JP2012079079A - Design support device and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent generation of design data violating constraint conditions of a component when the dimensions of a component added to a main body are modified in response to the main body dimension modification.SOLUTION: A position/shape management part 132 of a design data processing part 130 specifies design data showing a design object composed of a main body and components added to the main body, acquires an instruction for modifying at least a part of dimensions of the main body, and calculates dimensions which each component will have after its original dimensions included in the design data are modified in response to the main body dimension modification made according to the instruction. A constraint condition determination part 134 refers to constraint conditions acquired from a component database 110 which stores constraint conditions concerning dimensions of each component, and determines whether the dimensions of a component after the modification satisfy the constraint conditions of the component. When it is determined that the dimensions of a component after the modification don't satisfy the constraint conditions of the component, a display control part 136 makes a display part 140 display the information indicating the determination.

Description

  The present invention relates to a design support apparatus and a program.

  Technologies that support the design of products and parts have been developed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a part design support method applied to 3D CAD. In the technique described in Patent Document 1, various restrictions are set in advance for a feature shape created by determining a numerical parameter of a registered feature shape (part shape), and a shape created by a user Is not compatible with the constraints, the target portion is displayed on the display device, or an improvement plan is presented for correcting the feature shape. Examples of preset constraints include manufacturing-acceptable sizes, manufacturing-allowed placement distances between individual feature shapes when multiple feature shapes are placed, and individual feature shapes and model outer diameter edges The arrangement | positioning distance accept | permitted on manufacture between a part and a bending part is mentioned.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a system that supports designing a product by setting a plurality of basic items of a product specification as a design base as specification items and setting specification values for each specification item. The system described in Patent Document 2 includes a specification configuration information database that describes the constraint conditions that can be taken by the specification values for each specification item. Based on the constraint conditions, the designer inputs specification values for each specification item. Display the design screen to guide you.

  Patent Document 3 discloses a technique for supporting design by guiding a design procedure. In the technique described in Patent Document 3, attribute activation information describing a method for presenting an attribute necessary for defining the shape / assembly of a part, constraint information describing a constraint on the attribute, and a shape based on the value of the attribute Design process elements composed of design result generation information that describes how to create data or assembly data are stored in the DB, design process elements that can be used at each design stage are presented, and the designer combines them The design is performed, and the design described in the design process element is automatically checked as necessary.

JP 2007-102282 A JP 2006-155601 A JP-A-10-214276

  By the way, when the design support device receives an instruction to change the dimensions of the main body element in a state where the part elements are added to the main body element that defines the overall shape of the design object, the dimensions of the main body element are changed. In addition, there is a case where processing for changing the dimensions of the component elements added to the main body element is performed in accordance with the change in the dimensions of the main body element.

  An object of the present invention is to prevent generation of design information that violates the constraint conditions of a part element when the dimension of the part element added to the body element is changed in accordance with the change of the dimension of the body element. It is to provide a design support apparatus and a program.

  The invention according to claim 1 is directed to input designating instructions for designating design information representing a design object composed of a main body element and a part element added to the main body element, and changing the dimensions of at least a part of the main body element. Processing means for receiving and processing for obtaining the dimension of the part element after the change when the dimension of the part element included in the design information is changed according to the change of the dimension of the main body element according to the instruction; , Referring to storage means storing the constraint conditions regarding the dimensions of the component elements added to the main body element, and whether the dimension of the changed component element obtained by the processing means satisfies the constraint conditions of the component element Determining means for determining whether or not, when the determining means determines that the dimension of the part element after the change does not satisfy the constraint condition of the part element, information indicating that is output. And output means for a design support apparatus comprising: a.

  The invention according to claim 2 is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the processing means is further determined by the determination means that the dimension of the part element after the change does not satisfy the constraint condition of the part element. The dimension of the component element includes a dimension of the component element and the component element as a result of enlarging or reducing the component element and the component element in accordance with the instruction within a range where the dimension of the component element satisfies the constraint condition Generate design information.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the invention according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the storage means stores a plurality of the constraint conditions for each of the component elements added to the main body element, and a plurality of the constraint conditions. Represents a range of values that are associated with each of a plurality of shapes that can be taken by the part element and that are allowed as dimensions of the part element having the shape, and the determination means further includes the post-change The dimension of the component element is determined to be included in a range of values represented by which of the plurality of constraint conditions for the component element, and the processing unit is configured to determine the component after the change by the determination unit. The part element having a shape associated with a constraint determined to represent a range of values including the dimension of the part element, and having the dimension of the part element after the change, and the change It said generating and said body element having a dimension of the body element, the design information representing the design target consisting of.

  The invention according to claim 4 is the invention according to claim 3, wherein the storage means further includes, for each part element added to the body element, for each surface on which the part element can be arranged in the body element. A set of the constraint condition and the shape of the component element is stored, and the determination unit is configured to determine the constraint condition in which the dimension of the component element after the change corresponds to a surface of the body element on which the component element is arranged. Which constraint condition is included in the range of values represented.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to the third or fourth aspect, the output unit is further determined to represent a range of values including the dimension of the part element after the change by the determination unit. When the shape associated with the condition is different from the shape of the component element at the time when the input of the instruction is received, information indicating that is output.

  The invention according to claim 6 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the design information is designated and an input of an instruction to add a new part element to the main body element is received. Then, a determination process in the determination unit is executed regarding the dimensions of the new component element.

  The invention according to claim 7 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the design information is designated and an input of an instruction to change a dimension of the part element included in the design information is accepted. In this case, a determination process in the determination unit is executed regarding the dimension of the component element after the change according to the instruction.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, an instruction for designating design information representing a design object including a main body element and a part element added to the main body element to change the size of at least a part of the main body element is provided to the computer. Is received, and when the dimension of the part element included in the design information is changed according to the change of the dimension of the main body element according to the instruction, the dimension of the part element after the change is obtained. The processing step and the storage means storing the constraint conditions regarding the dimensions of the component elements added to the main body element are referred to, and the dimension of the component element after the change obtained in the processing step is the constraint condition of the component element. A determination step for determining whether or not the condition satisfies, and in the determination step, it is determined that the dimension of the component element after the change does not satisfy the constraint condition of the component element. If the is a program for executing an output step of outputting information indicating to that effect, the.

  According to the invention according to claim 1 or 8, when the dimension of the part element added to the main body element is changed according to the change of the dimension of the main body element, design information that violates the constraint condition of the part element is generated. Can be prevented.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to execute enlargement or reduction of the main body element and the part element in accordance with the instruction to change the dimension of the main body element within the range satisfying the constraint condition of the part element.

  According to the invention of claim 3, when the dimension of the part element added to the main body element is changed in accordance with the change of the dimension of the main body element, the shape of the part element is changed to the dimension after the change of the part element. A suitable shape can be set.

  According to the invention of claim 4, when the dimension of the part element added to the main body element is changed in accordance with the change in the dimension of the main body element, the shape of the part element is changed to the part element in the main body element. It is possible to set the shape suitable for the surface and the dimension after the change of the component element.

  According to the invention according to claim 5, when the shape of the component element is changed by changing the size of the component element added to the main body element in accordance with the change of the size of the main body element, this is indicated. Users can be notified.

  According to the invention which concerns on Claim 6, when a new part element is added to a main body element, the production | generation of the design information which violated the constraint condition of the said new part element can be prevented.

  According to the invention which concerns on Claim 7, when change of the dimension of a component element is instruct | indicated, the production | generation of the design information which violated the constraint condition of the said component element can be prevented.

It is a figure which shows the example of the outline of an internal structure of a design support apparatus. It is a figure which shows the example of the content of design data typically. It is a figure of the example which showed typically the design subject which the design data shown in Drawing 2 represents. It is a figure of the example which showed typically the design subject which the design data shown in Drawing 2 represents. It is a figure which shows the example of the data content of components DB. It is a figure which shows the example of the display screen displayed on a display part. It is a flowchart which shows the example of the procedure of the process which a design assistance apparatus performs. It is a figure which shows the example of a warning display. It is a figure which shows the other example of a warning display. It is a figure which shows the other example of the outline of an internal structure of a design support apparatus. It is a figure which shows the other example of the data content of components DB. It is a figure for demonstrating the attachment surface of a component element. It is a figure which shows the other example of a design target object. It is a flowchart which shows the other example of the procedure of the process which a design assistance apparatus performs. It is a figure which shows the example of the display screen which displays that the shape of a component element was changed. It is a figure which shows the other example of the display screen which displays that the shape of a component element was changed. It is a figure which shows the example of the hardware constitutions of a computer.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 shows an example of a schematic internal configuration of a design support apparatus according to an example of the first embodiment of the present invention. The design support apparatus 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a design data storage unit 100, a component DB 110, an operation reception unit 120, a design data processing unit 130, and a display unit 140.

  The design data storage unit 100 stores design data of a design object. The design data is information representing the design of the design object, and is generated according to a user (designer) instruction as will be described later. The design data includes, for example, information regarding the type, shape, dimension, arrangement position, and the like of each element constituting the design object. The design data may have a data structure generally used in a CAD (Computer Aided Design) system.

  FIG. 2 schematically shows an example of the contents of design data stored in the design data storage unit 100. The design data in the example of FIG. 2 represents the design of a package (box) for packaging items. The package represented by the design data in the example of FIG. 2 includes four components: a main body element, a part element 1, a part element 2, and a part element 3. The design data of this example represents that the shape of the main body element is a rectangular parallelepiped, and the width W, the length L, and the height H are shown as dimensions of the rectangular parallelepiped. Furthermore, the design data of this example includes information on part names, shapes, positions, dimensions, and constraint conditions for the respective component elements 1, 2, and 3. The part name is a name of a part element. In this example, the part name represents the type of part element. The component names of the component elements 1 and 2 are “cut ribbon”. “Cut ribbon” means a strip-like part that is cut to open a package. Further, the shapes of the component elements 1 and 2 which are “cut ribbons” are as illustrated in FIG. The part name of the part element 3 is “handle hole”. “Hole for handle” means a hole used as a handle when removing the lid of the package. The shape of the component element 3 that is a “handle hole” is as illustrated in FIG. 2. The position of each component element represents the arrangement position of the component element. For example, in a three-dimensional coordinate space having one point in the main body element as the origin, the coordinate value of the center point of each component element may be described in the design data as the “position” of the component element. In the example of FIG. 2, the dimension of each component element indicates the size of the component element in the horizontal direction and vertical direction (X-axis direction and Y-axis direction when the component element is represented on a two-dimensional plane). The constraint condition of each component element is a constraint condition of the dimension of the component element, and in the example of FIG. The constraint condition of the dimension of the component element is set in advance in consideration of, for example, the minimum value of the dimension of the component element that does not impair the function of the component element. In the case of the “cutting ribbon” illustrated in FIG. 2, a minimum value of a dimension that can be cut for opening the package is set as a constraint condition. In the case of the “hole for handle”, a minimum value of a dimension that can be used as a handle is set as a constraint condition. In yet another example, for example, it is conceivable to set a minimum value of a dimension that maintains the readability of a character string as a constraint condition of a component element that displays the character string.

  The package represented by the design data in the example of FIG. 2 is schematically represented as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, for example. Referring to FIG. 3A, component element 1 (cut ribbon) is arranged on one side of a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is a main body element of the package, and component element 2 is arranged on one side adjacent to the side on which part element 1 is arranged. Has been placed. The component elements 1 and 2 are arranged such that one end of the component element 1 and one end of the component element 2 are in contact with each other. FIG. 3B shows an example when the package shown in FIG. 3A is viewed from the direction of the arrow X. With reference to FIG. 3B, the component element 3 is disposed on a surface that faces the arrangement surface of the component element 1 and that is adjacent to the arrangement surface of the component element 2.

  Note that FIG. 2 does not limit the specific form of the contents of the design data. In addition, the design data may include other information with the contents illustrated in FIG. For example, the design data may include various kinds of information necessary for displaying the drawing of the design object on the display unit 140 in addition to the contents of the example of FIG.

  Returning to the description of FIG. 1, the component DB 110 is a database in which information related to component elements that can be added to the main body element is stored in advance. The component DB 110 stores the type, name, shape, and constraint condition of each component element. The user selects a part element to be added to the main body element from the part elements stored in the part DB 110. FIG. 4 shows an example of data contents of the component DB 110.

  Referring to FIG. 4, the component DB 110 of the present example stores the component name, constraint condition, and value of each item for each component element. The part name is the name of the part element. The constraint condition is a constraint condition related to the dimension of the component element. In the example of FIG. 4, the minimum value permitted as the dimension of the component element is represented. However, a constraint condition representing the maximum value allowed as the dimension of the component element or a constraint condition representing both the minimum value and the maximum value allowed may be set. Whether the minimum value or the maximum value is set in the constraint condition may be determined according to the function of the component element. The shape represents the shape of the component element. Information on each component element registered in the component DB 110 is incorporated into design data of a design object including the component element. For example, referring to the design data in the example of FIG. 2, the information of the component elements 1 and 2 having the part name “cut ribbon” includes the restriction condition of “cut ribbon” registered in the component DB 110 in the example of FIG. And shape is included. Further, the information of the component element 3 (part name “handle hole”) illustrated in FIG. 2 includes the constraint condition and shape of the “handle hole” registered in the component DB 110 in the example of FIG. . From the above, the component DB 110 is regarded as a database storing information defining the class of the object of each component element, and the information of each component element in the design data is regarded as an instance of the object of the component element. Also good.

  Referring to FIG. 1 again, the operation reception unit 120 receives various inputs from the user. For example, the operation reception unit 120 acquires information input by the user using an input device (not illustrated) such as a mouse or a keyboard, and passes the acquired information to the design data processing unit 130.

  The design data processing unit 130 performs an operation on the design data of the design object in accordance with the user instruction received by the operation receiving unit 120. The design data processing unit 130 includes a position / shape management unit 132, a constraint condition determination unit 134, and a display control unit 136.

  The design data processing unit 130 newly creates design data and stores it in the design data storage unit 100, or changes the contents of the design data stored in the design data storage unit 100. For example, the design data processing unit 130 creates design data including information on the selected main body element in accordance with an instruction to select the main body element of the design object, and stores the created design data in the design data storage unit 100. Further, for example, the design data processing unit 130 acquires the component element information related to the instruction from the component DB 110 in accordance with the instruction to add the component element to the body element of the specific design data in the design data storage unit 100, and acquires Information on the part element including the information and the dimension and position of the part element in the current design object is generated and added to the design data. Further, the design data processing unit 130 may delete the instructed part element from the design data in accordance with an instruction to delete the part element in the specific design data. The design data processing unit 130 further performs a process of changing the position of the part element added to the main body element or deforming the component (main body element or part element) of the design object. Here, “deformation” of a component represents enlargement / reduction, change of the ratio of vertical / horizontal / depth, and the like. When a component is deformed, the dimensions of at least a portion of the component are changed.

  The position / shape management unit 132 manages the position and size of each component included in the design data. The position / shape management unit 132 obtains the size and position of each changed component when the design data processing unit 130 performs an operation that involves changing the size or position of the component in the design data. For example, the position / shape management unit 132 obtains the changed dimensions of the main body element in accordance with an instruction to change the dimensions of the main body element in the design data, and determines the dimensions of each part element added to the main body element as the main body. The changed dimensions of each part element when the element dimensions are changed are obtained. As a specific example, when receiving an instruction to reduce the body element by ½, the position / shape management unit 132 obtains a dimension that is 1/2 the dimension of the current body element, and for each component element Also, the current size is halved. When the position / shape management unit 132 obtains the changed dimension of each part element in accordance with the change of the dimension of the main body element, the position / shape management unit 132 requests the constraint condition determination unit 134 to make the changed dimension the constraint of the part element. Determine whether the condition is met.

  The constraint condition determination unit 134 determines whether or not the dimension of each component element included in the design data satisfies the constraint condition. For example, the constraint condition determination unit 134 receives the above-described request from the position / shape management unit 132 and acquires the dimension of each component element after the change according to the change of the dimension of the main body element. Furthermore, the constraint condition of each component element described in the design data to be processed is acquired. Then, it is determined whether or not the dimension after the change of each component element satisfies the constraint condition of the component element. That is, it is determined whether or not the changed dimension is within the range of values represented by the constraint conditions.

  As a result of the determination by the constraint condition determination unit 134, if the dimensions after the change of all the component elements satisfy the constraint condition of the component element, the design data processing unit 130 in the design data to be processed, Rewrite the dimensions of the body element to the new dimensions. When there is a component element whose dimension after the change does not satisfy the constraint condition, the design data processing unit 130 performs a process for eliminating the state that violates the constraint condition. For example, the display control unit 136 of the design data processing unit 130 causes the display unit 140 to display a warning notifying the user that there is a component element that does not satisfy the constraint condition. Further, for example, the size of the main body element and each component element may be changed by the position / shape management unit 132 within a range that satisfies the constraint condition of each component element. For example, reduce the body element and each part element to a limit that does not fall below the minimum value indicated by the constraint condition, or reduce the body element and each part element to a limit that does not exceed the maximum value indicated by the constraint condition. Or enlarge.

  The display control unit 136 performs control for causing the display unit 140 to display the process and results of the processing in the design data processing unit 130. The display control unit 136 according to the example of the present embodiment controls display on the display unit 140 by generating display control information instructing the content and mode of display and passing it to the display unit 140. For example, the display control unit 136 graphically displays the design represented by the design data to be processed by the design data processing unit 130 on the display unit 140. In addition, an operation menu display screen for receiving an operation on the design data may be displayed. In addition, the display control unit 136 may cause the display unit 140 to display information indicating the determination result of the constraint condition determination unit 134.

  The display unit 140 performs display according to the display control information passed from the display control unit 136. The display unit 140 may be a display device such as a liquid crystal display. The user confirms the content displayed on the display unit 140 and gives an operation instruction to the design data using the input device.

  FIG. 5 shows an example of a display screen that the display control unit 136 displays on the display unit 140 in order to accept a user operation on the design data. A menu M, a design object D1, and a component element palette P are displayed on the display screen in the example of FIG. The menu M displays a menu of operations related to design data. The figure of the design object D1 is drawn on the display screen according to the information described in the design data. The design object D1 shown in FIG. 5 is assumed to be the package of the example described above with reference to FIGS. 2, 3A, and 3B. The component element palette P displays each component element registered in the component DB 110. The user selects a component element displayed on the component element palette P using an input device such as a mouse, for example, and places the selected component element on the design object D1. This selection and arrangement input is received by the operation receiving unit 120 and passed to the design data processing unit 130 as an instruction to add the selected component element to the main body element of the design object D1. Upon receiving this instruction, the design data processing unit 130 performs processing for adding information on the selected component element to the design data.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure of processing executed by the design support apparatus 10 when the user gives an instruction to change the dimensions of the body element in the design data. The design data processing unit 130 of the design support apparatus 10 performs the procedure in the example of FIG. 6 when the user's operation instruction acquired via the operation receiving unit 120 is an instruction to change the dimensions of the body element in the design data. Start processing. It is assumed that the design data processing unit 130 has already acquired the design data to be changed by the user from the design data storage unit 100 before starting the processing of the procedure in the example of FIG.

  First, the design data processing unit 130 specifies the content of the change instruction of the dimensions of the main body element (step S10). In step S10, it is specified how the change instruction acquired from the operation reception unit 120 is an instruction to change the dimensions of the body element. The change instruction is, for example, an instruction to enlarge or reduce the entire body element at a specific ratio. Alternatively, for example, it may be an instruction to enlarge or reduce the main body element in a specific direction at a specific ratio. In still another example, an instruction to change the ratio of the vertical / horizontal / depth of the main body element may be used.

  When the content of the change instruction is specified, the position / shape management unit 132 of the design data processing unit 130 obtains the dimensions of the main body element and each component element after the change according to the change instruction (step S12). In step S12, the position / shape management unit 132 obtains the dimensions of the changed body element according to the change instruction, and changes the dimensions of each part element in accordance with the change of the body element. Find the new dimensions. For example, in the case of a change instruction for enlarging or reducing the entire body element, the size of the body element after enlargement or reduction and each part element added to the body element are enlarged or reduced at the same ratio as the enlargement or reduction of the body element. As a result, the dimensions of each component element are obtained. Also, in the case of a change instruction for enlarging or reducing the body element in a specific direction at a specific ratio or an instruction for changing the vertical / horizontal / depth ratio of the body element (for each surface of the body element, the shape of the body element is a cuboid) If so, the ratio of enlargement or reduction may be different for each pair of opposing faces. In such a case, for each part element, the ratio of the enlargement / reduction of the surface of the main body element on which the part element is arranged is obtained, and the dimension after the enlargement / reduction of the part element (after the change) is obtained using this ratio. (Dimension) may be obtained.

  After step S12, the constraint condition determination unit 134 of the design data processing unit 130 checks whether or not the dimension after the change of each component element satisfies the constraint condition of each component element (step S14). The constraint condition determination unit 134 refers to the constraint condition of each component element included in the design data to be processed, and the changed dimensions of each component element obtained in step S12 are represented by the constraint condition of the component element. Check if the value is within the range.

  If there is no part element that does not satisfy the constraint condition as a result of the confirmation in step S14 (NO in step S16), the design data processing unit 130 uses the changed dimensions of the main body element and the part element obtained in step S12 as design data. Reflect (step S24). For example, in the design data storage unit 100, the dimensions of the main body element and each component element included in the design data to be processed are rewritten to the changed values.

  As a result of the confirmation in step S14, when there is a component element that does not satisfy the constraint condition (YES in step S16), the display control unit 136 displays a warning for notifying the user on the display unit 140 (step S18). ). In step S18, for example, information that enables the user to identify a component element that does not satisfy the constraint condition and the constraint condition of the component element are displayed on the display unit 140. FIG. 7 shows an example of the warning displayed in step S18. FIG. 7 shows that the changed dimensions of each part element obtained in accordance with the instruction to reduce the whole body element of the design object D1 displayed on the display screen of the example of FIG. 5 is lower than the lower limit value of the dimension of the constraint condition. It is an example of a warning display. The design object D1 ′ in the example of FIG. 7 represents a design when the design object D1 is reduced as instructed. In the warning display window W1 in the example of FIG. 7, a message “The size of the component element is below the lower limit value” is displayed, and the dimension (size) after the change of each component element 1, 2 and 3 and A table showing the lower limit values of the dimensions defined by the constraint conditions is displayed. In the item “size” in the table of the warning display window W1, the numerical value underlined indicates that the dimension is smaller than the lower limit value of the constraint condition. The warning display window W1 further includes menu buttons of “return to original”, “update with specified value”, and “update not to fall below lower limit value”. The user presses one of these menu buttons with an input device such as a mouse. Processing when each menu button is pressed will be described later.

  Referring again to FIG. 6, after displaying a warning that there is a component element that does not satisfy the constraint condition on the display unit 140 in step S <b> 18, the design data processing unit 130 further changes within the range that satisfies the constraint condition. An instruction is awaited (NO determination loop in step S20). A further change instruction is accepted, for example, by pressing a menu button in the warning display window W1 in the example of FIG. When the user presses the “undo” button, the operation receiving unit 120 instructs the design data processing unit 130 to maintain the dimensions of the main body element and each component element in the design data to be processed as the values before the change. hand over. When the user presses the “update with specified value” button, the operation receiving unit 120 changes the dimension of each component element to the value indicated in the “size” item of each component element in the table of the warning display window W1. The instruction is passed to the design data processing unit 130. In this example, it is assumed that the value of the item “size” in the table in the warning display window W1 can be changed by user input. When the user presses the “Update not to fall below lower limit” button, the operation reception unit 120 causes the body element to be the smallest so that the dimensions of each part element are not less than the lower limit of the constraint condition. Is given to the design data processing unit 130. Of the instructions corresponding to the menu buttons described above, the instruction in response to pressing the “Undo” button and the “Update not to fall below lower limit” button is a change instruction within a range that satisfies the constraint condition. I can say that. The instruction in response to the pressing of the “update with specified value” button is within the range that satisfies the constraint condition, unless any of the values of the “size” item in the table in the warning display window W1 is less than the corresponding lower limit value. This is a change instruction. When the “update specified value” button is pressed in a state where there is a value below the corresponding lower limit among the values of the “size” item, the instruction acquired by the design data processing unit 130 is a range that satisfies the constraint condition. It is not a change instruction within.

  After step S18 of FIG. 6, when the design data processing unit 130 obtains a change instruction within a range that satisfies the constraint conditions (YES in step 20), the position / shape management unit 132 determines each component element according to the change instruction. The changed dimension is obtained (step S22). In step S22, when the change instruction acquired in step S20 is accompanied by a change in the dimension of the main body element, the dimension after the change in the main body element is also obtained. For example, in the above example with reference to FIG. 7, when the “update not lower than lower limit” button is pressed, in step S22, the position / shape management unit 132 determines that the size of each component element is the lower limit value of the constraint condition. The dimensions of the body element and each component element when the body element is reduced so that the dimension of the body element is minimized within a range that does not fall below. Further, for example, in the above-described example, the “update with specified value” button is pressed in a state where the value of the item “size” does not fall below the lower limit value of the constraint condition in the table in the warning display window W1 of FIG. In this case, in step S22, the value input in the item “size” of each component element may be the changed dimension. In the case of this example, the value obtained in step S12 may be used as the dimension after changing the main body element. In the above example, when the “Undo” button is pressed, the dimensions of each component in the design data to be processed may be used as the changed dimensions obtained in step S22. In this case, it can be said that the dimension of each component calculated | required by step S22 is a value before performing the change according to the change instruction specified by step S10. Alternatively, for example, when the “undo” button is pressed, the process of step S22 may be omitted.

  After step S22, the design data processing unit 130 reflects the dimensions of each component obtained in step S22 in the design data to be processed in the design data storage unit 100 (step S24). After step S24, the process of the procedure in the example of FIG. 6 ends.

  While waiting for a change instruction within the range that satisfies the constraint conditions in step S20 of FIG. 6, in the example referring to FIG. When the “update specified value” button is pressed, the display control unit 136 of the design data processing unit 130 may display a message as shown in FIG. The window W2 illustrated in FIG. 8 displays a message prompting the user to input a value larger than the lower limit value in the “size” item of each component element. After the message in the example of FIG. 8 is displayed, the design data processing unit 130 continues to wait for a change instruction within a range that satisfies the constraint conditions.

  The above-described specific example with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8 is an example in the case of violating the constraint condition that determines the minimum value of the dimension when the component element is reduced in accordance with the instruction to reduce the body element. When a part element in which a constraint condition for determining the maximum value of a dimension is set is added to the main body element and the part element is enlarged in accordance with an instruction to enlarge the main body element, the restriction condition is violated. In step S18, for example, FIG. In the warning display similar to the warning display window W1 in the above example, “upper limit value” is displayed instead of “lower limit value” of each component element, and “upper limit value is set instead of“ update not to fall below lower limit value ”button. It is only necessary to display the “Update not to exceed” button. When this warning is displayed, if the “Update with specified value” button is pressed while a “size” exceeding the upper limit value is input for a certain component element, the user is prompted to set a value smaller than the upper limit value. Display a message.

  According to the procedure of the example described with reference to FIG. 6, when the dimension of the part element added to the main body element is changed in accordance with the change of the dimension of the main body element, the constraint condition of the dimension of each part element is violated. Such changes are avoided.

[Second Embodiment]
In the example of the second embodiment, for each component element, instead of setting a constraint condition indicating the maximum value or the minimum value of each component element, the arrangement surface in the main body element of each component element and the dimension range of each component element Set a shape suitable for the combination. In the example of the second embodiment, when the dimension of the part element added to the main body element is changed in accordance with the change in the dimension of the main body element, according to the arrangement surface of the part element and the changed dimension, It is determined whether or not it is necessary to change the shape of the component element.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an outline of the internal configuration of the design support apparatus 10 according to the example of the second embodiment. In FIG. 9, the same elements as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIG. The design support apparatus 10 in the example of FIG. 9 is different from the design support apparatus 10 in the example of FIG. 1 in that the design data processing unit 130 includes a part shape management unit 135 instead of the constraint condition determination unit 134. Further, in the example of the second embodiment, in the component DB 110, a shape corresponding to the combination of the arrangement surface and the dimension of each component element is stored instead of the constraint condition indicating the maximum value or the minimum value of the dimension of each component element. .

  FIG. 10 shows an example of data content of the component DB 110 in the example of the second embodiment. The table in the example of FIG. 10 includes items of a component type, a pasting surface, an X size, a Y size, and a component shape. The component type represents the type of component element. The type of component element may be, for example, a type when component elements are classified based on their functions. In FIG. 10, “opened part” is shown as the part type. The opening part is a part having a function for opening a packaging package. The pasting surface represents the surface on which the component elements are arranged in the main body element. In the example of FIG. 10, “front”, “side”, and “upper surface” are shown as the pasting surfaces. In this example, it is assumed that the shape of the body element is a rectangular parallelepiped. Of the six faces of the rectangular parallelepiped, the two faces having the largest area are “front”, the two faces having the smallest area are “upper face”, and the area is The two largest (smallest) surfaces are called “side surfaces” (see FIG. 11). Each item of X size and Y size in the table of the example of FIG. 10 represents a range of dimensions in the X-axis direction and Y-axis direction when the component element is represented on a two-dimensional plane. The item of the component shape represents the shape of the component element corresponding to the combination of the corresponding pasting surface, X size, and Y size. For example, referring to row L1 in FIG. 10, the attachment surface of the component element whose component type is an unsealed component is the “front” of the main body element, the dimension in the X axis direction of the component element is less than 15 mm, and the Y axis When the dimension in the direction is less than 15 mm, the shape of the component element is set to the shape indicated by the item “component shape” in the row L1. The “component shape” in the row L2 indicates the shape of the component element when the pasting surface is the front, the dimension in the X axis direction is 15 mm or more and less than 50 mm, and the dimension in the Y axis direction is 15 mm or more and less than 35 mm. To express. Similarly, the “component shape” in the row L3 represents the shape of the component element when the pasting surface is the front surface, the dimension in the X-axis direction is 50 mm or more, and the dimension in the Y-axis direction is 35 mm or more. Also, in the row L4 of the table of the example of FIG. 10, no value is set for the X size and Y size items. In the row L4, if the attachment surface of the component element that is “opened component” is “side surface”, the component element is represented by the item “component shape” in the row L4 regardless of the dimension of the component element. Indicates that the shape is set. Also, in the rows L5 and L6, no value is set for the X size item. In the rows L5 and L6, when the attachment surface of the component element that is the “opened component” is the “upper surface”, the dimension in the Y axis direction is 15 mm or less regardless of the dimension in the X axis direction of the component element. If the dimension in the Y-axis direction is less than 15 mm in the “component shape” in the row L5, it indicates that the shape of the component element is set in the “component shape” in the row L6. The table in the example of FIG. 10 can also be regarded as information that defines an appropriate attachment surface and a range of dimension values for each of a plurality of shapes that can be taken by a component element that is an “opened component”.

  In the example of the second embodiment, the design data stored in the design data storage unit 100 is related to each component element as shown in the table of the example of FIG. 10 read from the component DB 110 according to the component type of the component element. Information, information indicating the current pasting surface (arrangement surface) in the main body element of the component element, and the current dimension of the component element are included. As a specific example, consider the case of the design data of the design object D2 illustrated in FIG. The design object D2 is a packaging package. The main body element of the design object D2 is provided with a claw (part element 4) as an opening part at a portion corresponding to the lid. The design object D2 has a design in which the claw of the component element 4 is inserted into a hole portion (not shown) to fix the claw. The dimension (size) of the component element 4 is 60 mm in the X-axis direction and 40 mm in the Y-axis direction, and the pasting surface is the front surface of the main body element. The design data of the design object D2 relates to the component element 4, and includes information indicating the current dimension “X × Y = 60 mm × 40 mm” and the current attachment surface “front”, as well as the attachment surface, dimensions, and The information of the table | surface of the example of FIG. 10 which shows a component shape is included. Note that the component element 4 illustrated in FIG. 12 has a sticking surface and dimensions corresponding to the set value of the row L3 in the table of the example of FIG. It has a shape to include. The design data of the design object D2 also includes information representing the current shape of the component element 4.

  Returning to the description of FIG. 9, the position / shape management unit 132 of the design data processing unit 130 responds to an instruction to change the dimensions of the main body element to which the component element is added in the same manner as in the above-described first embodiment. The position / shape management unit 132 obtains the changed dimensions of the component element. Further, after changing the dimensions of the main body element in accordance with the instruction, the position / shape management unit 132 checks whether the attachment surface of the component element is the front surface, the side surface, or the upper surface of the main body element. For example, using the dimensions after changing the main body element, the area of the pasting surface of the component element and the area of each other surface of the main body element may be obtained and compared. By changing the size of the body element, the area of the attachment surface of the component element changes, so that the attachment surface of the component element is one of the front surface, the side surface, and the upper surface before and after the change of the body element dimension. May change to other types of surfaces. For this reason, the position / shape management unit 132 in the example of the second embodiment, in accordance with the instruction to change the dimension of the main body element, not only the dimension after changing the part element but also the part element after changing the dimension of the main body element Also ask for information on the pasting surface. The obtained changed dimension and pasted surface information is reflected in the design data in the design data storage unit 100 by the position / shape management unit 132.

  The component shape management unit 135 of the design data processing unit 130 manages the shape of the component element according to the setting contents of the component DB 110. For example, when the position / shape management unit 132 obtains the changed dimension and the pasting surface of the part element as described above in response to an instruction to change the dimension of the main body element, the new dimension and pasting are performed. It is determined whether or not to change the shape of the component element according to the surface. This determination may be performed based on information (see FIG. 10) that defines a shape corresponding to the pasting surface and dimensions with respect to the component element in the design data. For example, if the dimensions corresponding to the part element change and the shape corresponding to the pasting surface are the same as the current shape, it is determined that the shape change is unnecessary, and the dimension and pasting surface after the part element change are determined. If the corresponding shape is different from the current shape, it is determined that the shape needs to be changed. When it is necessary to change the shape, the component shape management unit 135 changes the shape of the component element in the design data in the design data storage unit 100 to a shape corresponding to the changed dimension and the pasting surface.

  FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure of processing executed by the design support apparatus 10 in the example of FIG. The design data processing unit 130 of the design support apparatus 10 performs the procedure in the example of FIG. 13 when the user's operation instruction acquired via the operation receiving unit 120 is an instruction to change the dimensions of the body element in the design data. Start processing.

  The process of specifying the content of the change instruction in step S10 of FIG. 13 may be the same as step S10 of the procedure of the example of FIG. 6 in the process of the example of the first embodiment.

  After step S10, the position / shape management unit 132 of the design data processing unit 130 obtains the changed dimensions of the main body element in accordance with the change instruction, and the changed dimensions and pasting surfaces of the respective component elements ( Step S30). The process for obtaining the changed dimensions of the main body element and each component element may be the same as the process described with reference to step S12 of FIG. For example, the surface of each component element to be attached is obtained by determining the area of each surface of the main body element using the dimension after the change of the main body element, and the surface on which each component element is arranged is the front surface (maximum area) and the side surface (area). Is the second largest) and the top surface (minimum area) is specified. If the area of four of the six surfaces of the main body element is the same, and the distinction between the front surface and the side surface or the top surface and the side surface cannot be distinguished, one surface of the front surface (or the top surface) and the side surface is You may select as a sticking surface of each component element. For example, when a component element is arranged on one of the four surfaces having the largest area in the main body element, it is determined in advance whether the attachment surface of the component element is regarded as the front surface or the side surface. That's fine. Similarly, when the component element is arranged on one of the four surfaces having the smallest area in the main body element, it is also determined in advance whether the attachment surface of the component element is regarded as the upper surface or the side surface. You may keep it. In addition, when the main body element is a cube (the areas of all the surfaces are equal), any surface among the front surface, the side surface, and the upper surface may be selected as the attachment surface of each component element. For example, when the main body element is a cube, it may be determined in advance such that the attachment surface of the component element is regarded as the front surface.

  After step S30, the component shape management unit 135 of the design data processing unit 130 confirms the changed dimensions of each component element and the shape according to the pasting surface (step S32). In step S32, the component shape management unit 135 reads, for example, information that defines the shape of each component element according to its pasting surface and dimensions from the design data to be processed. The shape corresponding to the dimension and the pasting surface after the change is specified. For example, among the range of dimension values set for the attachment surface of the component element, specify which range includes the modified dimension of the component element, and associate it with the identified dimension value range. The formed shape is specified as a shape corresponding to the dimension and the pasting surface after the change of the component element.

  If the shape confirmed in step S32 for all the component elements is the same as the current shape, it is not necessary to change the shape of the component element, so a NO determination is made in step S34, and the process proceeds to step S40. In step S40, the design data processing unit 130 reflects the dimensions of the changed main body element and part element in the design data. That is, in the design data in the design data storage unit 100, the dimensions of the main body element and each component element are rewritten to the changed values. Here, the shape of the component element is not changed.

  If the current shape is different from the shape confirmed in step S32 for one or more component elements, it is necessary to change the shape of the component element, so a YES determination is made in step S34, and the process proceeds to step S36. In step S36, the design data processing unit 130 reflects the changed dimensions of the main body element and the changed dimensions of each part element in the design data to be processed, and the part elements that need to be changed in shape. The shape is set to the shape confirmed in step S32.

  After step S36, the display control unit 136 of the design data processing unit 130 causes the display unit 140 to display information indicating that the shape of the component element has been changed in accordance with the change in the dimensions of the main body element (step S38).

  After step S38 or step S40, the process of the procedure in the example of FIG. 13 ends.

  Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 12, FIG. 14, and FIG. 15, a specific example of how the shape of the component element is changed by the procedure of the example of FIG. In this specific example, first, it is assumed that an instruction to reduce the main body element of the design object D2 illustrated in FIG. 12 is given, and the processing of the procedure in the example of FIG. 13 is executed. Assume that 40 mm and 27 mm are respectively obtained as the dimensions in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction after changing the component element 4 in step S30 of FIG. In addition, the attachment surface of the component element 4 is assumed to be “front” throughout the change of the dimensions of the main body element. In this case, in step S32, the part shape management unit 135 uses information (table in the example of FIG. 10) that defines the shape of the component element 4 and the shape according to the pasting surface in the design data of the design object D2. Referring to FIG. 10, the “component shape” in the row L2 in the table of FIG. 10 is specified as the shape corresponding to the dimension (X × Y = 40 mm × 27 mm) after the change of the component element 4 and the pasting surface (front surface). Since the shape of the component element 4 before the change in the dimensions of the main body element is the shape of the “component shape” in the row L3 in the table of FIG. 10, the shape of the component element 4 needs to be changed in step S34 of FIG. It is determined that In step S36, the changed dimensions of the main body element and the changed dimensions and shape of the component element 4 (row L2 in FIG. 10) are reflected in the design data. In step S38, the display control unit 136 displays, for example, a display screen as shown in FIG. 14 on the display unit 140 to indicate that the shape of the component element 4 has been changed along with the change in the dimensions of the main body element. Notify the user. The design object D2 ′ shown on the display screen in the example of FIG. 14 is a package represented by design data reflecting changes in the dimensions of the main body element and part element 4 of the design object D2 and changes in the shape of the part element 4. It is an example of the figure of design.

  With reference to FIG. 15, an example in which the pasting surface of the component element 4 is changed will be described. The design object D2 in the example of FIG. 12 or the design object D2 ′ in the example of FIG. 14 is instructed to change the ratio of the vertical / horizontal / depth of the main body element. 4 is changed from the front surface to the upper surface (surface having the smallest area in the main body element). Further, it is assumed that the dimension of the changed component element 4 obtained in step S30 in FIG. 13 is 40 mm in the X-axis direction and 27 mm in the Y-axis direction. In this case, in step S32 of FIG. 13, the component shape management unit 135 identifies the component shape of the row L5 in the table of the example of FIG. 10 as the shape corresponding to the dimension and the pasting surface of the component element 4 after the change. . Further, the display control unit 136 displays the display screen of the example of FIG. 15 in step S38 of FIG. 13 and notifies the user that the shape has been changed in accordance with the change of the pasting surface of the component element 4. .

  Note that the dimensions in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction after the change of the component element 4 may correspond to the ranges of “X size” and “Y size” in different rows in the table of the example of FIG. . As a specific example, when the attachment surface of the component element 4 is the front surface and the dimension of the component element 4 is 45 mm in the X-axis direction and 40 mm in the Y-axis direction, the X size in the row L2 and the Y size in the row L3 in FIG. It corresponds to. In such a case, for example, one part shape in the rows L2 and L3 may be selected and used. It may be determined in advance whether the part shape corresponding to the X size or the Y size is used. Alternatively, for example, information that prompts the user to change one dimension of the component element in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction is displayed on the display unit 140, and the dimension of the component element is determined in one row of the table in the example of FIG. You may make it change into the dimension applicable to the range of the value of both X size and Y size to be performed. In this example, the shape of the part element may be specified after changing the dimension of the part element so as to fall within the range of both the X size and Y size values in one row of the table of FIG.

  According to the example of the second embodiment, when the affixing surface and dimensions of a part element are changed in accordance with the change of the dimensions of the main body element, the shape of the part element is the affixing surface after the change of the part element. And the shape is automatically changed according to the dimensions.

  In the above description, the case where the shape of the main body element is a rectangular parallelepiped has been described as a specific example, but the shape of the main body element may be another polyhedron. For example, the type of surface is defined according to the size relation of the area of each surface of the polyhedron, and for each defined surface type, a set of dimension value range and shape of the component element can be stored in the component DB 110. For example, the processing of the example of the second embodiment can be executed in the same manner as described above.

[Modifications, etc.]
The embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the above-described aspects of the first embodiment and the second embodiment, and there may be various modifications.

  In the description of the first embodiment and the second embodiment described above, an example of processing in the case where the dimensions of the main body element are changed in a state where the component elements are already arranged on the main body element has been described. The confirmation of the dimensions based on the constraint conditions in the example of the first embodiment and the confirmation of the shape as in the example of the second embodiment may be performed at other timings when an instruction to change the dimensions of the body element is given. .

  For example, in the modification of the first embodiment, when the design data processing unit 130 receives an instruction to place a new part element in the main body element, the design data processing unit 130 checks the constraint condition of the dimension corresponding to the part name of the part element. Then, the dimension within the range satisfying the constraint condition is set in the design data as the current dimension of the component element. Also, for example, when an instruction to change the dimensions of the part element itself is received instead of an instruction to change the dimensions of the main body element, whether or not the dimensions of the part element after the change according to the instructions satisfy the constraint condition. If it is determined and not satisfied, the processing after step S18 in FIG. 6 described above may be performed.

  Further, in the modification of the second embodiment, when the design data processing unit 130 receives an instruction to place a new part element in the main body element, information on the shape corresponding to the part type of the part element (FIG. 10). (Reference) is read out from the component DB 110, and the shape of the component element is set to a shape corresponding to the instructed attachment surface and dimensions. Also, for example, when receiving an instruction to move a component element already added to the main body element to another surface of the main body element, the shape corresponding to the pasted surface after the movement is confirmed, and the current shape and If they are different, the shape of the component element may be changed. Further, the shape may be changed according to the changed dimension in response to an instruction to change the dimension of the component element itself.

  In still another modified example, both the process related to the dimension constraint condition according to the example of the first embodiment and the process related to the shape of the component according to the example of the second embodiment may be performed. For example, in the component DB 110, for each component type, in addition to the information in the table as in the example of FIG. 10, a range of allowable values for the dimensions of each component element is set, and an instruction to change the dimension of the body element is given. Accordingly, confirmation of the constraint condition of the dimension after the change of each component element and confirmation of the shape according to the dimension after the change and the pasting surface are performed. In the present modification, for example, first, the processing of steps S10 to S16 in the example of FIG. 6 is performed to determine whether or not the dimension after the change of each component element satisfies the constraint condition. If the constraint condition is satisfied (NO in step S16), the processing of step S32 and subsequent steps in the example of FIG. 13 is performed, and the shape of each component element is set to a shape corresponding to the changed dimension. On the other hand, if there is a component element that does not satisfy the dimensional constraint condition (YES in step S16), a warning is displayed (step S18), and a further change instruction within the range satisfying the constraint condition is awaited (NO determination in step S20). loop). When a further change instruction within the range satisfying the constraint condition is received (YES in step S20), the shape of each component element is determined according to the instruction received in step S20 of FIG. Set the shape according to the changed dimensions.

  Further, in another modification of the second embodiment, the setting of the component element pasting surface may be omitted. In the case of this modification, if the shape of the part element is set according to the range of different values for the dimension of the part element, and the dimension of the part element is changed, the shape of the part element is changed to the dimension after the change. The shape may be set in accordance with the above.

  In the example of the first embodiment and the second embodiment described above, when a part element is added to the main body element, information on the part element stored in the part DB 110 is acquired from the part DB 110 and included in the design data. Incorporate and check the constraint conditions and the shape of the component elements by referring to the design data. In the modification of each embodiment, for each part element added to the main body element, only the part name or part type, the current dimension, position, and shape are described in the design data, and the dimension constraint condition or shape When executing a process using information, the component DB 110 may be searched by using the component name or component type as a key, and the constraint condition or shape information may be acquired from the component DB 110.

  Moreover, although each embodiment and the modification were demonstrated taking the design of the packaging package as an example above, the design object is not limited to the packaging package. As long as it is a design object designed by adding a component element to a main body element, the processes of the above-described various embodiments and modifications may be similarly executed. In addition, the design of the design object of the specific example used in the above description is all expressed in three dimensions, but for the design expressed in two dimensions, the processing of the above-described various embodiments and modifications May be performed similarly.

  The above-described design support apparatus 10 is typically realized by executing a program describing functions or processing contents of each unit of the above-described design support apparatus 10 on a general-purpose computer. As shown in FIG. 16, for example, the computer includes a CPU (central processing unit) 80, a memory (primary storage) 82, various I / O (input / output) interfaces 84, and the like connected via a bus 86. Circuit configuration. Also, a disk drive 90 for reading portable non-volatile recording media of various standards such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 88, a CD, a DVD, and a flash memory via the I / O interface 84, for example, to the bus 86. Connected. Such a drive 88 or 90 functions as an external storage device for the memory. A program in which the processing content of the embodiment is described is stored in a fixed storage device such as the HDD 88 via a recording medium such as a CD or DVD, or via a network, and is installed in a computer. The program stored in the fixed storage device is read into the memory and executed by the CPU, whereby the processing of the embodiment is realized.

  In the above, the embodiment and the modification example in which the design support apparatus 10 is realized by one computer have been described. However, various functions of the above-described example of the design support apparatus 10 can be realized by distributing to a plurality of computers. Also good.

  10 Design Support Device, 80 CPU, 82 Memory, 84 I / O Interface, 86 Bus, 88 HDD, 90 Disk Drive, 100 Design Data Storage Unit, 110 Component DB, 120 Operation Accepting Unit, 130 Design Data Processing Unit, 132 Position / Shape management unit, 134 constraint condition determination unit, 135 component shape management unit, 136 display control unit, 140 display unit.

Claims (8)

Designation information representing a design object consisting of a main body element and a part element added to the main body element is designated, and an instruction to change the dimensions of at least a part of the main body element is received, and the instruction is followed. Processing means for performing a process of obtaining the dimension of the part element after the change when the dimension of the part element included in the design information is changed according to the change of the dimension of the main body element;
Reference is made to storage means storing constraint conditions relating to the dimensions of the respective component elements added to the main body element, and whether or not the dimension of the modified component element obtained by the processing means satisfies the constraint conditions of the component element Determination means for determining whether or not
When it is determined in the determination means that the dimension of the part element after the change does not satisfy the constraint condition of the part element, output means for outputting information indicating that,
A design support apparatus comprising: The processing unit further includes a range in which the dimension of the component element satisfies the constraint condition when the determination unit determines that the dimension of the component element after the change does not satisfy the constraint condition of the component element. Generating the design information including dimensions of the main body element and the part element as a result of enlarging or reducing the main body element and the part element in response to the instruction.
The design support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: In the storage means, a plurality of the constraint conditions are stored for each component element added to the main body element, and each of the plurality of constraint conditions is associated with each of a plurality of shapes that the component element can take. And represents a range of acceptable values for the dimension of the component element having the shape,
The determination means further determines which dimension of the part element after the change is included in a value range represented by which of the plurality of constraint conditions for the component element,
The processing means has a shape associated with a constraint determined to represent a range of values including dimensions of the part element after the change by the determination means, and the part element after the change Generating the design information representing the design object including the part element having a dimension and the body element having a dimension of the changed body element;
The design support apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The storage means further stores, for each part element added to the body element, a set of the constraint condition and the shape of the part element for each surface on which the part element can be arranged in the body element,
The determination means determines whether the dimension of the component element after the change is included in a range of values represented by which of the constraint conditions corresponding to the surface on which the component element is arranged in the main body element. judge,
The design support apparatus according to claim 3. The output unit is further configured to receive a command corresponding to a shape associated with a constraint determined to represent a range of values including the dimension of the part element after the change by the determination unit. When it is different from the shape of the component element, information indicating that is output.
The design support apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein When the design information is designated and an input of an instruction to add a new part element to the main body element is received, a determination process in the determination unit is executed regarding the dimensions of the new part element.
The design support apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein When the design information is designated and an input of an instruction to change the dimension of the component element included in the design information is received, the determination by the determination unit regarding the dimension of the component element after the change according to the instruction Execute the process,
The design support apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: On the computer,
Designation information representing a design object consisting of a main body element and a part element added to the main body element is designated, and an instruction to change the dimensions of at least a part of the main body element is received, and the instruction is followed. A processing step of performing a process of obtaining the dimension of the part element after the change when the dimension of the part element included in the design information is changed according to the change of the dimension of the main body element;
Whether the dimension of the part element after the change obtained in the processing step satisfies the constraint condition of the part element with reference to the storage means storing the constraint condition regarding the dimension of each part element added to the main body element A determination step for determining whether or not
An output step of outputting information indicating that when it is determined in the determination step that the dimension of the component element after the change does not satisfy the constraint condition of the component element;
A program for running

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