JP7464423B2 - Drawing creation method and system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method and system for creating 2D drawings based on 3D data.

For example, when manufacturing or constructing machinery, equipment, buildings, etc., drawings may be created for use in meetings and construction. Such drawings are 2D drawings that display figures such as projections that show the shape of one or more items, with the dimensions of each part written around the figure along with leader lines, and further notes and explanations of materials, etc.

On the other hand, in recent years, with the penetration of information processing technology, machines and equipment are often designed as 3D models on computers. In such cases, the 2D drawings mentioned above are created based on the 3D data.

Traditionally, 2D drawings based on such 3D data have been created manually using computer software for creating drawings. First, data for the target item is selected from the original 3D model data, and a projection view such as a front view or plan view is drawn by setting an appropriate projection plane, with the dimensions of each part written around it along with leader lines. In addition, a table is created containing notes, materials, etc.

In addition, various technologies have been proposed to mechanically assist in the creation of such 2D drawings (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 below).

JP 2002-324082 A JP 2019-75103 A

The above-mentioned series of processes involved in creating 2D drawings is a complex task that requires many man-hours, even though it is done on a computer and not by hand. In particular, for machines and equipment with many parts, a huge number of drawings are required, resulting in a huge number of man-hours. In addition, since the work requires skill, training personnel also takes time and effort.

Although the techniques described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 above may be able to solve some of these problems, it is difficult to say that they can completely replace the processes described above.

In view of this situation, the present invention aims to provide a method and system for creating drawings that can easily create 2D drawings.

The present invention relates to a drawing creation method executed by a drawing data creation unit provided in a drawing creation system, which includes an arrangement data creation step of creating arrangement data that can create a projection drawing of the item data with the reference plane as a projection plane by placing single item data that holds information about a three-dimensional structure in a predetermined orientation relative to a reference plane, and in the arrangement data creation step, a plurality of single item data at different angles to each other are placed relative to the reference plane .

In the method for creating drawings of the present invention, prior to the layout data creation step, a measuring step is further included for acquiring dimensions of each part of the target item data, and in the layout data creation step, layout data is created in which the item data is arranged in a predetermined orientation relative to the reference surface, and dimensions to be displayed in a projection drawing in which the item data is projected onto the reference surface are acquired by assuming a projection drawing, and then it is determined whether or not there are any unacquired dimensions among the dimensions acquired in the measuring step , and if there are any unacquired dimensions, layout data can be created in which the item data is added and arranged in an orientation different from the predetermined orientation relative to the reference surface .

In the method for creating drawings of the present invention, in the layout data creation step, the reference plane can be set parallel to a plane that maximizes the projected area when a projection drawing of the item data is created.

The method for creating a drawing of the present invention may further include a frame creation step for creating a frame parallel to the reference plane.

In the drawing creation method of the present invention, in the drawing frame creation step, the size of the drawing frame can be determined based on the size of the characters to be displayed in the drawing.

The method for creating a drawing of the present invention may further include a character arrangement step of arranging characters around the item data.

In the method for creating a drawing of the present invention, in the character arrangement step, after characters are arranged around the item data, it is determined whether there is any overlap between the arranged characters, and if there is any overlap, some of the overlapping characters can be relocated to a position farther away from the item data.

In the method for creating drawings of the present invention, the character arrangement step involves arranging characters representing dimensions and creating leader lines and dimension lines, determining whether there is overlap between the arranged characters and between the created dimension lines, and if there is overlap, relocating parts of the characters where at least one of the characters and/or dimension lines overlap to a position away from the item data, and recreating the leader lines and dimension lines.

In the drawing creation method of the present invention, in the character placement process, characters can be placed outside a bounding box that is set to surround the target item data.

The present invention also relates to a drawing creation system including a drawing data creation unit that executes the above-mentioned drawing creation method.

The drawing creation method and system of the present invention have the excellent effect of allowing 2D drawings to be created easily.

1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a drawing creation system according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for a drawing creation method according to an embodiment of the present invention. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a placement data creation process. 11 is a flowchart for explaining the contents of a character arrangement process, showing the procedure for arranging symbols for notes. 11 is a flowchart illustrating the contents of a character arrangement process, showing the procedure for arranging characters representing dimensions. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for creating a picture frame. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a shape of an article that is assumed to be a subject of drawing creation. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an example of the shape of an article assumed to be the subject of drawing creation, showing the shape as seen from a different direction than that of FIG. 7 . 1 is an example of a possible projection view. 11 is an example of a projection drawing based on the arrangement data created in the arrangement data creating step. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the arrangement data as viewed from an angle different from that of FIG. 9 . 13 is an enlarged view showing a part of the item data on which characters are to be arranged. FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which characters are arranged in addition to the state shown in FIG. 12, showing a state in which the characters are arranged so as to overlap each other. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which characters are arranged in addition to the state shown in FIG. 12, and shows a state in which overlapping of characters is eliminated. This is an example of the layout data that is ultimately created as drawing data. FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the drawing data as viewed from an angle different from that of FIG. 15 .

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings.

Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of a drawing creation system according to the present invention. The drawing creation system of this embodiment includes a 3D data storage unit 1, a 3D data reading unit 2, a drawing data creation unit 3, a drawing data storage unit 4, an operation unit 5, a display unit 6, and an output unit 7. These functions may be physically performed by multiple pieces of hardware, or multiple functions may be performed by a single piece of hardware. At least some of the functions of the 3D data storage unit 1, the 3D data reading unit 2, the drawing data creation unit 3, and the drawing data storage unit 4 may be constructed on a network. In addition, the system may adopt any appropriate configuration as long as it can realize the functions described below.

The 3D data storage unit 1 stores 3D data M. The 3D data M is data on the three-dimensional shapes of parts, machines, equipment, etc., created using CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software, and includes information such as coordinates and dimensions that represent the shape of a three-dimensional object, the R value of an arc section, and the type of part (for example, a pipe with a circular cross section having a diameter of x [mm], or a plate-shaped member having a thickness of y [mm]), as well as attribute information such as the name and material of an item, and which part belongs to which item or group.

The 3D data reading unit 2 stores a 3D viewer (not shown). The 3D viewer refers to software that renders 3D data M, which is electronic data, in a planar form that can be visually recognized by humans. The 3D viewer displays the shape of an object represented as 3D data M as seen from any viewpoint, and can also display attribute information as necessary. It is also possible, for example, to rotate the displayed object and enlarge or reduce any portion. The 3D data reading unit 2 reads out the 3D data M from the 3D data storage unit 1 using the functions of the 3D viewer.

The drawing data creation unit 3 has a function of using the 3D data M read by the 3D data reading unit 2 as the original data and creating drawing data D through a process described below. The created drawing data D is stored in the drawing data storage unit 4.

The operation unit 5 is an interface for operating each of the above-mentioned units (3D data storage unit 1, 3D data reading unit 2, drawing data creation unit 3, drawing data storage unit 4), and is, for example, a keyboard or mouse of an information terminal, or a touch panel display.

The display unit 6 is a display that displays the operation screens of the above-mentioned components, as well as figures and attribute information of objects drawn by the 3D viewer of the 3D data reading unit 2, and other information as necessary. If the operation unit 5 is a touch panel display, the operation unit 5 can also function as the display unit 6.

The output unit 7 is a printer that outputs the drawing data D created by the drawing data creation unit 3 and other information as needed.

The procedure for creating drawing data D using the above-described drawing creation system will be explained with reference to the flowcharts in Figures 2 to 6.

First, an extraction process is executed (step S1). This extraction process is a process of extracting the part to be drawn from the 3D data M, which is the original data stored in the 3D data storage unit. The original 3D data M is, for example, a 3D model of a device in which multiple parts are combined, and creating a projection drawing from it as is will not result in a drawing that can be used on-site. Therefore, the part to be drawn, for example, 3D data of a single part or an item made up of multiple parts (hereinafter referred to as "item data") is extracted from the original data. The extraction can be performed manually or automatically based on attribute information assigned to each object.

Then, the extracted data is read out using the 3D viewer function of the 3D data reading unit 2 (step S2, reading process). Here, the data is read out while retaining information about the three-dimensional structure of the object. As described above, the 3D viewer has the function of displaying the 3D data in a two-dimensional form that can be visually recognized by humans, but at this time, depending on the application, it may be acceptable to discard information about the three-dimensional structure. In other words, when a projection view on a certain plane is required, it is sufficient to have the vertical and horizontal dimensions and angles of each part along that plane, and dimensions related to the depth are not necessary. However, in this embodiment, since the information about the three-dimensional structure is used in a later process, it is read out while retaining it in this reading process. In addition, the attribute information is also retained.

The drawing data creation unit 3 acquires information about the shape of the item contained in the item data read by the 3D viewer function of the 3D data reading unit 2 (step S3, shape information acquisition process). The shape information includes the coordinates, angles, and part information (diameter, thickness, etc.) of each part that constitutes the item.

Next, based on the acquired shape information, a reference point is set for obtaining the required dimensions (step S4, reference point setting process). The reference point set here is a point that serves as a reference for measuring dimensions, and is a point at which the required dimensions of a certain part can be obtained by measuring the distance between one reference point and another reference point along a specific direction. Examples of such points include the corners of an object, the end points of a linear component, or the center point or apex of an arc shape.

Figures 7 and 8 show an example of the shape of an article for which a drawing is to be created. In the case of the example shown here, the points indicated by the letter P in Figures 7 and 8 (the vertices of each face and the vertex of the U-shaped metal fitting) are set as reference points, and by obtaining their coordinates, the necessary dimensions of each part can be calculated as the difference between the coordinate values of each reference point, or as a result of appropriately calculating these.

Once the reference points are set, the necessary dimensions of each part of the target item data are obtained based on the coordinates of these reference points (step S5, measurement process).

Then, the placement data creation process (step S6) is executed. A more detailed procedure for this placement data creation process is shown in Figure 3.

Layout data refers to data that includes item data, which is data that corresponds to the figure of an item, and a reference plane that is set for this. The reference plane is a surface that is assumed as a projection plane when creating a projection drawing in the layout data. In the layout data creation process, this reference plane is first set (step S61).

In principle, a projection drawing can be a drawing seen from any direction, but for practical purposes, if any part that makes up an item is flat, it is preferable for the plane to be set parallel to the projection plane in order to grasp the shape and dimensions. For example, when creating a projection drawing of the target item data, the projection plane with the largest projection area is selected, and a plane parallel to that plane is set as the reference plane. This is because if the shape is projected onto a plane with a large projection area, it is expected that it will be easier to obtain a lot of information about the correct shape and dimensions, and ultimately it will be easier to obtain a suitable 2D drawing with a lot of information (of course, exceptions can be expected depending on the complexity of the item's shape, etc.). Then, in a later step, the reference plane is used as the projection plane, and layout data is created that will allow for a suitable projection drawing of the item data to be obtained.

In addition, conditions other than the projected area may be appropriately used as conditions for setting the reference plane. For example, if an item is mainly composed of rod- or pipe-shaped components, the surface with the longest total length of the components in the projection drawing may be set as the reference plane.

After setting the reference plane, set the orientation of the single item data relative to the reference plane. As described above, the reference plane is set as a plane parallel to a certain surface of the single item data, but in this state, the orientation of the single item data in three-dimensional space relative to the reference plane is determined only for one axis, and the angles of the other two axes are not determined. In other words, if the axis perpendicular to the reference plane is assumed to be the Z axis, the orientations of the X and Y axes are not determined. Therefore, for example, when imagining a projection drawing with the reference plane as the projection plane, it is advisable to set the longest linear structure that appears in the projection drawing as the X or Y direction.

When the reference plane and the orientation of the item data relative to it are set in this way, the projection of the reference plane is assumed to have a shape, for example, as shown in Figure 9.

Once the reference plane and orientation are set, the dimensions to be displayed on the projection drawing are acquired (step S62) assuming a projection drawing with the reference plane as the projection plane. The dimensions acquired here are the dimensions of the parts that appear on the currently assumed projection drawing among the dimensions of each part acquired in the measurement process (step S5 in FIG. 2). More specifically, if a projection drawing such as that shown in FIG. 9 is assumed, a total of six points forming the corners of the faces and one vertex of the U-shaped metal fitting located on the right side appear as reference points (see point P in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8). Therefore, among the dimensions acquired in step S5, the dimensions calculated between these reference points are acquired here. Note that in this step S62, the dimensions to be displayed on the projection drawing are acquired, but the dimensions are not arranged. The actual arrangement of characters representing the dimensions in the arrangement data will be a later process.

Depending on the shape of the object, not only lines parallel to the projection plane but also lines at an oblique angle to the projection plane may be displayed. The dimensions of such parts may also be obtained as dimensions to be displayed in the same projection drawing. In such a case, a certain angle (e.g., 45°) to the projection plane may be set as a threshold, and the dimensions of lines that form an angle below this threshold may be set to be displayed in the projection drawing. In this case, the dimensions of oblique lines that are not displayed in a certain projection drawing (e.g., a front view) will be displayed in a projection drawing viewed from a different direction (e.g., a right side view).

Next, it is determined whether any of the dimensions acquired in the measuring process (FIG. 2, step S5) have not yet been acquired in step S62 (step S63). If any dimensions have not yet been acquired, the item data is duplicated (hereinafter, the original item data is referred to as the "first item data" and the duplicated new item data is referred to as the "second item data") and added to the arrangement data (step S64). At this time, the second item data is placed at an appropriate distance from the first item data so as not to overlap with it, and is rotated, for example, by 90° in the Y direction with respect to the first item data. In this way, if the reference plane is the projection plane and the projection view of the first item data is a front view, the projection view of the second item data, which corresponds to the right side view, is added to the arrangement data.

Regarding the projection of the second item data assumed to be on the reference plane, the dimensions to be displayed on the projection are obtained in the same manner as in the case of the first item data (step S62). The dimensions obtained here may overlap with the dimensions obtained for the first item data in the previous step S62.

Furthermore, step S63 is performed to determine whether there are any unobtained dimensions that were not obtained in either the first step S62 for the first item data or the second step S62 for the second item data. If any unobtained dimensions remain, the item data is further duplicated and placed on the placement data as third item data. This third item data is placed above the first item data, rotated 90° around the X-axis, assuming a plan view, for example.

In this way, the individual item data with different angles are sequentially placed on the reference plane until there are no more unobtained dimensions (it is determined in step S63 that there are no more unobtained dimensions). The maximum number of individual item data that can be ultimately placed is six, and the projection views of each individual item data on the reference plane correspond to the front view, right side view, top view, left side view, bottom view, and back view, respectively.

The number of item data pieces arranged relative to the reference plane depends on the shape of the item. For example, if an item is composed only of pipe-shaped components of the same diameter extending along the same plane, all necessary dimensions can be obtained from the projection (front view) of the first item data piece with the reference plane as the projection plane, and arrangement of the item data is completed there. For items with more complex shapes, more projections must be created before all dimensions can be obtained. In this way, arrangement data containing an appropriate number of item data pieces according to the shape of the item can be easily created.

For the items shown in Figures 7 and 8, the projection drawing based on the layout data created in this layout data creation process is, for example, as shown in Figure 10. As described above, when the individual item data is placed on the reference plane and the dimensions to be displayed on each projection drawing are obtained, in the example shown here, once three individual item data have been placed on the reference plane, all dimensions have been obtained and no more individual item data is placed. Then, when a projection drawing is created with the reference plane as the projection plane, a front view, right side view, and plan view are obtained as projection drawings corresponding to the first to third individual item data, respectively.

If the layout data is viewed from a different angle, the positional relationship between the reference plane and each piece of item data is, for example, as shown in Figure 11. In other words, multiple pieces of item data are arranged on the reference plane (indicated by the symbol PL in Figure 11) at different angles while retaining information about the three-dimensional structure. If this layout data is viewed in a direction perpendicular to the reference plane PL, then figures corresponding to the front view, right side view, and plan view can be obtained as projections with the reference plane as the projection plane, as shown in Figure 10.

In the layout data created in this way, character information such as symbols for notes and dimensions are further laid out (Figure 2, steps S7 and S8, character layout process). The contents of this character layout process will be explained with reference to Figures 4 and 5.

First, for each item data placed on the placement data, a bounding box is set along the reference plane (Figure 4, step S71). A bounding box is a virtually defined rectangular frame that surrounds each item data and is large enough to contain the item data, and is not displayed on the final drawing (although the bounding box may be displayed on the drawing or output if necessary). Note that the bounding box may be created in the placement data creation process (see Figure 3) and used here.

Next, for each item data, character information (here, symbols for notes) to be placed on each part is obtained (step S72), and the obtained character information is placed around the target item data (step S73). Each symbol, which is the character information obtained in step S72, is linked to each part that is the target of the note. Therefore, each obtained symbol is placed near each part of the item data that is the target of the note, along a plane parallel to the reference plane.

It is advisable to place each character outside the bounding box. If the characters are placed inside the bounding box, there is a possibility that the characters may overlap the outline of the figure representing the item, depending on the shape of the item. When placing characters automatically, it is easier and more reliable to place the characters outside the bounding box in order to avoid overlap with outlines, etc.

Once the characters have been placed, balloons are created to connect each character, which is the symbol for the note, to the part that the note refers to (step S74).

Next, it is determined whether the placed characters overlap (step S75). If there is no overlap, the placement of characters related to the notes for the target item data is completed, but if overlapping characters are found, some of the overlapping characters are rearranged to a position farther away from the item data (step S76). The balloon is also re-created to match the position of the rearranged characters (step S77). Once the rearrangement of the characters and the re-creation of the balloon are complete, the determination in step S75 is performed again. This is repeated until it is determined that there is no overlapping of characters.

The above process is repeated for all item data in the placement data, completing the text placement process for notes.

The procedure for placing characters related to dimensions is generally similar (see Figure 5). First, a bounding box is created (step S81). The bounding box created here is set to be slightly larger than the bounding box used in step S7 so that it will also include the characters placed in the character placement process in the previous step S7 (steps S71-77). This ensures that characters related to dimensions to be placed in subsequent steps do not overlap with characters related to notes that have already been placed.

However, instead of creating a new bounding box in step S81, the bounding box used in step S7 (steps S71 to S77) can be used in the following steps. In that case, to avoid overlap with the characters related to the notes, it is a good idea to also check for overlap between the characters related to the dimensions and the characters related to the notes in step S85, which will be described later.

Next, for each item data, character information to be placed on each part (here, the dimensions of each part) is obtained (step S82), and placed around the item data (step S83). The dimensions, which are character information obtained in step S82, are linked to each item data and the corresponding part in the item data. Therefore, the obtained character is placed outside the bounding box created in step S81, along a plane parallel to the reference plane.

Once the characters have been placed, dimension lines and leader lines are created (step S84). The dimension is obtained as the distance along a specific direction (for example, the X-axis or Y-axis direction; hereafter, for convenience, this will be referred to as the "dimension direction") between one reference point and another reference point that appears on the projection surface. Leader lines are straight lines that extend from the two reference points that serve as the basis for the dimension, in a direction perpendicular to the dimension direction, toward the side where the characters representing the dimension are located, and dimension lines are straight lines drawn in the dimension direction near the characters to connect the leader lines on both sides.

Next, it is determined whether there is any overlap between the placed characters and dimension lines (step S85). If there is no overlap between the characters or dimension lines, the placement of the characters relating to the dimensions for the target item data is completed. However, if there is overlap between the characters or dimension lines, some of the overlapping characters representing the dimensions are rearranged to a position farther away from the item data (step S86). In addition, leader lines and dimension lines are re-created to match the rearranged characters (step S87).

Once the characters have been rearranged and the leader lines and dimension lines have been recreated, step S85 is performed again. This is repeated until it is determined that there is no overlap between the characters.

The above process is repeated for all item data in the placement data, completing the character placement process for dimensions.

The procedure for arranging characters while avoiding overlapping characters will be described in more detail with reference to Figures 12 to 14. Note that Figures 12 to 14 show an example of the flow for arranging characters representing dimensions (steps S8, S81 to S87) after arranging symbols for notes (steps S7, S71 to S77), but the same procedure can also be used for the preceding steps S7, S71 to S77.

Figure 12 shows how the characters representing the note symbols have been placed and balloons created on the left side of the right side view in Figure 10 (a projection of the item data shown in the lower right). Here, the characters representing the dimensions (shown as N1 to N5), as well as leader lines and dimension lines, should ultimately be placed as shown in Figure 14, for example.

When step S83 is executed for the first time in the character arrangement process, the characters indicated by the symbols N1 to N5 are arranged on the left side of the bounding box B at a position equidistant from one side of the bounding box B. Furthermore, when dimension lines and leader lines are created for these (step S84), the characters, dimension lines, and leader lines are arranged in a state such as that shown in FIG. 13. In this state, the characters indicated by the symbols N4 and N5 overlap each other, and the dimension lines related to the characters N1 to N5 also partially overlap each other. This state is not appropriate as a drawing. When characters overlap, it is difficult to read, and when dimension lines overlap, it is difficult to read which reference points the dimensions added to the dimension lines indicate. It is not a problem if the dimension lines cross each other rather than overlap. There is also no particular problem with leader lines overlapping and crossing each other.

In the next step S85, such overlapping is checked. That is, it is determined whether there is an overlap between the arranged characters N1 to N5 and between the created dimension lines, and as a result, it is determined that some of the characters and dimension lines overlap, and the process proceeds to step S86. In step S86, among the characters N1 to N5 in which at least one of the characters or the dimension lines overlap, some of the characters N2, N3, and N4 are relocated to a position a certain distance away from the bounding box B (step S86), and the leader lines and dimension lines are re-created accordingly (step S87). Next, step S85 is executed again to check for overlapping, and if overlapping is still found, the process proceeds to step S86, where some of the overlapping characters are further relocated and the dimension lines and leader lines are re-created (step S87). This is repeated until the overlapping between the characters and the dimension lines is completely eliminated. Finally, the characters and the dimension lines are placed outside the bounding box so that they do not overlap each other, resulting in the state shown in FIG. 14. In this way, you can easily create easy-to-read 2D drawings with no overlapping text or dimension lines.

In the above, we have described the case where the numerals representing the dimensions are placed after the symbols for the notes, but the order of the character placement process is not limited to this. The numerals representing the dimensions may be placed first, or it is in principle possible to place all the character information to be placed on the projection drawing in a single character placement process.

In addition, while the example described here is one in which text is placed in arrangement data in which multiple pieces of single item data are placed as figures on a reference surface, the procedure for the text placement process described above can be applied as appropriate to cases in which text is to be automatically placed around a figure in data that includes the figure. In other words, the procedure for text placement as described above can be applied to arrangement data in which only one piece of single item data is placed as a figure on a reference surface, or to drawing data in which planar figures that do not have information regarding three-dimensional structure are placed, and to various other types of drawing data.

After the character arrangement process (steps S7 and S8) is completed, the process proceeds to the table creation process (step S9) (see FIG. 2). In the table creation process, a table summarizing the contents of the notes (e.g., the materials of each component) for which symbols were placed in the drawing in step S7, or other information, is created along the reference plane.

Next, a frame creation process is executed (step S10). In this frame creation process, a frame is created to surround each item data item with the text information and the table.

The contents of the frame creation process will be explained with reference to Figure 6. Before creating the frame, the size of the frame to be created is first set.

The size of the drawing frame is the size of the outer frame of the entire drawing displayed in 2D. The size of this drawing frame can be determined by considering various factors (for example, the amount of text information displayed or the complexity of the shape of the projection drawing) in consideration of the ease of viewing the drawing to be output, but if this judgment is made mechanically, it is advisable to determine the size of the characters in the drawing, for example. That is, assuming that a drawing frame is set along the reference plane to surround the item data, which is a figure, the characters around it, and the table, and the size of the characters when it is output at a specific size is determined (step S101). If the output characters are too small, it will be difficult to read, so for the smallest characters displayed on the drawing, a small size (for example, A4 size) drawing frame is created parallel to the reference plane (the plane indicated by the symbol PL in FIG. 11) if the size is equal to or larger than the threshold, and a large size (for example, A3 size) drawing frame is created if the size is less than the threshold (steps S102, S103). In this way, a drawing frame F of an appropriate size for the 2D drawing to be finally output can be created. The table created in step S9 (see FIG. 2) is also placed in the drawing frame F. Note that the example described here is merely one example, and it is also possible to select from three or more different frame sizes according to the size of the text, etc.

An example of the layout data that is finally created is shown in Figures 15 and 16. As shown in Figure 16, a drawing frame F is placed along the reference plane (see Figure 11), and each item data is placed inside the drawing frame F, with the text, leader lines, dimension lines, and table T around each item data being placed on the same or parallel plane as the drawing frame F. When this is viewed from a direction perpendicular to the reference plane, a drawing is obtained as shown in Figure 15, with figures showing the shape of the item as seen from each direction (expressed as projections of each item data with the reference plane as the projection plane) and other information placed within the drawing frame F.

Once such arrangement data is completed, the drawing data creation unit 3 stores it in the drawing data storage unit 4 as drawing data for the corresponding item (see Figure 1). The arrangement data stored as drawing data can be displayed on the display unit 6 as appropriate or output from the output unit 7 (Figure 2, step S11, output process). At this time, an appropriate 2D drawing can be easily obtained by outputting a diagram of the arrangement data viewed from a direction perpendicular to the reference plane as a 2D drawing.

All steps of the method for creating drawings as described above can be performed automatically using a system such as that shown in Figure 1, and drawings such as those shown in Figure 15 can be obtained. Conventionally, creating such drawings was a very laborious and skilled task, resulting in a huge amount of labor, time, and labor costs, but according to this embodiment, drawings that are intuitively easy for people to read can be obtained simply by automatically processing the original data, 3D data M (see Figure 1), and significant labor savings can be achieved in creating 2D drawings.

However, depending on the shape of the item and other conditions, it may be difficult to create a mechanical drawing using the process described above, or a mechanically created drawing may not be very appropriate. Therefore, if necessary, some of the processes may be performed manually, such as selecting the item to be extracted in the extraction process and setting the reference points and reference planes. Even automating only some of the above processes is expected to significantly improve the efficiency of drawing creation.

In addition, since the arrangement data created in the above process holds information about the three-dimensional structure of the item as shown in FIG. 16, there is also the advantage that information can be obtained in 3D by referring to the arrangement data in addition to the output 2D drawing. That is, for example, if it is difficult to grasp some dimensions or shapes from a 2D drawing that displays a projection view, the arrangement data can be displayed on an information terminal and rotated to any angle or enlarged to the desired part to observe the exact shape or obtain dimensions.

The process described above is merely an example, and the content can be changed as appropriate. For example, placement data can be created for an item that is a combination of multiple parts (in this case, data on the combination of multiple parts is extracted as single item data), and the order of each process, the procedure for performing the processes, or the content thereof can also be changed as appropriate.

As described above, the method for creating drawings in this embodiment includes a layout data creation process (step S6) for creating layout data in which item data that holds information about the three-dimensional structure is placed on the reference plane PL. In this way, a 2D drawing including a projection view with the reference plane PL as the projection plane can be easily obtained.

In addition, in the drawing creation method of this embodiment, in the layout data creation process (step S6), multiple item data with different angles are arranged relative to the reference plane PL. In this way, a 2D drawing including multiple projection views viewed from different angles can be easily obtained.

In addition, in the drawing creation method of this embodiment, a measurement step (step S5) is executed prior to the layout data creation step (step S6) to acquire the dimensions of each part of the target item data, and in the layout data creation step (step S6), after acquiring the dimensions to be displayed in a specific projection drawing for the target item data, it is determined whether or not there are any dimensions that have not been acquired among those acquired in the measurement step (step S5), and if there are any dimensions that have not been acquired, another item data is added. In this way, layout data containing an appropriate number of item data can be easily created.

In addition, in the method for creating drawings in this embodiment, in the layout data creation process (step S6), the reference plane PL is set parallel to the plane that maximizes the projected area when a projection drawing of the item data is created. In this way, it is easy to obtain an appropriate 2D drawing with a large amount of information.

The drawing creation method of this embodiment also includes a drawing frame creation process (step S10) for creating a drawing frame F parallel to the reference plane PL. In this way, layout data including the drawing frame F can be created, and a 2D drawing based on this can be obtained.

In addition, in the drawing creation method of this embodiment, in the drawing frame creation process (step S10), the size of the drawing frame F is determined based on the size of the characters displayed in the drawing. In this way, a drawing frame F of an appropriate size can be created for a 2D drawing.

The drawing creation method of this embodiment also includes a character placement process (steps S7 and S8) for placing characters around the item data. In this way, placement data including character information can be created, and a 2D drawing based on this can be obtained.

In addition, in the drawing creation method of this embodiment, in the character arrangement process (steps S7 and S8), after characters are arranged around the item data, it is determined whether the arranged characters overlap, and if there is overlap, some of the overlapping characters are relocated to a position farther away from the item data. In this way, it is possible to easily obtain an easy-to-read 2D drawing with no overlapping characters.

In addition, in the drawing creation method of this embodiment, in the character placement step (step S8), the characters N1 to N5 that represent dimensions are placed, and leader lines and dimension lines are created. It is then determined whether there is any overlap between the placed characters N1 to N5 and between the created dimension lines, and if there is any overlap, some of the characters N3 to N5 whose characters or dimension lines overlap at least one another are repositioned to a position away from the item data, and leader lines and dimension lines are re-created. In this way, it is possible to easily create easy-to-read 2D drawings in which there is no overlap between characters and dimension lines for characters that represent dimensions.

In addition, in the drawing creation method of this embodiment, in the character placement process (steps S7 and S8), characters are placed outside of a bounding box B that is set to surround the target item data. In this way, overlapping of characters with contour lines, etc. can be easily and reliably avoided.

In addition, the drawing creation system of this embodiment is configured to be able to execute the drawing creation method described above, and can therefore achieve the same effects as those described above.

Therefore, according to the above embodiment, 2D drawings can be easily created.

The drawing creation method and system of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

B Bounding box F Drawing frame N1 Character N2 Character N3 Character N4 Character N5 Character PL Reference plane

Claims (10)

A method for creating a drawing, which is executed by a drawing data creation unit included in a drawing creation system, includes a layout data creation step of creating layout data for creating a projection drawing of the single item data with the reference plane as a projection plane by arranging the single item data, which holds information about a three-dimensional structure, in a predetermined orientation with respect to a reference plane ,
A method for creating a drawing , wherein in the placement data creation step, a plurality of item data pieces each having a different angle from one another are placed relative to the reference plane . The method further includes a measuring step of acquiring dimensions of each part of the target item data prior to the arrangement data creation step,
2. The method for creating a drawing according to claim 1, wherein, in the layout data creation step , layout data is created in which the single item data is arranged in a predetermined orientation relative to the reference surface, a projection drawing in which the single item data is projected onto the reference surface is assumed and dimensions to be displayed on the projection drawing are acquired, and then it is determined whether or not there are any unobtained dimensions among the dimensions acquired in the measurement step, and if there are any unobtained dimensions, the single item data is added to create layout data in which the single item data is arranged in an orientation different from the predetermined orientation relative to the reference surface . In the step of creating the layout data,
3. The method for creating a drawing according to claim 1 , wherein the reference plane is set parallel to a plane that has a maximum projected area when a projection drawing of the item data is created. The drawing creating method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , further comprising a frame creating step of creating a frame parallel to the reference plane. 5. The drawing creating method according to claim 4 , wherein in said drawing frame creating step, a size of said drawing frame is determined based on a size of characters to be displayed in the drawing. The drawing creation method according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , further comprising a character arrangement step of arranging characters around the item data. In the character arrangement step,
After arranging characters around the item data, it is determined whether the arranged characters overlap each other;
7. The drawing creating method according to claim 6 , further comprising the step of: if there is an overlap, relocating a part of the overlapping characters to a position farther away from said item data. In the character arrangement step,
Place the text representing the dimensions and create leader and dimension lines.
Determine whether there is any overlap between the placed characters and between the created dimension lines,
The method for creating a drawing according to claim 7 , further comprising the steps of: if there is an overlap, relocating a portion of the characters where at least one of the characters and the dimension lines overlap to a position away from the item data, and recreating the leader lines and the dimension lines. In the character arrangement step,
The drawing creation method according to claim 6 , further comprising the step of arranging characters outside a bounding box that is set so as to surround the target item data. A drawing creation system comprising a drawing data creation unit that executes the drawing creation method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 .

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