JP2000293549A - Method for compressing data for operation simulation - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain optimum operation simulating data by minimizing data size while maintaining requested accuracy. SOLUTION: This operation simulating data compressing method to be applied to an operation simulation system for simulating operation on the basis of CAD data is provided with a step S1 for specifying a face division number, a step S2 for extracting CAD data in each different object, steps S3, S4 for calculating a face division number necessary for securing previously determined accuracy on the basis of the extracted CAD data, and steps S5 to S9 for comparing the specified face division number with the calculated face division number and dividing the face of the extracted CAD data by the smaller face division number.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for selecting, for each object, whether to give priority to accuracy or the number of surface divisions based on the required accuracy or the number of surface divisions, and to obtain optimal operation simulation data. The present invention relates to a method for compressing operation simulation data that can be obtained.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art At present, in designing a production facility, in order to enable the design to be performed efficiently and to improve the quality of the design, the shape of an element (object) constituting the facility is changed. A three-dimensional CAD system in which definition and drafting are performed by a computer is used.

[0003] Further, examination of the operation range and operation time of a robot constituting a production facility, interference check between the robot and other facilities, and the like are performed by the C-dimensional CAD system.
An operation simulation system for performing a simulation using AD data is also used.

In these systems, it is necessary to create surface division data called polygon data (display model) based on three-dimensional CAD data.

[0005] Depending on the method of plane division, the accuracy of display is affected and the number of plane division data, that is, the amount of display data is also affected.

In particular, in an operation simulation system that displays the behavior of a three-dimensional element on a screen, the display speed is an important factor that determines the quality of the system. Is very important in the sense that

Conventionally, the surface division method includes a method of specifying the number of divisions of a curved surface in two directions (uv direction) (uv method) as shown in FIGS. 5 (A) and 5 (B). There is a method (tolerance method) of automatically determining the number of divisions from an allowable error between a given curved surface and polygon data.

[0008]

However, in the conventionally used uv method, the number of divisions specified for all the curved surfaces is the same, so that the data size is small, but the accuracy is insufficient. This method cannot be used for elements having complicated shapes that require high precision.

In the tolerance method, since the surface is divided based on the specified tolerance, the number of divisions differs depending on the curved surface, and sufficient accuracy can be obtained, but the data size becomes large. Therefore, in an operation simulation system that displays a state in which a three-dimensional element operates on a screen, the display speed may be slow. Therefore, when a high display speed is required, this method cannot be used. .

In the conventional operation simulation system, any one of the three-dimensional shape data groups of elements (objects) to be displayed can only be applied to one of the three-dimensional shape data groups. The best method cannot be selected for each case.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such conventional problems, and has been made to minimize the data size and obtain optimum operation simulation data while maintaining required accuracy. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for compressing operation simulation data.

[0012]

The present invention for achieving the above object is constituted as follows for each claim.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for compressing operation simulation data applied to an operation simulation system for performing an operation simulation based on CAD data, comprising the steps of: specifying a surface division number; Extracting CAD data, calculating the number of surface divisions required to secure a predetermined accuracy based on the extracted CAD data, and determining the specified number of surface divisions and the calculated number of surface divisions. Comparing the extracted CAD data with a smaller number of plane divisions.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for compressing operation simulation data applied to an operation simulation system for performing an operation simulation based on CAD data, wherein a step of designating a maximum allowable error,
Extracting CAD data for each different object, calculating an allowable error required to secure a predetermined number of surface divisions based on the extracted CAD data, and specifying a specified maximum allowable error and the calculated allowable error. Comparing the CAD data with an error and dividing the CAD data into planes with a smaller allowable error.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for specifying one of a plane division priority mode for executing the method described in claim 1 and an accuracy priority mode for executing the method described in claim 2, If you specify the split priority mode,
Generating the operation simulation data by executing the method according to claim 1, and generating the operation simulation data by executing the method according to claim 2 when the accuracy priority mode is designated; This is a method for compressing operation simulation data.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the method for compressing operation simulation data according to the third aspect,
The surface division priority mode or the accuracy priority mode can be designated for each object.

[0017]

The present invention configured as described above has the following effects.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the plane division is performed with priority given to the smaller number of plane divisions, a more accurate operation simulation can be performed while prioritizing the display speed.

According to the second aspect of the invention, since the plane division is performed with priority given to the one with the smaller allowable error, it is possible to perform an operation simulation with a higher display speed while giving priority to accuracy.

According to the third or fourth aspect of the present invention, since the plane division priority mode and the accuracy priority mode can be selected, operation simulation in a mode corresponding to the needs of the user can be performed.

[0021]

Next, a method for compressing operation simulation data according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an operation simulation system for implementing a method for compressing operation simulation data according to the present invention.

The keyboard 10 shown in the figure inputs the number of plane divisions or the maximum permissible error, selects a plane division priority mode and an accuracy priority mode, and applies these modes to all objects. This is used when selecting whether to apply to each object.

The display device 20 is a device for displaying an image created based on the generated operation simulation data, and corresponds to a CRT or a liquid crystal display.

The CAD data file 30 is a file storing CAD data created by the CAD system, and is, for example, a robot 35, 3 shown in FIG.
6, data on the installation position, data on the shape of each component, data on the shape of the vehicle body 37, and the like. Further, the data for operation simulation after compression is also stored.

The object data file 40 has a CA
Among the CAD data stored in the D data file 30, data indicating which element is to be displayed is stored. For example, when the entire robot 36 shown in FIG. 4 is treated as one element, the object data file 40 stores that the robot 36 is one element (object). When each arm, wrist, etc. of the robot 36 is treated as one element, the object data file 40 indicates that each arm of the robot 36 is one element (object), and the wrist is one element. Elements (objects), and it is stored that these sets are three-dimensional shape data groups (object groups) of the robot 36.

The CPU 50 extracts necessary data from the CAD data file 30 and the object data file 40 based on an instruction from the keyboard 10 and
The processing shown in FIG. 3 is performed, and the result is displayed on the display device 20. The compression method of the operation simulation data of the present invention is executed.

Next, a method of compressing operation simulation data of the present invention executed by the CPU 50 will be described with reference to FIG.
This will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

The flowchart shown in FIG. 2 shows the processing in the plane division number priority mode for compressing data by prioritizing the plane division number. This mode is selected by operating the keyboard 10 by the operator. In addition, whether to apply this mode to all objects or to apply this mode to each object is selected. In this flowchart, a case where this mode is applied to all objects will be described.

First, the operator uses the keyboard 10 to enter the number n of surface divisions. For example, assuming that the coordinate system of the two-dimensional plane is u, v, if u × v = n surface division numbers per unit area, u and v are input from the keyboard 10 (S1).

Next, the CPU 50 extracts one object Oi from a group of objects to be displayed stored in the object data file 40 (S50).
2) For this object Oi, [tol2 = F2
2 (Oi, u, v)], the object O
Tolerance tol2 obtained by the uv method is obtained for i. That is, when the designated surface division number n is set, it is determined how much error occurs in the object Oi (S3).

Further, the expression [n2 = F11 (Oi, tol2)] is applied to the same object Oi, and the number of surface divisions n2 of the object Oi in the tolerance method is obtained. That is, the number of plane divisions required to secure a predetermined accuracy (input from the keyboard 10 and stored in the CPU 50) is calculated (S
4).

Next, the designated surface division number n and the calculated surface division number n2 are compared. If n ≧ n2, the surface division number n2 determined by the tolerance method is smaller, so Surface division is performed on all objects using the number of divisions, that is, the tolerance method (S5, S5
6). On the other hand, if n <n2, the designated surface division number n is smaller, so that the surface division is performed for all objects using the smaller surface division number, that is, the u, v method (S5). S7).

The above-described plane division processing is performed for all the objects to be displayed one by one, and when the processing for all the objects is completed, the data compression is completed (S8, S9).

The operation simulation data thus compressed is stored in a CAD data file 30. At the time of operation simulation, the operation simulation data after compression is taken out by the CPU 50, and the operation result based on the data is displayed on the display device 20. Are displayed, and the interference between the equipments and the operation status are checked.

As described above, in the plane division number priority mode, the plane division is performed by the plane division method with a small plane division number while guaranteeing the same precision error, so that the data size can be reduced and the display speed can be relatively high. Simulation can be performed.

The flowchart shown in FIG. 3 shows processing in the precision priority mode in which data is compressed with priority given to the maximum allowable error. This mode is also selected by operating the keyboard 10 by the operator. In addition, whether to apply this mode to all objects or to apply this mode to each object is selected. In this flowchart, a case where this mode is applied to all objects will be described.

First, the operator inputs the maximum allowable error tol using the keyboard 10 (S11).

Next, the CPU 50 extracts one object Oi from the group of objects to be displayed stored in the object data file 40 (S1).
2), [n1 = F11 for this object Oi
(Oi, tol)], the object Oi
, The surface division number n1 obtained by the tolerance method is obtained. That is, the minimum number n1 of surface divisions that satisfies the specified maximum allowable error is determined (S1).
3).

Further, the formula [tol2 = F22 (Oi, n1)] is applied to the same object Oi, and a tolerance tol2 of the object Oi by the u, v method is obtained. That is, the allowable error obtained by the predetermined number of plane divisions (input from the keyboard 10 and stored in the CPU 50) is calculated (S1).
4).

Next, the designated maximum allowable error tol is compared with the calculated allowable error tol2. If tol ≧ tol2, the tolerance tol2 obtained by the u, v method has a smaller error. Surface division is performed for all objects using the smaller error, that is, the u, v method (S15, S16). On the other hand, tol <tol
If 2, the specified maximum allowable error tol has a smaller error, so that the one with the smaller allowable error, that is,
Surface division is performed on all objects using the tolerance method (S15, S17).

The above-described plane division processing is performed for all the objects to be displayed one by one, and when the processing for all the objects is completed, the data compression is completed (S18, S19).

The operation simulation data thus compressed is stored in the CAD data file 30, and is called by the CPU 50 when performing the operation simulation.

As described above, in the accuracy priority mode, while the same surface division number is guaranteed, the surface is divided by the surface division method with a small error, so that the display speed is somewhat sacrificed. High-precision simulation can be performed while minimizing a decrease in speed.

In the above embodiment, one of the face division number priority mode and the accuracy priority mode is selectively applied to all objects.
However, in addition to this, one of the plane division number priority mode and the accuracy priority mode may be applied to each object.
Thus, by changing the mode applied to each object, it is possible to obtain optimal operation simulation data for the entire object.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an operation simulation system for implementing a method for compressing operation simulation data according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a method for compressing operation simulation data according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a method for compressing operation simulation data according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an object group included in CAD data.

FIG. 5 is a diagram provided for explanation of operation simulation data obtained by the method of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 keyboard 20 display device 30 CAD data file 35, 36 robot 37 vehicle body 40 object data file 50 CPU

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A method for compressing operation simulation data applied to an operation simulation system for performing an operation simulation based on CAD data, comprising the steps of designating the number of plane divisions, and extracting CAD data for each different object. Calculating the number of surface divisions required to secure a predetermined accuracy based on the extracted CAD data, and comparing the designated number of surface divisions with the calculated number of surface divisions,
A step of dividing the extracted CAD data by a smaller number of plane divisions; and a method of compressing operation simulation data. 2. A method for compressing operation simulation data applied to an operation simulation system for performing an operation simulation based on CAD data, comprising the steps of specifying a maximum allowable error, and extracting CAD data for each different object. Calculating a permissible error required to secure a predetermined number of surface divisions based on the extracted CAD data, and comparing the specified maximum permissible error with the calculated permissible error to obtain the extracted CAD. Dividing the data into planes with smaller tolerances; and a method for compressing data for operation simulation. 3. A step of specifying one of a plane division priority mode for executing the method described in claim 1 and an accuracy priority mode for executing the method described in claim 2, and a case where the plane division priority mode is specified. Then, the method described in claim 1 is executed to generate operation simulation data, and when the accuracy priority mode is designated, the method described in claim 2 is executed to generate operation simulation data. A method for compressing data for operation simulation, comprising: 4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the plane division priority mode or the accuracy priority mode can be designated for each object.