Automatic CAD Ballooning with Non-Intersecting Leaders
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Solution Overview
Problem
The process of ballooning in computer-aided design (CAD) is labor-intensive and time-consuming, especially with complex assembly drawings, as it requires manual adjustment of balloon positions and pairings to avoid intersecting leaders, which becomes increasingly difficult and costly as the number of components increases.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for automatic ballooning that arrange balloons along a polygon enclosing a region of anchor points, iteratively attaching each balloon to an anchor point by leaders without creating intersections, using techniques such as dividing the region into sub-regions and calculating angles to determine optimal attachments, thereby eliminating the need for conflict checking and reducing complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual ballooning is performed to ensure no intersecting leaders, then the assembly drawing becomes legible and decipherable, but the process becomes labor intensive and time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically performs the ballooning task itself by computing optimal balloon positions and leader routing without human intervention. The algorithm self-determines the arrangement that avoids leader intersections, eliminating the need for manual adjustment while ensuring legibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical process of dragging and dropping balloons and adjusting leaders is replaced by an automated computational system. The computer calculates optimal positions using algorithms that consider spatial relationships and leader routing, substituting human manual operations with automated digital processing.
2Quantity of substance
If the number of components in an assembly drawing increases, then the detail and complexity of the design increases, but the time and effort required for ballooning increases disproportionately
Solution Approach 1:
The assembly drawing is divided into multiple regions or zones, and balloons are arranged systematically within each region. The automated system processes components region-by-region rather than as a single complex whole, making the ballooning process scalable to large numbers of components without proportional increases in difficulty.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the approach from manual trial-and-error adjustment to algorithmic computation based on spatial parameters. By using computational geometry and optimization algorithms, the system efficiently handles increasing component counts by systematically evaluating positional parameters rather than relying on manual intuition and adjustment.
3Extent of automation
If conventional automatic ballooning is used, then balloons are created and placed automatically, but leaders may intersect requiring manual repositioning
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary planning of balloon positions and leader routing before final placement. By pre-calculating the optimal arrangement that avoids intersections, the system eliminates the need for subsequent manual repositioning, making the automation complete and the final operation straightforward.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the spatial configuration of components and balloons to iteratively optimize leader routing. The algorithm evaluates potential leader paths, detects potential intersections, and adjusts balloon positions or leader routes accordingly, ensuring no intersections occur while maintaining automatic operation.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are described for ballooning an assembly drawing of a computer aided design. In one implementation, a set of anchor points is received and a set of balloons is arranged along a polygon enclosing a region including the set of anchor points. The set of balloons is iterated through, and the balloons in the set of balloons are attached to anchor points in the set of anchor points by leaders. Upon completion of one iteration no two leaders intersect.