JPH0315927A - 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:When an operator designates two points on a digitizer 4 by a first cursor device 6 for drawing a straight line, for example, the straight line having two points on both ends is displayed on the digitizer 4 on a real time basis in the case of drawing a straight line. 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 and the graphic is drawn on the digitizer 4 with the right-angled scale line 64 as a reference by operating a second control cursor device 54. When the arbitrary position is designated by the cursor device 6, a circle in which the position is set to be an outer peripheral point and the intersection of the right-angled scale to be a center is drawn on the digitizer. 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
This relates to a drawing coordinate input device used in D.

[Conventional technology]

A common CAD drawing coordinate input device is a combination of a tablet-type digitizer and a cursor device such as a stylus pen, light pen, or free cursor, and the coordinate signal of each point on the digitizer specified by the cursor device is used. is supplied from the digitizer to the control device, and based on this coordinate signal, the control device sends .
It is configured to control a CRT display device and display graphics on the display. Also,
As an input device for a word processor, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 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 these is known. In addition, 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] If 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. A straight line is drawn at another location, 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 flexible 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 in the same way as using a free parallel ruler, and there is a problem in that people who are used to operating a free parallel ruler feel uncomfortable when operating 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 board-like digitizer, and the indicated position of a first cursor device on the digitizer and the indicated position on the screen of the display device are aligned on the digitizer. In the apparatus, 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 rectangular scale line on the screen of the display device; a second cursor device for controlling the rectangular scale line provided separately from the first cursor device; and an output signal of the second cursor device. control means for translating and rotating the orthogonal scale line on the screen; and circle drawing for drawing a circle centered on the intersection of the orthogonal scale lines on a digitizer by indicating a peripheral point with the first cursor device. This means that there is a means. [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,
A circle is drawn on the digitizer with this position as the outer circumferential point and the center at the intersection of the rectangular scales.

〔Example〕

The structure of the present invention will be described 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 the support frame of this table. 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 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 designated, the absolute coordinate signal of the designated 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 14 converts the input cursor pattern data into screen coordinate data and supplies this to the display driver l7, so that the cursor 15 corresponding to the indicated position on the digitizer 4 of the cursor device 6 is displayed on the screen of 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 contacting and hitting the tip of the cursor device 6 on the digitizer 4, the drawing program means 18 is supplied.
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 is set to have 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 the same to the other side.The structure and principle of the light valve 26 are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,723,651 and U.S. Pat.
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 on the display device 22 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 configured to be enlarged and projected onto the screen 16 via a half mirror 32 and a lens 34. 36 is a display device consisting of a red cathode ray tube, and a lens 38 is installed in front of the display surface of this display device.
and a light valve 40 are arranged, and the light valve 4o
faces the polarizing prism 28.

42 is a display device consisting of a cathode ray tube for blue (B 1 uθ), and a lens 44, a reflecting mirror 46, and a light valve 48 are arranged in front of the display surface of the display device, and the light bulb 48 faces the polarizing prism 28. ing. The lenses 24, 38, 44, the light valve 26,
38, 48, the lamp 30, the polarizing prism 28, the half mirror 32, and the reflecting mirror 46 are connected to the display device 22,
A reflective enlargement projection mechanism (projector) 50 is provided which enlarges and projects an image on the display surface of 36.42 onto the screen 16, and the enlargement ratio of the enlargement projection mechanism 50 is determined by the cursor device 6 on the digitizer 4. and the cursor l on the screen 16 based on the coordinate signal of the position indicated by
It is set to match the position of 5. The screener 6 and the enlarged projection mechanism (projector) 50 are housed inside a box of the drafting table 2. The digitizer 4 and display devices 22, 36, 42 are connected to a control device 52 consisting of a host CPU. 54 is an incremental type cursor device consisting of a mouse, that is, a type that outputs the amount of movement, and is a control device! ! It is connected to the driver 56 in 52. The driver 56 communicates with the coordinate conversion means 58 via the switch contacts a and b, and the length change amount.
It is connected to the angle change amount conversion means 60. The contact point a,
b is configured to be switched by operating a switch key of the cursor device 54. The cursor pattern generator 62 displays a graduated orthogonal scale line 64 shown in FIG.
Based on the contents of 6, it is designed to be able to convert angles. The cursor pattern generator 62
is connected to the display driver 17 via the coordinate conversion means 68. 72 is a keyboard. The cursor pattern parameter table stores various data such as the positional coordinates of the intersection of the orthogonal scale lines 64, that is, the origin, the angle, the X-axis length, y-axis length, and scale width of the line figure.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained.

The orthogonal scale line 64 displayed on the screen l6 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. This is converted into a parallel movement of the origin position of the line 64 and displayed. Cursor device 54
When the mouse key 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 amount of change in length of Δy or ΔX of the cursor device 54, and this amount of change Δy or ΔX is the function f(Δy)
is linearly converted into an angle Δθ by 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 l6 by the drawing program means 18. Meanwhile, the operator points the tip of the cursor device 6 to the digitizer 4.
For example, specify the upper command area 4a. A green straight line command is sent to the drawing program means 18 of the control device 52, and the tip of the cursor device 6 points to the line 2 on the digitizer 4.
When points A and B are indicated, A. Plotting coordinate signals of 82 points are input to the plotting program means l8. The control device 52 creates drawing data based on input coordinate signals, converts this drawing data into screen coordinate data by the coordinate conversion means 20, and controls the display device 22 based on the data.

As a result, the screen of the display device 22 displays the straight line AB.
is displayed based on the xy coordinate axes (screen coordinates) of the image plane. The image on the display surface of the display device 22 is projected by the light valve 26 in the direction of the polarizing prism 28 , the polarizing prism 28 , the half mirror 32 and the lens 3 .
4, the image on the display device 22 is sent to the screen 1.
It is enlarged and projected onto 6. 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 at a ratio of 1:1. Therefore, when the operator specifies points A and B using the cursor device 6 on the digitizer 4, a green straight line connecting the specified points A and 82 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, red, blue, etc. straight lines or
Circles, points, etc. can be drawn at designated positions on the digitizer 4. The input data of the control device 52 is stored in a processing device of the control device 52, and is configured to be outputted to an XY plotter. Drawing with the cursor device 6 is performed with reference to the orthogonal scale line 64 on the screen 6. This right-angle scale IIX64 corresponds to a right-angle scale, ie, 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 moves the orthogonal scale line 64 in parallel and converts the angle using the cursor device 54 in the same way as operating the head of a universal parallel ruler device, and performs drawing operations using the other cursor device 6. As is clear from the above description, the cursor pattern generator 62 constitutes a means for displaying a rectangular scale line on the screen of a display device, and includes a cursor parameter table 66, a length variation/angle variation conversion means 60, and a cursor pattern generator 62. The generator 62 connects the orthogonal scale line 64 to the screen 16.
6. Control means for parallel translation and rotation are provided on 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 position m signal of the cursor device 54 is transmitted to the switch 70 (see FIG. 6).
The data is supplied to the scale status table change management means 92 through the contact point a. 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 the right angle scale line 64 is displayed on the screen 16 via the screen of the display device and the projector 50. The origin or center point of the orthogonal scale line 64 is rewritten in response to changes in the output of the cursor device 54, thereby causing the orthogonal scale line 64 to move 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. 4.6 In FIG. 4, the switch detection means 81 corresponds to the switch 70 in FIG. y-coordinate table 83, y-coordinate recording means 82
, 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 O degrees, the angle rounding means 88 receives the signal from the angle conversion means 86 and outputs O degrees.
．． O, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.
Outputs angle signals of 0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0. When the angle conversion mouse key of the cursor device 54 is turned on, this key signal is detected by the switch detection means 80, which detects the angle conversion means 86,
A trigger signal that puts the y-coordinate recording means 82 into operation is output. Cursor device 54 at mouse key on
Among the XY coordinate outputs, the coordinate output of the Y-axis component is supplied to the y-coordinate recording means 82 and the angle conversion means 86. The Y-axis component coordinate output is written into the y-coordinate table 83. The angle conversion means 86 collects the amount of change in the YI11 segmental 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 of 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 rewrites the angle data in the scale state table 84 based on the output angle signal of the angle rounding means 88. 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. It is displayed on the screen 16 via the projector 50.

Next, the circle drawing means will be explained in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Digitizer that outputs the position signal of the cursor device 6
4 is connected to the radius calculation means 90 by hitting a circle drawing command from the command area 4a, and the radius calculation means 90
calculates the center and radius data of the circle from the outer circumferential point designated coordinate data of the cursor device 6 and the intersection (center) coordinate data of the scale state table 84. The coordinate data of the intersection point, that is, the center point of the orthogonal scale 1i64 in the scale state table 84 is rewritten by the scale state table change management means 92 based on the output of the cursor device 54. The circle cursor display memory 91 uses the intersection point O of the orthogonal scale line 64 as the center based on the center point and radius data of the circle from the radius calculation means 90, and displays the cursor device 6.
The data of a circle whose outer circumferential point is the point A indicated by is developed on the memory, and the data of this circle is displayed on the digitizer 4 via the projector 50 along with the pattern of the orthogonal scale lines 64 developed in the scale display memory 94. is displayed.
That is, when the operator hits the circle drawing command and indicates an arbitrary point A on the digitizer 4, the digitizer draws a circle pattern E centered at the intersection of the orthogonal scale lines 64, with this point as the outer circumferential point. 6 [Effect] As described above, the present invention moves and rotates the orthogonal scale line with one of the two cursor devices, and indicates the coordinate position with the other cursor device. This allows you to draw on the screen as if you were using the head of a flexible parallel ruler device and a writing instrument. Moreover, when you point out any point on the digitizer with the cursor device, that point becomes the outer circumference point. Since a circle centered on the intersection of the orthogonal scale lines can be drawn on the digitizer, drawing operations can be performed more efficiently using the orthogonal scale lines as a reference.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 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. 5 is a block explanatory diagram, Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram, and Fig. 7 is an explanatory diagram. 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... Drafting table, 4... Digitizer, 6... Cursor device, 14... Cursor, 16... Screen, 22... Display device, 24... Lens, 26... Light Bulb, 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; An input device for CAD, comprising a circle drawing means for drawing a circle centered on the intersection of the orthogonal scale lines on a digitizer by indicating a peripheral point with a first cursor device. (2) The circle drawing means includes a scale state table that stores the coordinates of the intersection of the orthogonal scale lines, and a scale state table change that rewrites the coordinates of the intersection of the scale state table based on the output of the second cursor device. a management means; a radius calculation means for calculating the center and radius of a circle from the indicated position of the first cursor device and the coordinates of the intersection point of the scale state table; 2. The CAD input device according to claim 1, further comprising a circular cursor display memory for creating graphic data.