Patent ID: 9177418
Filing Date: 2015-11-03
Classification: G06F,G06T

Abstract:
1. A non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, cause a computing device to perform a method of utilizing computer aided design (CAD) data to generate a three-dimensional (3D) model, the method comprising: obtaining the CAD data in a first electronic format from a computer aided design software component, wherein the CAD data defines a plurality of objects; dividing the CAD data is based on location; importing the divided CAD data into a 3D modeling software component; converting the CAD data associated with the plurality of objects to corresponding 3D modeling data in a second electronic format via a computing device, wherein the converting step is performed by the steps of: grouping like objects together from the plurality of objects into at least one object data layer; processing the at least one object data layer by removing unnecessary and redundant data associated with the plurality of objects and replacing redundant instances of the plurality of objects with identical objects having location tags and a single object to create a reduced data set; determining if a polygon count of the reduced data set exceeds a predefined polygon count; if the polygon count exceeds the predefined polygon count, reducing the polygon count of the reduced data set; building a library of common objects of the reduced data set and storing the library on an accessible database when the reduced data set does not exceed the predefined polygon count; and exporting the processed, at least one object data layer for rendering; and rendering and generating, for display on a display device of a simulation system, a 3D model having the plurality of objects from the processed, at least one object layer data and the library in the 3D modeling software component, wherein the step of reducing the polygon count includes: repeating the instancing replacement step to ensure that all redundant instances were replaced; performing stereo lithography (STL) checks to validate each objects structure before a rendering; applying two-dimensional axis coordinates and textures; and embedding and setting each objects origin point to a specified point in space that will allow each object to fit together after exportation for rendering.