JPH0315926A - Cad input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To draw a graphic on a screen with the sense of handling the head of a free parallel rule device and writing tools by allowing one cursor device to move and rotate a right-angled scale line and allowing the other cursor device to designate a coordinate position. CONSTITUTION:The designated position of a first cursor device 6 on a digitizer 4 and the position of one point on the screen of a display device designated with the cursor device 6 are the same on the digitizer 4. When an operator designates two points on the digitizer 4 by the cursor device 6 for drawing a straight line, the straight line having two points on both ends is displayed on the digitizer 4 on a real time basis. At the time of drawing the graphic on the digitizer 4, the right-angled scale line 64 on the digitizer 4 is moved in parallel to the deseired position, rotated by a deseired angle so as to draw the graphic on the digitizer 4 with the right-angled scale line 64 as a reference by operating a second control cursor device 54. Thus, the operation can be executed with the sense of handling the free parallel rule.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention is a computer-aided design and drafting system, or CA
Regarding the drawing coordinate input device used in D. [Prior Art] A CAD drawing coordinate input device is generally a combination of a tablet-type digitizer and a cursor device such as a stylus pen, light pen, or free cursor. The coordinate signal of the point is supplied from the digitizer to the control device, and based on this coordinate signal, the control device performs the following operations.
It is configured to control a CRT display device and display graphics on the display. Also,
As an input device for a word processor, Tokusei Sho 58-14428
As shown in No. 7, a transparent coordinate input tablet board (digitizer) is placed on the display surface of a flat display device.
A superposition of the two is known. In addition, the special public service 1986-
Japanese Patent No. 59329 discloses an input device for a word processor in which a tablet (digitizer) is superimposed on the bottom surface of a liquid crystal display. [Problems to be Solved by the Invention] When the display device and the digitizer are configured separately, when drawing a straight line, the straight line is not drawn at the designated place, that is, on the digitizer, and the straight line is not drawn at the designated place and the digitizer. A straight line is drawn in another place, that is, on the screen of a display device. Therefore, you cannot draw a drawing as if you were drawing a straight line using a writing instrument on paper on a drawing board, so if you are not used to CAD input operations, you will feel strange about the input operations, and C
The flaw was that AD was difficult to handle. In addition, when drawing on paper on a drawing board using a universal parallel ruler, move the head in parallel on the drawing board in any direction, move the right angle scale on the drawing board, and move the right angle scale on the drawing board. The scale is rotated and drawings are drawn using this orthogonal scale as a reference. Conventional CAD cannot be operated as if using a parallel ruler, and there was a problem in that a person accustomed to operating a parallel ruler would feel uncomfortable operating the CAD. The present invention aims to solve the above problems.

[Means to solve problems]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention projects the screen of a display device on a diagram-like digitizer, so that the indicated position of the first cursor device on the digitizer and the indicated position on the screen of the display device are aligned on the digitizer. In the device, the drawing is drawn on the screen of the display device by inputting a position signal to a control device using the first cursor device.
means for displaying a right-angle scale line on the screen of the display device; a second cursor device for controlling the right-angle scale line provided separately from the first cursor device; and a means for displaying the right-angle scale line on the screen of the display device; The apparatus is provided with a control means for translating and rotating the orthogonal scale line on the screen, and a scale angle changing means for rotating the orthogonal scale line so as to follow the position indicated by the first cursor device. [Operation] In the above configuration, the position indicated by the first cursor device on the digitizer and the position of a point on the screen of the display device indicated by the first cursor device are the same on the digitizer. Therefore, when an operator wants to draw a straight line, for example, by pointing at two points on the digitizer with the first cursor device, a straight line having both ends of these two points is displayed on the digitizer in real time.

When drawing a drawing on the digitizer, the operator operates the second cursor device for controlling the orthogonal scale line on the digitizer to translate it to a desired position or rotate it by a desired angle, It is possible to draw on the digitizer using the scale line as a reference. Also, the first
When you point to any position using the cursor device,
Following this position, the orthogonal cursor line rotates, and the scale line on one axis side of the orthogonal cursor line matches the position indicated by the first cursor device. This allows the first cursor device to set the orthogonal scale line to a desired angle.

〔Example〕

The structure of the present invention will be explained in detail below with reference to embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

In FIG. 9, reference numeral 2 denotes a drafting table, and a transparent tablet-type digitizer 4 is supported on its support frame. The digitizer 4 is set to have the same dimensions as a normal drawing board,
It has a flat surface like a drawing board. The digitizer 4 is operated by an operator using an absolute type cursor device 6 such as a stylus pen, which is connected to a control device (not shown) of the digitizer 4 via a cord.
When one point on the screen is specified, the absolute coordinate signal of the specified point is converted into paper surface coordinate data via the driver 8 and coordinate conversion means 10 shown in FIG. 5, and is supplied to the cursor pattern generator 12. The paper coordinates are the actual data plane coordinates that serve as the reference for the drawing program. The cursor pattern generator 12 supplies cursor pattern data to the coordinate conversion means 14. The coordinate conversion means 4 converts the input cursor pattern data into screen coordinate data and supplies this to the display driver 17, so that the cursor 15 corresponding to the indicated position on the digitizer 4 of the cursor device 6 is displayed on the display device. The cursor 15 (see FIG. 7) is displayed on the screen 16 (see FIG. 5) via the projector 50. The position coordinate data of the cursor device 6 is
By bringing the tip of the cursor device 6 into contact with the digitizer 4 and hitting it, the force is supplied to the drawing program means l8, which means 18 has programmed the cursor device 6 in advance.
Outputs plotting data based on the plotting command position signal specified from the command menu. This drawing data is
The coordinate conversion means 20 converts the data into screen coordinate data and supplies the data to the display driver 16, so that a figure based on the drawing program is displayed on the screen 16. The above drawing commands are executed in the command menu area 4a of the digitizer-4.
It can be called by instructing (see Figure 9). The screen 16 has substantially the same dimensions as the digitizer 4, and is disposed close to the back surface of the digitizer 4.

In FIG. 4, 22 is a display device consisting of a green cathode ray tube, and a lens 24, a light valve 26, and a polarizing prism 28 are arranged in front of the display surface of this display device. The light valve 26 constitutes a device that converts an image input from one side into a clear image and irradiates it to the other side.The structure and principle of the light valve 26 are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,723,651 and 4,343.
Since it is disclosed in detail in Japanese Patent No. 535, etc., a detailed explanation thereof will be omitted. The light valve 26 converts the image of the display device W22 into a clear image by interacting with the input from the xenon lamp 30, and illuminates the polarizing prism 28 with this image.

The image irradiated onto the polarizing prism 28 is transmitted to the half mirror 3
2 and a lens 34, the image is enlarged and projected onto the screen t6. 36 is red (Rad)
This is a display device made from a cathode ray tube, in which a lens 38 and a light valve 40 are disposed in front of the display surface, and the light valve 40 faces the polarizing prism 28.

42 is a display device consisting of a cathode ray tube for blue, and a lens 4 is installed in front of the display surface of this device.
4. A reflective mirror 46 and a light valve 48 are arranged;
The light valve 48 faces the polarizing prism 28. The lenses 24, 38, 44, the light valves 26, 3
8.48. The lamp 30, the polarizing prism 28, the half mirror 32, and the reflecting mirror 46 are connected to the display devices 22, 3.
A reflective enlargement projection mechanism (projector) 50 is configured to enlarge and project an image on the display surface of 6.42 onto the screen 16, and the enlargement ratio of the enlargement projection mechanism 50 is equal to that of the digitizer.
4 and the cursor 15 on the screen 6 based on the coordinate signal of the position.
is set to match the position of The screen l6 and the enlarged projection mechanism (projector) 50 are housed inside a box of the drafting table 2. The digitizer 4 and the display device 22, 36.42 are connected to the host C.
The PU is connected to a certain control device 52.

Reference numeral 54 denotes a cursor device of a certain increment type, that is, a type that outputs a movement amount from the mouse, and is connected to a driver 56 in the control device 52. The driver 56 is connected to a coordinate conversion means 58 and a length change/angle change amount conversion means 60 via switch contacts a and b. The switching between the contacts a and b can be performed by operating a switch key of the cursor device 54. The cursor pattern generator 62 displays a rectangular scale line 64 with graduations shown in FIG.
This orthogonal scale line 64 is configured so that its angle can be converted based on the contents of the cursor parameter table 66. The cursor pattern generator 62 is connected to the display driver 17 via a coordinate conversion means 68. 72 is a keyboard. The cursor pattern parameter table stores various data such as the position coordinates of the intersection of the orthogonal scale lines 64, that is, the origin, the angle, the X-axis length, the Y-axis length, and the scale width of the line figure.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained. screen 16
The orthogonal scale line 64 displayed can be manipulated by the cursor device 54. When no key of the cursor device 54 is pressed, the switch 70 is connected to the a contact. In this state, when the cursor device 54 is moved in the XY direction on the digitizer 4 or on another table plane, as shown in FIG. The line 64 is converted into a parallel movement of the origin position and displayed. When the mouse key of the cursor device 54 is pressed, the switch 70 connects to the b contact. When the cursor device 54 is moved in the xY direction on the table plane while pressing the mouse key, the conversion means 60 collects the length change amount of Δy or ΔX of the cursor device 54, and this change amount Δy or ΔX is It is linearly converted into an angle Δθ by the function f(Δy). This angle change amount Δθ is added to the angle θ on the current parameter table 66. According to the contents of the parameter table 66, the cursor pattern generator 62 rotates the orthogonal scale line 64 by an angle θ and displays it on the screen 16, as shown in FIG. The angle θ of this orthogonal scale line 64 is displayed on the screen 16 by the drawing program means 18. On the other hand, the operator points the command area 4a on the digitizer 4 with the tip of the cursor device 6, instructs, for example, a green line command to the drawing program means 18 of the control device 52, and uses the tip of the cursor device 6 to point the command area 4a on the digitizer 4. When the upper two points A and B are specified, the drawing coordinate signals of the 82 points A and 82 are input to the drawing program means 18. Control device 52
creates drawing data based on input coordinate signals, converts this drawing data into screen coordinate data by coordinate conversion means 20, and controls display device 22 based on the data. Thereby, a straight line AB is displayed on the screen of the display device 22 with the XY coordinate axes (screen seat II) of the image plane as a reference. The image on the display surface of the display device 22 is projected in the direction of the polarizing prism 28 by the light valve 26, and the image on the display device 22 is enlarged and projected onto the screen 16 through the polarizing prism 28, the half mirror 32, and the lens 34. The origin of the xy coordinate reference of this enlarged projection view and the xy coordinate reference of the digitizer 4 match, and the reference points of the lengths of the XY axes match each other in a ratio of 1:1. Therefore, when the operator indicates points A and B with the cursor device 6 on the digitizer 4, the indicated points A and 82
A green straight line connecting the points is displayed in real time in actual size on the digitizer 4. The above is a case where a green straight line is displayed, but based on the same principle, a red, blue, etc. straight line, a circle, a point, etc. can be drawn at a designated position on the digitizer 4. The input data of the control device 52 is stored in the processing device of the control device 52 and configured to be output to the XY plotter. Drawing with the cursor device 6 is performed with reference to the orthogonal scale line 64 on the screen 16. The right angle scale line 64 corresponds to a right angle scale, that is, a pair of straight rulers provided on the head of a universal parallel ruler device, and the cursor device 6 corresponds to a writing instrument. The operator uses the cursor device 54 to translate and convert the angle of the orthogonal scale line 64 in the same way as operating the head of a universal parallel ruler device, and uses the other cursor device 6 to perform drawing operations. As is clear from the above description, the cursor pattern generator 62 includes a means for displaying a rectangular scale line on the screen of a display device, a cursor parameter table 66, a length change amount/angle change amount conversion means 60, and a cursor The pattern generator 62 connects the orthogonal scale lines 64 to the screen 16.
Control means for parallel translation and rotation are provided at the top.

In this embodiment, the screen of the display device is projected onto the screen 16 by the enlarged projection mechanism 50, but a display device having a screen of the same size as the digitizer 4 may be placed below the digitizer 4. ．． next,
The parallel movement function of the orthogonal scale line will be explained in more detail with reference to Figure 3. The incremental coordinate signal of the power solenoid device 54 is supplied to the scale state table change management means 92 through the contact a of the switch 70 (see FIG. 6). The management means 92 sequentially rewrites the origin coordinates of the orthogonal scale line 64 in the scale state table 84 corresponding to the cursor parameter table 66 shown in FIG. 3 in response to changes in the coordinate signals of the cursor device 54. The contents of this scale status table 84 are read out to the scale display memory 94 and displayed on the right angle scale line 6 through the screen of the display device and the projector 50.
4 is displayed on screen 16. Right angle scale line 64
The origin or center point of the rectangular scale line 6 is rewritten according to changes in the output of the cursor device 54.
4 moves in parallel on the screen 16. Next, the rotation control function of the orthogonal scale line will be explained in more detail with reference to FIG. In FIG. 4, the switch detection means 81 corresponds to the switch 70 in FIG.
, and the scale state table change management means 92
This corresponds to the length change amount/angle change amount conversion means 60 in the figure. The angle rounding means 88 is configured for a newly added minimum unit angle rounding function not shown in FIG. It is output to the table change management means 92. For example, if the minimum unit of angle is 0.5 degrees, when the angle conversion means 86 outputs 5 degrees from 0 degrees, the angle rounding means 88 receives the signal from the angle conversion means 86 and... O. O, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2
．． 0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.
Outputs 0 and angle signal. When the angle conversion mouse key of the cursor device 54 is turned on. This key signal is detected by the switch detecting means 80, which outputs a trigger signal that activates the angle converting means 86 and the y-coordinate recording means 82. Of the XY coordinate output of the cursor device 54 when the mouse key is turned on, a certain portion of the Y-axis coordinate output is supplied to the y-coordinate recording means 82 and the angle conversion means 86. The Y@abun coordinate output is written to the y coordinate table 83. The angle conversion means 86 collects the amount of change in the Y-axis partial coordinate output from the table 83 and converts this amount of change into an angle amount. The angle signal output from the angle conversion means 86 is input to the angle rounding means 88, where it is rounded to the minimum unit angle and supplied to the scale state table change management means 92. On the other hand, an event signal of the normal angle conversion mode of angle conversion is supplied from the angle conversion means 86 to the scale state table change management means 92. The scale state table change management means 92 includes the angle rounding means 88
scale state table 84 based on the output angle signal of
Rewrite the angle data. The rewritten angle data of the rectangular scale 64 is read out to the rectangular scale line display memory 94, and the contents of the memory 94 are displayed on the screen of the display device and the projector 50.
is displayed on the screen 16 via. Next, the means for changing the scale angle using the cursor device 6 will be explained in detail with reference to FIG. The digitizer 4 that outputs the position signal of the cursor device 6 includes a two-point angle calculation means 9.
0 is connected. The angle calculation means 90 is configured to output an event signal indicating an angle change by the cursor device 6 and angle value data instructed by the cursor device 6 to the scale state table change management means 92. When the operator selects the angle change command from the command area 4a using the cursor device 6 and points to point A on the digitizer 4 using the cursor device 6 as shown in FIG. is input from digitizer 4. The angle calculating means 90 calculates the angle from the coordinates of the center point O of the orthogonal scale line 64 and the coordinates of the point A. O. The angle θ1 of the line segment L1 connecting A with respect to the horizontal axis 64a of the orthogonal scale line 64 is calculated. still,
The calculated angle value is the vertical of the right angle scale line 64 of the line segment L1 @
It may be an angle with respect to 64b, and in short, one of the two-axis scale lines 64a and 64b of the right-angle scale 64 serves as the reference. The angle calculation means inputs the angle value θ1 and the angle change event signal to the scale state table change management means 92. The table change management means 92
Based on the angle value data and event signal, a scale angle data rewrite signal is input to the scale status table 84, and the angle data in the table 84 is rewritten. The rewritten angle data of the orthogonal scale line 64 is read out to the orthogonal scale display memory 94, and the contents of the memory 94 are displayed on the screen of the display device as well as on the screen 16 via the projector 50. ．．
As a result, the orthogonal scale line 64 rotates around its center point O toward the angle 01 cursor device 6. In FIG. 2, when the cursor device 6 is moved to point B, the angle θ2 is calculated by the angle calculation means 90,
This angle θ2 is added to the angle data of the scale state table 84, and the right angle scale fi64 follows the movement of the cursor device 6 and further rotates by 02.

〔effect〕

As described above, the present invention uses one of the two cursor devices to move and rotate the orthogonal scale line, and the other cursor device to indicate the coordinate position. You can draw on the screen as if you were using the head of a flexible parallel ruler device and a writing utensil, and you can also control the rotation angle of the rectangular scale line as you like using the cursor device that indicates the coordinate position, making drawing operations easier. There are certain benefits that can be easily achieved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. L is a block explanatory diagram, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram, FIG. 3 is a block explanatory diagram, FIG. 4 is a block explanatory diagram, FIG. 8 is a block explanatory diagram, FIG. 9 is an external view, FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram, and FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram. 2...Drawing table, 4...Digitizer-56...Cursor device, 14...Cursor. 16... Screen, 22... Display device, 24... Lens, 26... Light valve, 28... Polarizing prism.
30...Xenon lamp, 32...Half mirror
34... Lens, 36... Display device, 38
...Lens, 40...Light valve, 42...Display device, 44...Lens, 46...Reflection mirror, 48...Light valve, 50...Enlargement projection mechanism, 52... - Control device, 54... Cursor device, 64... Right angle scale.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) Project the screen of the display device on a board-shaped digitizer so that the indicated position on the digitizer of the first cursor device and the indicated position on the screen of the display device match on the digitizer, and In the apparatus for drawing on the screen of the display device by inputting a position signal to a control device using a first cursor device, means for displaying a rectangular scale line on the screen of the display device; a second cursor device for controlling the orthogonal scale line provided separately from the cursor device; a control means for translating and rotating the orthogonal scale line on the screen by an output signal of the second cursor device; C, characterized in that scale angle changing means for following and rotating the orthogonal scale line is provided at the indicated position of the first cursor device.
AD input device. (2) The scale angle changing means includes an angle calculation means for calculating an angle with respect to the orthogonal scale line of a line segment connecting the indicated position of the first cursor device and the center point of the orthogonal scale line; 2. The CAD according to claim 1, wherein the CAD comprises: a scale state table storing angle data; and a scale state table change management means rewriting the angle data of the scale state table based on the output of the angle calculation means. input device.