correspondence / assignment of the voxels to the assemblies / elements, a particularly large amount of data, including voxels located beneath the surfaces, can be transferred to the subsequent CAD model. The predefined spatial relationship between the voxels and the element of the (subsequent) CAD model can be a minimum spatial distance, in particular a distance of 0 mm. The distance can be understood, for example, as a geometric distance. In other words, the voxel can be assigned to the element within which it is located or to which it is spatially closest.

[0012] The voxels can be understood as independent units of observation. In other words, relationships between voxels are defined at best by their properties, while a model-based connection to a neighboring voxel is essentially nonexistent. The neighborhood relationship between voxels is well known, but neighboring voxels do not necessarily have the same properties, especially if neighboring voxels have connections to different components. Spatial proximity and similar properties (material, conductance, color, component name, etc.) indicate that the voxels were assigned to an identical element in the previous CAD model and (presumably) can also be assigned to the same element or assembly in the subsequent CAD model.

[0013] Preferably, it can be determined that a first voxel and a second voxel with different properties are related to one and the same element of the (subsequent) CAD model in the predefined spatial relationship. In other words, the element was represented in the earlier CAD model by two separate (property-wise different) voxels, while in the subsequent CAD model, two elements are merged, which now (presumably) have the same voxel or the same property. The contradiction is resolved according to the invention by issuing a message to the user to the effect that either - the properties of the element of the CAD model must be checked by the user, since they were automatically merged or it was automatically decided which property of the previous CAD model prevails, - or a message is issued stating that the user must independently provide the (incomplete) element of the CAD model with the properties of the first voxel and / or the second voxel.

[0014] Such a transfer of properties can preferably be accompanied by a pop-up prompting the user to enter or review the data. This prevents automatically merging properties or the assertion of one property over another from leading to incorrect results that the user could have corrected.

[0015] The aforementioned messages / popups to the user or procedures can also be applied accordingly for splitting an element in the previous CAD model into two elements in the subsequent CAD model. In this case, the properties of the previous model or the voxels representing it can either be automatically inherited by both subsequent elements, or the property is not transferred or is not transferred to both subsequent elements, forcing a decision by the user (possibly at a later time).

[0016] The data-based definition of the plurality of voxels can involve filling a three-dimensional spatial grid with the properties in the manner of a 3D matrix. In other words, equidistant or immediately adjacent voxels are defined, which, depending on their spatial position, inherit the properties of the elements located at their positions. As already explained above, however, the voxels represent the contents of individual cells independently of the other cells and, in particular, do not form overarching components or the like.

[0017] Further features and combinations of features of the present invention are given below by way of example and without any limiting significance: A space can be divided into voxels. Each voxel is uniquely identifiable by its 3D coordinate. If, for example, a vehicle geometry is positioned in this voxel grid, all components can be located by their intersection with the voxel grids. In other words, the voxels represent the respective position of a component part. Using an assignment table, a function can be assigned to each voxel. The voxel passes this function or these properties (e.g. material, animation, in particular a change over time due to the development process) on to the components that intersect it. The voxel serves as an interface or communication tool between a component and a function of an earlier model for the transmission of information to a subsequent model. The voxels can be named uniquely using a triplet (e.g. (10, 2, 50)). In this way, the voxels discretize the space.The use of voxels as a communication layer (link) between geometry and function is a core aspect of the technology disclosed here. Geometry and / or functions can be exchanged independently without losing the assignment logic. The communication layer according to the invention uses a permissible degree of imprecision when transferring information from a component of a previous geometry to a component of a subsequent geometry. Specific functions can be assigned to the voxels, and they intersect the vehicle geometry (mesh / nurbs). The geometries of the models, in turn, are often combined into "components" / groups. For example, a headlight consists of several surfaces (mesh / nurbs). This allows entire component groups to be functionally identified by the sum of the intersecting voxels. Furthermore, specifications can be assigned to the voxels, which can also be referred to as specification voxels or vo-voxels.These default voxels could, for example, be "Germany fog lights, Section 52, Paragraph 1 of the Road Traffic Licensing Regulations (StVZO)." The entire model can then be filtered according to this default voxel, and only the components located within the default space can be displayed. One goal of the technology disclosed here is to simplify or entirely automate the data model and functional assignment for the component. Furthermore, the default voxels can be used during the design / construction process to ensure that the specification is adhered to. Name assignment can also be facilitated or automated using the voxel grid of the technology disclosed here. Vehicle geometries can be generated in a standard coordinate system. If the surrounding space is voxelized, areas can be assigned special functions or specific functions.With minor data updates, the position of elements remains unchanged, only their shape. For example, if elements of a headlight are assigned a specific brightness or different brightnesses using a voxel grid, these can be set analogously even after replacing the geometry or transferred to a subsequent model / geometry. An alternative is to assign a fixed name to components. A search is then performed across all components. If the names match, a function can be assigned.

[0018] The invention is explained in more detail below using exemplary embodiments. They show: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of an embodiment of a method according to the invention for transferring properties to a CAD model; and Fig. 2 a flowchart illustrating steps of an embodiment of a corresponding method.

[0019] Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a method according to the invention for transferring properties from a previous CAD model 10 of an assembly 7 comprising a gear 6 and a further gear consisting of a gear rim 4 and a rim 5 to a subsequent CAD model 30 of a modified assembly 7' comprising the gear 6 and a one-piece variant of the gear 4'. Two exemplary positions in the assembly 7 are selected as components of a plurality of 20 points located in three-dimensional space in the form of voxels 2, 3. The voxels 2, 3 are contained in a three-dimensional spatial grid 8, in which the assembly 7 is, so to speak, inscribed. The voxels 2, 3 have properties I to VI and are arranged at positions X2, Y2, Z2 and X3, Y3, Z3, respectively. Due to the spatial relationship between assembly 7 and the modified assembly 7', properties I to VI could be automatically transferred to the one-piece gear 4'.However, due to the one-piece design, a decision must be made as to which of the properties I to III or IV to VI are to be inherited by the one-piece gear 4'. A message (not shown) is issued to the user for this purpose. The user must decide which properties are to be inherited.

[0020] Fig.2 shows a flowchart illustrating steps of an embodiment of a method according to the invention for transferring information and properties to a CAD model. In a first step 100, a plurality of voxels located in three-dimensional space are defined using data technology. These voxels can be defined and provided with physical / technical properties based on their position, which correlates with a point of an element of a previous CAD model. In other words, properties are assigned to specific spatial points within the model of a means of transport. In step 200, a predefined spatial relationship between the voxels and an element of the CAD model is automatically determined. In other words, it is ensured that the voxels have the smallest logical or structural / spatial distance from the element under consideration.If it is determined that an ambiguity exists, in other words, for example, that a voxel could be assigned to a first or a second element of the CAD model, or if it is determined that two voxels with different properties could inherit one and the same element of the CAD model, a message is output to a user in step 300, prompting them to resolve the ambiguity. Finally, in step 400, it is ensured that the properties of the voxels are automatically transferred to the element of the CAD model. In other words, the element of the (updated) CAD model receives a property that is predefined by the voxels. In this way, properties of a first CAD model can be transferred to a second (more recent) CAD model based on a spatial relationship. This facilitates data maintenance and the creation of updated CAD models. List of reference symbols 2, 3 voxels 4 sprocket 4' one-piece element 5 rim 6 gear 7 Assembly 7' modified assembly 8 3D spatial grids 10 CAD model 20 multitude voxels 30 modified CAD model 100 to 400 process steps I to VI Properties X, Y, Z position / coordinates

Claims

[1] Method for transferring properties to a CAD model (30) comprising the steps: - data-technical definition (100) of a plurality (20) of points (2, 3) located in three-dimensional space, hereinafter referred to as "voxels (2, 3)", with predefined properties (I, II, III) representing a (FBM) means of transport (10), - automatically determining (200) a predefined spatial relationship between the voxels (2, 3) and an element (4') of the CAD model (30) and in response thereto - automatic transfer (400) of the properties (I, II, III) of the voxels (2, 3) to the element (4') of the CAD model. [2] The method of claim 1, wherein the properties (I, II, III) comprise: - a color and / or - an intensity of a light emitted by the voxels (2, 3) and / or - an electrical resistance. [3] Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the element (4') is a component of an assembly (7'). [4] Method according to claim 3, wherein the assembly (7') - a headlight and / or - a rear light and / or - Lighting device and / or - User interface - tbc. is or includes. [5] Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the definition is carried out on the basis of a previous CAD model (10). [6] Method according to claim 5, wherein the voxels (2, 3) are automatically derived from the previous CAD model (10) and a position (X2, Y2, Z2, X3, Y3, Z3) of the voxels (2, 3) is defined as a function of a position of a previous element (5), in particular also a property (IV, V, VI) of the previous element (5). [7] Method according to claim 6, wherein the position of the voxels (2, 3) is defined on the basis of a surface geometry of the previous element (5). [8] Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the predefined spatial relationship between the voxels (2, 3) and the element (4') of the CAD model (30) is a smallest spatial distance, in particular a distance of 0 mm. [9] Method according to one of the preceding claims further comprising - Determining that a first voxel (2) and a second voxel (3) with different properties are in the predefined spatial relationship to an element (4') of the CAD model (30) and in response thereto - Outputting (300) a message to a user and / or - Assigning the properties of the first voxel (2) to the element (4') of the CAD model (30). [10] Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the data-technical definition of the plurality of voxels (2, 3) comprises filling a three-dimensional spatial grid (8) with the properties (I, II, III, IV, V, VI) and in particular does not produce any components spanning cells of the spatial grid (8).

Images