3D CMM Inspection Editing With Automatic Occlusion Transparency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) face difficulties in allowing users to easily review and edit inspection programs, as the different windows with varying types of information make it hard for users to understand the effects of selected elements and edits, particularly when workpiece features are occluded in the 3D view.
Innovation Solution
A system with a user interface that includes a CAD file processing portion and a 3D view simulation, allowing for transparency operations to render occluding workpiece features partially transparent, enabling users to easily select and edit workpiece features by automatically identifying target features and rendering occluding features transparent, thus improving visibility and understanding during program creation, review, and editing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a 3D view is provided to display workpiece features and inspection operations, then visualization capability is improved, but occluded features become invisible and difficult to select
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies transparency changes to graphical representations of workpiece features in the 3D view. When a user selects or hovers over a target feature, the system automatically renders occluding features as transparent, allowing the target feature to become visible. This visual property change enables users to interact with and select features that would otherwise be hidden behind other geometry in the 3D visualization.
2Loss of information
If multiple windows with different information types are provided, then information completeness is improved, but user understanding and ease of operation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the display of workpiece features and inspection operation representations into a unified 3D view. Instead of requiring users to switch between multiple windows to understand the relationship between features and inspection operations, both types of information are simultaneously displayed in the same visual space, with features and their associated inspection operations co-located for immediate contextual understanding.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides immediate visual feedback when users interact with the 3D view. When a user performs a selection operation or hovers over a feature, the system responds by automatically identifying the target feature and rendering occluding features transparent, allowing the user to immediately see the result of their interaction and understand which feature is selected without needing to check multiple windows.
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If transparency operations are automatically performed, then feature visibility is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs transparency operations automatically based on user interactions with the 3D view. When a user selects or hovers over a target feature, the system autonomously determines which features are occluding the target and renders them transparent without requiring additional user commands. This self-service approach simplifies the user interface while maintaining the necessary system functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
A system is provided for programming workpiece feature inspection operations for a coordinate measuring machine. The system includes a user interface with a simulation portion (e.g., including a 3D view of a workpiece) and an editing user interface portion (e.g., including an editable plan representation of a current workpiece feature inspection plan). Transparency operations are performed including automatically identifying as a target feature a workpiece feature in the 3D view that corresponds to a workpiece feature or inspection operation representation in the editable plan representation that is indicated by a current feature-directed operation (e.g., a selection operation for selecting a workpiece feature or inspection operation in the editable plan representation). An occluding workpiece feature that would otherwise be occluding at least a portion of the target feature in the 3D view is then automatically rendered as at least partially transparent in the 3D view.