Patent ID: 8346020
Filing Date: 2013-01-01
Classification: G06F,G06T

Abstract:
1. A method for converting the (X,Y) coordinates of a point in a 2D drawing to its corresponding (X,Y,Z) coordinates in 3D space, the method comprising: (a) selecting a 2D view in a CAD drawing of an object; (b) receiving user-identified selections of three non-collinear control points in the 2D view in which the three non-collinear control points represent relative orientation, scale and position with respect to each other in both the 2D view and a 3D global physical view of the object, and wherein the CAD drawing comprises (X,Y) coordinates for locations of all points in the 2D view; (c) receiving user-input (X,Y,Z) coordinates of the three control points in the 3D global physical view corresponding to the (X,Y) coordinates of the three non-collinear control points in the 2D view; (d) computing a coordinate transformation matrix for the 2D view, the coordinate transformation matrix comprising an orientation and scale matrix (R) containing orientation and scale of the three non-collinear control points in the 2D view, and a position matrix (T) containing positions of the three non-collinear control points with respect to the 3D global physical view, based on the (X,Y) and user-input (X,Y,Z) coordinates of the three non-collinear control points; (e) automatically converting (X,Y) coordinates of remaining points in the 2D view into corresponding (X,Y,Z) coordinates of those remaining points in the 3D global physical view using the coordinate transformation matrix; and (f) generating, in the 3D global physical view, a 3D model of the object using the (X,Y,Z) coordinates of the three non-collinear control points and the remaining points in the 2D view.