Creating Dynamic Sets To Automatically Arrange Dimension Annotations

摘要

A computer-implemented method and system creates dynamic sets to automatically arrange dimension annotations in a CAD model. The invention method/product/data storage medium/system determines a location to place a new dimension annotation based on dimension type of the entity selected to annotate. One or more sets of existing dimension annotations are created. The existing dimension annotations in the same set together with the new dimension annotation with similar characteristics as those in the same set are sorted, and then displayed in sorted order in a view of the CAD model on the computer screen.

主权项

1. A computer-implemented method for automatically placing a new dimension annotation of a computer-aided design model representing a real-world object, the method comprising:
having a computer-aided design model displayed on a computer screen in a manner supporting user interaction with the computer-aided design model, the computer aided design model having one or more currently existing dimension annotations; in a processor, in response to user input adding a new dimension to the computer-aided design model to annotate an entity of said model, automatically determining at least one location for placement of a corresponding new dimension annotation on the computer screen based on dimension type of the model entity being annotated, wherein the new dimension annotation is an additional dimension annotation relative to the currently existing dimension annotations in the computer-aided design model, and the new dimension annotation is instructive of constructing the real-world object, and wherein the determining includes determining arrangement and probable locations of the new dimension annotation together with the currently existing dimension annotations by:
creating one or more dynamic sets of the currently existing dimension annotations, wherein currently existing dimension annotations of any one or combination of a similar proximity range, a same dimension type, and a same orientation belong to a same dynamic set; andsorting the currently existing dimension annotations in the same set and the new dimension annotation having any one or combination of the similar proximity range, the same dimension type, and the same orientation as the currently existing dimension annotations in the same dynamic set; andforming an arrangement of the currently existing dimension annotations in the same dynamic set and the new dimension annotation according to an order resulting from the sorting; andrendering on the computer screen one or more screen displays of the currently existing dimension annotations and the new dimension annotation in the formed arrangement and at the determined probable locations.