Clipping Unit for Computer Aided Modeling Pseudo Unions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing computer-aided modeling systems face challenges in efficiently creating and editing complex models due to the high computational requirements of forming real unions of basic objects, especially for complex shapes, which often necessitate extensive computing capacity.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a clipping unit within a computer-aided modeling system that performs pseudo unions by classifying and clipping basic objects, allowing for faster processing and reduced computational load by maintaining separate topological items, thus enabling efficient visualization and volume/area calculations without merging objects into a single solid.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If Boolean operations are used to merge basic objects into a single solid, then accurate volume calculation and proper illustration are achieved, but computational capacity requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the model into separate basic objects that are not merged into a single solid. Each basic object maintains its own topological items (faces, edges, vertices) independently, allowing volume calculations to be performed on individual objects and summed up, rather than requiring complex Boolean operations on a unified solid structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the need for hidden-line and hidden-surface elimination operations by working with separate basic objects. The clipping unit directly processes topological items of basic objects without requiring them to be merged first, removing the computationally expensive step of determining visible surfaces in a unified solid model.
2Measurement precision
If basic objects are merged into a single solid, then accurate volume calculation is possible, but editing and model modification become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
By maintaining separate basic objects instead of merging them, the patent allows independent editing of each object's parameters, position, and shape. Users can modify individual basic objects without affecting the entire model structure, significantly improving editing ease while still enabling accurate volume calculation through summation of individual volumes.
3Measurement precision
If real union of basic objects is formed, then proper illustration and volume calculation are achieved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary classification of topological items (faces, edges, vertices) of basic objects according to their spatial relationships before any volume calculation or illustration operations. This preliminary organization allows subsequent operations to proceed efficiently without requiring time-consuming Boolean operations or hidden-line elimination, significantly reducing processing time while maintaining accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
In order to visualize or calculate a volume or an area of a structure modeled by using object types that overlap, topological items of boundary representations of the objects are provided with information on whether a topological item is indicated as clipped or not clipped; and topological items indicated as not clipped are used and topological items indicated as clipped are ignored when a model for the structure is visualized or used for volume or area calculations.