Lightweight Viewer Palette Menu for Tessellated Model Visualization
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Computer-Aided Design (CAD) systems generate large files that hinder transfer and viewing of 3D models, making it difficult to share and communicate design information effectively, especially when internal features of 3D models are obscured by uniform transparency levels.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight viewer with a palette menu that allows users to interactively modify visual attributes such as color and transparency of tessellated models, enabling targeted display manipulations and improving visualization of internal features without requiring a CAD system, by embedding API functions and scripts within the tessellated file.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a CAD model is used to represent 3D geometry, then the model contains complete design information, but the file size becomes large and transfer becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential visual representation data from the complete CAD model, creating a lightweight tessellated model that contains only the geometric surface information needed for visualization, while excluding the full CAD model data. This allows sharing of essential visual information without transferring large CAD files.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a simplified copy of the 3D model in tessellated format that preserves the essential visual characteristics and geometry for viewing, while using significantly less data than the original CAD model. This copy can be easily transferred and viewed in lightweight viewers without requiring the original CAD software.
2Device complexity
If uniform transparency levels are applied to 3D models, then the model structure is simplified, but internal features become obscured
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic transparency control where users can interactively adjust transparency levels of different model elements through a palette menu. This allows the model to transition between simplified uniform transparency and differentiated variable transparency, enabling internal features to be revealed when needed while maintaining structural simplicity during normal viewing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses transparency variations as a visual attribute that can be dynamically changed through user interaction. By allowing transparency to vary across different model elements rather than applying uniform transparency, the system can reveal internal features through selective transparency changes while maintaining an otherwise simple model structure.
3Quantity of substance
If a lightweight viewer is used to display tessellated models, then file transfer is easier, but the ability to manipulate visual attributes is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent embeds API functions and scripts directly within the tessellated model file, enabling the lightweight viewer to perform visual attribute manipulation operations autonomously. The model includes its own control mechanisms (palette menu with menu objects) that allow users to adjust visual attributes without requiring external CAD software or complex processing, maintaining adaptability while keeping the file lightweight.
4Adaptability or versatility
If menu objects are added to the tessellated model, then visual attribute customization is enabled, but the model complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the visualization data and the control interface (menu objects) into a single integrated tessellated model file. The palette menu and menu objects are embedded within the same file structure as the geometric data, allowing visual attribute customization to be added without requiring separate software components or increasing overall system complexity, as everything is contained within one self-contained model.
Data Source
AI summary
A user interface for a lightweight viewer may include, among other things, a viewing window operable to display geometry established by one or more geometric objects of a tessellated model. The one or more geometric objects include one or more visual attributes that depict the respective geometry. A palette menu is established by a plurality of menu objects of the tessellated model. The menu objects are assigned respective visual attribute settings. The menu objects are associated with the one or more geometric objects such that selection of the respective menu object causes at least one of the one or more visual attributes of the associated one or more geometric objects to update in the viewing window according to the respective visual attribute setting. A method of establishing a tessellated model is also disclosed.