CAD Geometry Simplification via Feature Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for simplifying complex or minute geometries in CAD models are inefficient, often requiring manual intervention and failing to create accurate simplification models due to issues with surface mesh creation and threshold value settings, leading to excessive processing complexity or coarse simplification.
Innovation Solution
A geometry simplification apparatus and method that extracts similar features based on recorded geometrical and topological information, allowing for automated simplification by defining a narrowed-down range for simplification, thereby reducing manual effort and improving processing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If surface meshes are created for complicated geometry with existing methods, then geometry simplification can be performed, but surface meshes cannot often be created successfully
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the complicated geometry into multiple simplified parts by identifying and extracting simple geometric features (planes, cylinders, cones, spheres) from the CAD model. Each simple part is processed independently, avoiding the need to create surface meshes for the entire complicated geometry at once, thus resolving the mesh creation failure issue while maintaining simplification accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If the angle threshold for grouping surface meshes is set lower, then more accurate partial surface meshes are formed, but many minute partial surface meshes are formed complicating subsequent processing
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the approach from using angle thresholds for mesh grouping to directly identifying simple geometric features based on their mathematical definitions. By parameterizing geometric features (plane equations, cylinder radii, cone angles, sphere centers), the method achieves accurate grouping without creating excessive minute meshes, thus reducing processing complexity while maintaining precision.
3Productivity
If the angle threshold for grouping surface meshes is set higher, then fewer partial surface meshes are formed, but features that should be grouped into different partial surface meshes are recognized as the same
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the angle threshold parameter with precise geometric parameter matching (distance, radius, angle, position). This allows for efficient processing by directly comparing geometric parameters rather than iteratively grouping meshes, achieving both high productivity and accurate feature grouping without the trade-off present in the conventional method.
4Manufacturing precision
If manual simplification is performed for each similar geometry, then accurate simplification is achieved, but it takes a lot of effort and time
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts geometric parameters from manually simplified features and uses these parameters to automatically identify and simplify similar features throughout the model. By copying the simplification logic and applying it systematically to all matching geometries, the method achieves manual-level accuracy while dramatically reducing the time and effort required.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs automatic simplification by having the CAD model itself provide the geometric parameters needed for identification and simplification. The model's own geometric data (planes, cylinders, cones, spheres) is used to drive the simplification process, eliminating the need for continuous manual intervention while maintaining accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a geometry simplification apparatus including a simplification target feature extractor and a geometry simplification processor. The simplification target feature extractor extracts a second feature, similar to a first feature in geometry from a part for which geometry simplification is manually performed, based on information about the first feature. The geometry simplification processor simplifies the second feature extracted by the simplification target feature extractor based on information about a geometry simplification method performed to the first feature.