3-D Screen Menus Using Native Storage Format for CAD
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional user interface frameworks for creating customized menus in CAD applications are limited by their unawareness of the application's native storage format, requiring users to design interfaces from scratch and lacking robust 3-D capabilities, which restricts the reuse of existing content and user interaction in three-dimensional space.
Innovation Solution
The technique involves defining a 3-D menu using elements of a model within the application's native storage format, where commands are associated with these elements, and the application's visualization capabilities are used to manipulate the model in 3-D space to create a desired appearance, with views stored to define the initial menu appearance, allowing for rotation, zooming, and sub-menu navigation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional UI frameworks and toolkits are used to create customized menus, then menu customization is possible, but the frameworks are unaware of the application's native storage format requiring interfaces to be designed from scratch and limiting content reuse
Solution Approach 1:
The system allows users to leverage existing content and the application's native storage format (DGN) to create menus, rather than requiring complete redesign. The menu system serves itself by utilizing the application's existing data structures and storage mechanisms, eliminating the need for separate UI framework abstractions.
Solution Approach 2:
The DGN storage format is used for multiple purposes: storing both CAD project data and menu definitions. This universal approach allows the same native format to serve dual functions, enabling content reuse and eliminating the need for separate UI-specific storage structures.
2Ease of operation
If traditional UI frameworks are used for menu creation, then basic menu functionality is achieved, but 3-D capabilities are limited preventing rotation, zoom, or manipulation in 3-D space
Solution Approach 1:
The menu system transitions from traditional 2-D UI frameworks to full 3-D space manipulation. Users can rotate, zoom, and manipulate menu elements in three-dimensional space using the application's native visualization capabilities, adding a spatial dimension to menu interaction.
Solution Approach 2:
The menu system becomes dynamic and manipulable in real-time. Users can rotate, zoom, and reposition menu elements in 3-D space during operation, rather than being confined to static 2-D layouts. This dynamic capability allows flexible adaptation of menu appearances and interactions.
3Ease of manufacture
If interfaces are designed from scratch using traditional frameworks, then menu functionality is achieved, but significant time is required for design and creation
Solution Approach 1:
Menu definitions are stored in advance within the DGN project files in the application's native format. The menu structures, including 3-D views and element associations, are prepared and saved as part of the project data, allowing for efficient loading and reuse without redesign.
Solution Approach 2:
Users can leverage and reuse existing content and menu definitions stored in the DGN format. Instead of designing interfaces from scratch, users can copy and adapt previously created menu structures and elements, significantly reducing creation time.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, techniques are used to create a customized 3-D menu for controlling an application (e.g., a CAD application) leveraging the application's native storage format to describe the menu's appearance and function. The menu is defined using elements of a model to which commands are associated within the storage format. The elements, upon later display, operate as menu items, whose selection activates the associated command. The application's (e.g., the CAD application's) visualization capabilities may be used to rotate, zoom, or otherwise manipulated the model in in 3-D space to create a desired appearance. A view of the model is then stored within the storage format to defined an initial appearance of the 3-D menu. Upon later display, the view of the 3-D menu is loaded to provide the defined initial appearance.