Automated Frame Grid Generation for Structural Systems

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional CAD applications are inefficient in exploring the overall design space for structural systems, leading to suboptimal designs due to the complexity of evaluating numerous design combinations, resulting in conservative decisions that neglect weight minimization objectives.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method that uses clustering operations to determine base directions and generate frame grids, breaking down the design optimization problem into simpler aspects, allowing for systematic exploration of the design space and identification of optimized designs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If conventional CAD applications are used to generate structural system designs, then the design process can be completed with manual expertise, but the design space exploration is inefficient and results in suboptimal designs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedesign space exploration efficiencyVSAvoiddesign optimization quality

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables automated generation of structural system designs through computer-implemented methods that self-evaluate multiple design combinations without requiring manual intervention for each configuration, thereby improving both efficiency and optimization quality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The invention systematically varies design parameters such as structural member sizes, materials, and configurations to explore the design space, using automated evaluation to assess how parameter changes affect design objectives and constraints

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If numerous design combinations are evaluated to achieve optimized designs, then design optimization quality improves, but the computational time and complexity increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedesign optimization qualityVSAvoidcomputational time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs a comprehensive evaluation of design combinations beyond what manual processes can achieve, using automated methods to efficiently process numerous configurations and identify optimized designs that would be impractical to evaluate manually

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Productivity

If structural engineers make conservative design decisions to reduce design time, then productivity improves, but weight minimization objectives are neglected

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedesign generation speedVSAvoidstructural system weight

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The automated evaluation system provides feedback on design performance against multiple objectives including weight minimization, allowing the system to identify non-conservative optimized designs that achieve both speed and weight objectives simultaneously

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS20220198082A1Techniques for automatically generating frame grids for structural systems of buildings

Publication Date: 2022.06.23 AUTODESK INC

AI summary

In various embodiments, a grid generation application generates one or more frame grids for a structural system of a building. The grid generation application determines a set of edges based on a computer-aided design of the structural system. The grid generation application then performs clustering operation(s) based on the set of edges to determine at least a first base direction and a second base direction. The grid generation application determines a subset of edges based on the set of edges and the first base direction. Subsequently, the grid generation application performs clustering operation(s) based on the subset of edges to determine a first set of grid lines associated with the first base direction. Based on the first set of grid lines and a second set of grid lines that is associated with the second base direction, the grid generation application generates a frame grid for the structural system.