3D Wire Routing System with Connection Filtering and Visual Simplification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current 3D CAD systems burden computer resources and lack visual clarity when representing complex wiring systems, requiring manual mock-ups and lacking automation for efficient routing of electrical connections.
Innovation Solution
The system generates a routing system by filtering connections, creating geometric entities, and displaying them in a simplified manner, allowing for automatic bundling and routing of wires within a 3D model, reducing clutter and enhancing visual clarity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If every individual pin-to-pin connection is displayed in a 3D model, then complete connection information is provided, but visual clarity is lost and computer resources are excessively burdened
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple individual pin-to-pin connections between the same two connectors are merged into a single representative connection line. The system identifies connections sharing the same from-connector and to-connector, then consolidates them into one visual element, reducing the ratsnest complexity while preserving the essential routing information.
Solution Approach 2:
A single connection line serves multiple functions: it represents the physical wire path, indicates connectivity between connectors, and provides routing guidance for wire bundling. The connection line becomes a multi-functional element that conveys multiple pieces of information simultaneously, reducing the need for separate visual elements.
2Manufacturing precision
If a physical mock-up is created to design wiring systems, then accurate routing information is obtained, but time and resources are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a virtual copy of the physical wiring system within the 3D CAD environment. Instead of building a physical mock-up, the software generates a digital representation with connection lines that mirror the actual wire paths, allowing designers to perform routing operations in the virtual space and obtain accurate routing information without physical materials or time investment.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical process of building physical mock-ups with actual wires and connectors is replaced by an automated software system. The software automatically generates connection lines, performs routing operations, and produces harness drawings, substituting mechanical construction with computational processes that are faster and more efficient.
3Productivity
If wire bundles are automatically created from connection lines, then routing efficiency is improved, but computational load increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wire bundling process is segmented into discrete, manageable operations. The system first identifies individual connection lines, then groups them into bundles based on spatial proximity and routing criteria. Each bundling operation is performed as a separate computational task, allowing the system to process complex wiring systems in manageable increments rather than attempting to analyze all connections simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs wire bundling selectively rather than attempting to bundle all connections at once. It identifies and processes bundles that meet specific criteria (such as connections in close proximity or following similar paths), performing partial bundling operations that provide immediate routing efficiency benefits without requiring exhaustive computational analysis of the entire wiring system.
Data Source
AI summary
Generating a routing system for a three-dimensional model of a real-world object includes specifying a set of connections, applying a filter to the connections to prevent more than one connection having the same first connector and the same second connector from being rendered more than once, creating geometric entities that are curves and that represent the connections, and displaying the routing system in a visually simplified manner by rendering the plurality of geometric entities. Additionally, the connections can automatically be merged into a harness bundle.