Pop-Up Card Generation from 3D Models
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Solution Overview
Problem
Designing pop-up cards with 3D structures that collapse and expand easily is a tedious and error-prone task, as determining optimal placement and designing the 3D structure is complicated, making the creation of pop-up cards difficult.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method for generating pop-up cards from 3D models, involving slicing the model along axes, identifying attachment locations, and creating tab portions for easy assembly, which automatically determines the structure of the pop-up card, allowing for efficient design and production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual design methods are used to determine optimal placement and structure of 3D pop-up elements, then design flexibility and customization are maintained, but the process becomes tedious, error-prone, and highly dependent on designer expertise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical design processes with an automated computer-based system. The system automatically calculates optimal placement locations and generates 3D structure designs using software algorithms, eliminating the need for manual trial-and-error design methods and reducing both time and errors.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service automation where the computer automatically determines placement locations and generates design specifications without requiring extensive manual intervention. The automated system serves itself by computing optimal solutions based on input parameters, reducing dependency on designer expertise.
2Ease of operation
If complex manual design processes are used to create 3D structures that collapse and expand easily, then structural functionality is achieved, but the complexity of the design process increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the design process into distinct automated steps: selecting a 3D model, automatically determining placement locations, generating structure designs, and producing manufacturing instructions. This segmentation simplifies the overall complex process by breaking it into manageable automated tasks that are easier to execute.
Solution Approach 2:
The computer-based system acts as an intermediary between the desired 3D pop-up effect and the manufacturing process. It automatically translates design requirements into precise placement locations and structure specifications, mediating the complex calculations and generating ready-to-manufacture designs without requiring manual complexity.
3Productivity
If automated slicing and location identification methods are used, then productivity and design efficiency are improved, but the complexity of the manufacturing process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically determining all placement locations and generating complete design specifications before manufacturing begins. The computer calculates optimal positions and creates detailed instructions in advance, so that the actual manufacturing process follows pre-determined guidelines, improving efficiency without adding on-the-fly complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
One embodiment of the invention is a pop-up engine that generates a pop-up card from a sliced 3D graphics model. In operation, the pop-up engine processes a sliced 3D model to identify locations where the sliced 3D model is to attach to a plane surface of a pop-up card. For a given set of slices associated with a sliced 3D model, the pop-up engine identifies at least two slices that intersect at a folding line of the plane surface. The pop-up engine then identifies locations on the slices that are the farthest from the folding line. The pop-up engine marks the identified locations as connection points, where the 3D model is to attach to the plane surface.