Void Boundary Dimensioning via Line Segment Merging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing software tools for rendering three-dimensional views of construction projects do not provide dimensioning information for voids within objects, such as walls or floors, which are treated as part of the overall object and cannot be selected or dimensioned accurately, leading to potential errors and inefficiencies in construction planning.
Innovation Solution
A method and computing device that analyze a three-dimensional drawing file to generate a cross-sectional view where voids are represented as separate objects, allowing for the determination of a new boundary and enabling dimensioning information by connecting overlapping line segments to form a selectable and dimensionable boundary for the void.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If voids are treated as part of the overall object in three-dimensional views, then the object structure remains simple and unified, but dimensioning information for voids cannot be accurately provided
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the object representation into two types: objects and voids. Voids are extracted as separate selectable elements from the main object structure. This segmentation allows voids to be independently dimensioned and measured while maintaining a relatively simple overall object representation in the three-dimensional view.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts void information from the main object by identifying void boundaries through line segment analysis. The void boundaries are extracted as separate data structures that can be independently processed and dimensioned, separating the measurement function from the visual representation function.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple line segments are used to represent void boundaries in cross-sectional views, then boundary accuracy is improved, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple overlapping or adjacent line segments into unified boundary representations. By combining collinear or nearly-collinear segments, the system maintains high boundary accuracy while reducing the number of discrete processing elements, thus lowering computational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The line segment processing system serves multiple functions: it defines void boundaries, provides dimensioning information, and maintains visual accuracy. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate processing stages, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining precision.
Data Source
AI summary
An example computing device is configured to (i) generate a cross-sectional view of a three-dimensional drawing file, the cross-sectional view including an object corresponding to a given mesh of the three-dimensional drawing file, the object including a void contained within the object, (ii) determine a plurality of two-dimensional line segments that collectively define a boundary of the void, (iii) for each line segment, determine nearby line segments based on a distance between an end point of the line segment and an end point of the one or more nearby line segments being within a threshold distance, (iv) determine one or more fully-connected sub-objects by connecting respective sets of nearby line segments in series, (v) determine, from the fully-connected sub-objects, a final sub-object to be used as a new boundary of the void, and (vi) add the final sub-object to the cross-sectional view as the new boundary of the void.