3D Sketch Wrapping on Complex Surfaces With Reduced Distortion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current CAD software systems face limitations in wrapping a 2D sketch onto 3D models, particularly with non-developable surfaces, leading to issues like distortion, incomplete geometries, and support for only surfaces of revolution, resulting in low-quality and inefficient product design.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that directly transforms a 2D sketch onto a 3D model using a marching algorithm, allowing mapping of a 2D grid onto a 3D model without flattening, supporting a wide range of surface types, including non-developable surfaces, and producing high-quality, distortion-reduced results.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a 2D sketch is wrapped onto a 3D model using traditional flattening methods, then the wrapping process is simple, but distortion occurs especially on non-developable surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional 2D flattening to a 3D-based wrapping approach. Instead of flattening the 3D model to 2D and then applying the sketch, the system creates a 3D grid that wraps around the model and evaluates the 2D sketch onto this 3D grid, preserving spatial relationships and eliminating distortion on complex surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a 3D grid as an intermediary structure between the 2D sketch and the 3D model. The grid serves as a mediator that captures the model's geometry and allows the sketch to be evaluated and projected accurately onto the complex surface without direct flattening.
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional wrapping methods are used, then the process works for simple surfaces, but it fails or produces low quality results on non-developable surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal wrapping system that works across all surface types including developable, non-developable, and complex geometries. The 3D grid-based approach and marching algorithm provide a unified method that adapts to any surface topology, replacing multiple specialized techniques with a single versatile solution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental parameters of the wrapping approach by working in 3D space rather than 2D, using a marching algorithm that iteratively evaluates the sketch onto the 3D grid. This parameter change enables accurate wrapping on surfaces that were previously intractable.
3Productivity
If the entire model is flattened for wrapping, then the sketch can be applied, but time-consuming processing and loss of geometric accuracy occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary geometric information needed for wrapping by creating a 3D grid that samples the model's surface, rather than flattening the entire model. The marching algorithm efficiently evaluates the sketch onto this sampled grid, avoiding the computationally expensive global flattening operation.
4Productivity
If traditional wrapping is used on non-developable surfaces, then the process is fast, but incomplete geometries and distortion result
Solution Approach 1:
The marching algorithm continuously evaluates the 2D sketch onto the 3D grid by marching through the grid cells in sequence, ensuring complete coverage of the target surface. This continuous evaluation process maintains geometric completeness while operating efficiently on complex non-developable surfaces.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-based method is disclosed of wrapping a two-dimensional (2D) sketch onto a three-dimensional (3D) model. The method includes placing the 2D sketch onto a 2D grid, transforming the 2D grid to an initial location relative to the 3D model, mapping the 2D grid onto the 3D model to produce a 3D grid wrapped around the 3D model, evaluating the 2D sketch onto the 3D grid to produce a 3D image wrapped around the 3D model, wherein the 3D image wrapped around the 3D model corresponds to (e.g., has a similar appearance to, and was generated from) the 2D sketch, and creating one or more curves on the 3D model by projecting the 3D image onto the 3D model.