Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/EP1057084B1/en
Timestamp: 2019-12-10 02:53:11
Document Index: 462597770

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 08', 'Application No. 08', 'Application No. 08', 'Application No. 08', 'Application No. 08', 'Application No. 08', 'Application No. 08', 'Application No. 08', 'Application No. 08', 'Application No.08', 'Application No. 08', 'Application No. 08']

EP1057084B1 - Apparatus and method for transferring and editing sheet metal part data - Google Patents
Apparatus and method for transferring and editing sheet metal part data Download PDF
EP1057084B1
EP1057084B1 EP99906526A EP99906526A EP1057084B1 EP 1057084 B1 EP1057084 B1 EP 1057084B1 EP 99906526 A EP99906526 A EP 99906526A EP 99906526 A EP99906526 A EP 99906526A EP 1057084 B1 EP1057084 B1 EP 1057084B1
EP99906526A
EP1057084A1 (en
1998-02-27 Priority to US09/031,666 priority Critical patent/US6542937B1/en
1998-02-27 Priority to US31666 priority
1999-02-26 Application filed by Amada Co Ltd filed Critical Amada Co Ltd
1999-02-26 Priority to PCT/JP1999/000947 priority patent/WO1999044107A1/en
2000-12-06 Publication of EP1057084A1 publication Critical patent/EP1057084A1/en
2003-04-23 Publication of EP1057084B1 publication Critical patent/EP1057084B1/en
238000005452 bending Methods 0 claims description 99
The present application contains subject matter which is related to co-pending, commonly assigned U.S. Patent Application No. 08/690,671, filed on July 31, 1996, in the names of Kensuke HAZAMA et al., entitled "Apparatus and Method for Managing and Distributing Design and Manufacturing Information Throughout a Sheet Metal Production Facility".
The production of parts, such as sheet metal parts, has traditionally included a design and modeling stage during which a sheet metal part design is developed based on a customer's specifications. A customer will typically place an order for a particular sheet metal component to be produced at a sheet metal manufacturing or production facility. The customer's order will usually include basic product and design information so that the component may be manufactured by the factory. This information may include, for example, the geometric dimensions of the part, the material required for the part (e.g., steel. stainless steel, aluminum, etc.), special forming information, the batch size, the delivery date, etc. The sheet metal part requested by the customer may be designed and produced for a wide variety of applications. For example, the produced component may ultimately be used as an outer casing for a computer, an electrical switchboard, an armrest in an airplane, or part of a door panel for a car.
An additional drawback with prior systems exists due to the limited information that is stored with the sheet metal part data. That is, while the part model data normally includes information concerning the overall part geometry, manufacturing information and production constraints are not included with the part model data. In co-pending, commonly assigned U.S. Patent Application No. 08/690,671, an object oriented data model is disclosed which includes part geometry and topology information, as well as manufacturing data for the sheet metal part. According to the disclosed object oriented data model, a bend model for the sheet metal part is defined as a completely self-contained class library. All of the required data manipulation and functions for the sheet metal part (e.g., folding, unfolding, etc.) are captured as member functions of the class library. Further, all of the geometrical and topological data are defined in objects that are grouped within the bend model. The geometrical data includes both 2-D and 3-D representations of the part.
The use of an object oriented bend model, such as that disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 08/690,671, provides several advantages. For example, an object oriented bend model provides a more comprehensive and realistic model of the sheet metal part, that includes both geometrical and topological information, as well as manufacturing information. Further, the use of an object oriented bend model provides greater flexibility and allows a design programmer to more easily modify or edit various features and attributes of the part, such as the faces, bendlines and bending properties of the part.
Currently, there exists a need to provide an interface between conventional CAD systems, such as 2-D CAD systems, and modeling systems employing an object oriented bend model, such as that disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 08/690,671. Such an interface is required that permits part data to be transferred between these systems and that provides greater flexibility in the editing and modeling of the part. With such an interface, it would be possible to integrate object oriented bend model systems with existing 2-D CAD systems and other conventional CAD systems.
Many advantages would exist by integrating such systems. For example, such an integration would permit new, object oriented bend model systems to be utilized with existing CAD systems. This type of an interface would also permit design programmers to take advantage of pre-existing editing features provided in prior CAD systems, while still maintaining the benefits of an object oriented data model system. Since many design programmers are fully accustomed or skilled with using conventional CAD systems, such an integration would enhance the efficiency of the designing and modelling stages for manufacturing the part, and would permit businesses and facilities to maintain use of existing or legacy CAD systems, while having full utilization of newer modeling systems, such as object oriented bend model systems.
In view of the foregoing, the present invention, through one or more of its various aspects, embodiments and/or specific features or sub-components thereof, is provided to bring about one or more objects and advantages, such as those specifically noted below. The invention is defined by independent claims 1, 24 and 42.
Another object of the invention is to provide enhanced editing features which permit various features (e.g.. a face or bendline) and parameters (e.g., bending parameters) of the part to be edited or modified and transferred in real time.
In accordance with the invention, the library of API functions may further comprise a Delete_Face function for transferring face data defining a face that is to be deleted from the data defining the sheet metal part. In such a case, the set of input data that is provided to the Delete _Face function may include a part name and a face name of the face to be deleted from the sheet metal part. If a Delete_Bendline function is provided as an API function for transferring data defining a bendline that is to be deleted from the sheet metal part, then the set of input data that is provided to the Delete_Bendline function may include a part name, a name of a first face of the sheet metal part that is adjacent to the bendline to be deleted, and a name of a second face of the sheet metal part that is adjacent to the bendline to be deleted.
The library of API functions may also include an Attach_Faces function for transferring data defining faces of the sheet metal part that are to be attached. The data transferred by the Attach_Faces function may include a buffer comprising a part name, a set of edge names of a first face of the sheet metal part that is to be attached, a set of edges names of a second face of the sheet metal part that is to be attached. and attachment parameters for attaching the edges of the first and second faces. In addition, a Set_Bending_Parameters function may be provided for transferring data defining bending parameters that are to be set for a bendline of the sheet metal part that is defined between a first adjacent face and a second adjacent face. For this function, a set of input data may be provided that includes a part name, a name of the first adjacent face, a name of the second adjacent face, and the bending parameters that are to be set for the bendline. Further, the bending parameters that are transferred with the Set_Bending_Parameters function may include a bending angle. a bend type, a bend deduction amount, and/or an inside radius of the bend.
Figs. 6A and 6B are illustrations of exemplary sheet metal parts and their associated hounding loops and/or loop holes;
Figs. 9A and 9B are illustrations of exemplary graphical user interfaces and display screens that may he provided to a user when deleting a face of a part;
Figs. 20C and 20D illustrate exemplary data structures and formats of huffers for transferring the attachment bending parameters data.
Through the features of the present invention, an interface is provided for transferring part data, such as sheet metal part data, between computer-based applications or platforms that are utilized to design and model the part that is to be produced. In the disclosed embodiments and examples, the interface may be provided between a conventional or commercially available 2-D CAD system and an object oriented bend model system, such as that disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 08/690,671. The object oriented bend model system may provide both 2-D and 3-D modeling and viewing capabilities, and represent the part in an object oriented bend model that includes part geometry and manufacturing information. The object oriented bend model system may be include BendCAD, which is commercially available from Amada Co., Ltd. The 2-D CAD system may include a conventional 2-D CAD system, such as the AP100, FABRIWIN CAD, or AmpCAD system that is commercially available from Amada Co., Ltd. As further described below, the features of the invention provide an interface by which a 2-D CAD system may access data from the object oriented bend model system and in which data may be transferred between the systems in real time to permit editing and updating of the part model within and from both applications. As a result, the need to utilize and transfer data files with a generic or compatible format is eliminated and a generic interface or data connection is provided to provide communication and transfer of data between a 2-D CAD system and an object oriented bend model system.
The features of the invention may also be implemented in various environments. Fig. 1 illustrates in block diagram form an exemplary sheet metal manufacturing facility 38 in which the features and aspects of the invention may be provided. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 1, the sheet metal manufacturing facility or factory 38 may include a plurality of locations 10, 12, 14...20 that are dispersed throughout the factory. These locations may include a design office 10, an assembly station 12, a shipping station 14, a punching station 16, a bending station 18 and a welding station 20. Although the sheet metal factory 38 in Fig. 1 is illustrated as including six discrete locations, the factory may of course include more than six discrete locations and may also include more than one location for each type of office or station illustrated in Fig. 1. For example, depending on the size or production capacity requirements for the facility 38, more than one punching station 16, bending station 18, and/or welding station 20 may be provided. In addition, the factory 38 may include more than one design office 10, assembly station 12 or shipping station 14 and may also include other types of locations for facilitating the design, production and manufacturing of components such as bent sheet metal components.
Each of the locations 10, 12, 14...20 within the factory 38 may be adapted and include equipment to execute one or more of the discrete production manufacturing stages or processes associated with the production and manufacturing of the components. For example, the design office 10 may include a CAD system to facilitate the design modeling of a sheet metal part based on a customer's specification. The CAD system may comprise one or more personal computers or workstations, a display unit, a printer and commercially available CAD software. By way of non-limiting examples, the CAD system of design office 10 may include the AP100, FABRIWIN CAD, and/or AmpCAD system that is available from Amada Co., Ltd. In addition, other commercially available CAD or CAD/CAM systems may be used, such as VELLUM, which is a Windows based CAD system available from Ashlar Incorporated. With the CAD software, a design programmer may develop a 2-D model of the sheet metal part based on the drawings and specifications provided in a customer's order. The design programmer may also generate control code based on the sheet metal part design in order to generate a part program for controlling, for example, CNC punch presses and or bending machinery to punch and/or bend the sheet metal component from stock material.
An object oriented bend model system, which may include for example BendCAD which is available from Amada Co., Ltd., may be implemented as a server-based application. For this purpose, as shown in Fig. 1, a server module 32 may be provided in production facility 38. Server module 32 may include software or firmware for implementing the various features of the bend model system, such as those described in U.S. Patent Application No. 08/690,671. Further, server module 32 may include a database 30 for storing the design and manufacturing information associated with each sheet metal part. Database 30 may be implemented by any commercially available database with sufficient memory capacity for storing the design and manufacturing information of the factory's customers and storing other data, tables and/or programs. For example, database 30 may comprise a SCSI memory disk with sufficient memory space. The design and manufacturing information that is stored in database 30 may be accessed and distributed to the various locations 10, 12, 14...20 within the sheet metal facility 38 via a communications network 26. Various data formats, such as structured query language (SQL) may be used for accessing and storing data to database 30. In addition, information that is stored in database 30 may be backed-up and stored on a wide variety of storage medium, such as magnetic tape, optical disk or floppy disks.
As discussed above, communications network 26 may interconnect each of the various locations 10, 12, 14...20 of the facility 38 with server module 32 and database 30. Communications network 26 may comprise any network capable of transmitting data and information to and from locations 10, 12, 14...20 and the server module 32 and database 30. Such transmission may be achieved electronically, optically, by RF transmission and/or by infrared transmission. By way of a non-limiting example, communications network 26 may be implemented by a local area network (LAN), or an equivalent network structure. Further, each of the locations 10, 12, 14...20 may also include station modules having network terminating equipment (such as a computer, minicomputer or workstation) and/or peripheral devices (such as a display monitor or screen, printers, CD-ROMs and/or modems) to transmit and receive information over communications network 26. The network terminating equipment and peripheral devices may include hardware and appropriate software or program logic for interfacing with communications network 26 and providing the various features and aspects of the bend model system. As noted above, the bend model system may include features such as those provided in BendCAD or that disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 08/690,671. If a computer is provided at a location or station of the facility 38, the computer may be a stand-alone, personal computer or a general purpose computer that is part of an interface device, equipment or machinery provided at the location. For example, the computer may be an IBM compatible personal computer or may be a computer that is part of any interface/control system of the machine, such as an Amada AMNC system. Server module 32 may also comprise network terminating equipment, such as a personal computer, minicomputer or miniframe, with suitable hardware and software for interfacing with communications network 26.
In addition, as explained above, a bend model viewer may be provided to interpret the bend model and display visual images of the part in 2-D and/or 3-D space representation. Fig. 3 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary structure of a bend model viewer and its relation to the bend model. The bend model viewer may be implemented through object oriented programming techniques and may be a Windows based application that permits users at the station modules of the various locations 10. 12, 14...20 in the facility 38 to display various views of the part based on the information provided in the bend model. The bend model viewer may comprise a set of application library modules that are used to visualize the sheet metal part. Further, the bend model viewer may be designed as a base view class of the Windows application so that it can be used as a base view class for any Windows application. Most of the standard operations to view the 2-D and 3-D models (e.g., zoom 92, rotate 96, pan 100, dimension 102, etc.) may be implemented as member functions of the bend model viewer. Geometric transformations and fundamental computer graphics techniques may be applied to the bend model objects when performing viewing operations. In addition, the bend model viewer may comprise view model attributes 88, that comprise, for example, four major view modes including a solid view, a wire frame view, a 2-D flat view and an orthographic view.
As illustrated in Fig. 3, the bend model class library 80 may include a set of procedures or functions that act upon sheet metal parts depending upon the selected view (e.g., solid, wire, 2-D flat or orthographic view). The bend model viewer view class 84 may comprise a series of standard operations, such as zoom 92, rotation 96, pan 100 and dimension 102. Depending upon the state of the bend model viewer, the bend model viewer view class may call functions from the bend model class library 80. As shown in Fig. 3, the various view model attributes or features 88 that may be selected by a user may include a solid view, a wire frame view, a 2-D flat view and an orthographic view. Fundamental computer graphics and geometric modeling techniques, such as geometric transformations and 3-D geometry techniques, may be utilized to implement the various features of the bend model viewer and to provide different viewing modes and functions. In addition, commercially available graphics libraries or packages may be utilized to provide the 2-D and 3-D modeling and simulation features. By way of a non-limiting example, the various features and aspects of the bend model and bend model viewer disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 08/690,671 may be utilized.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a communication channel is established between the 2-D CAD program and the bend model program in order to provide an interface. Establishing such a communication channel between the CAD program and the bend model program depends primarily on whether the CAD program and the bend model program arc established as separate processes or applications. For example, when the programs are separate processes, a communication channel or path should be established through the use of inter-process communication. This may be done by using a message protocol or message-based system such as Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE). If, however, the interface is implemented as part of the bend model program and the bend model program is directly linked with the 2-D CAD program, then the 2-D CAD program can directly access the bend model and there is no need for a special communication protocol between the CAD program and the bend model program.
The CAD program and the bend model program may be implemented as Windows based applications. In order to add DDE capability to a Windows application, the dynamic data exchange management library (DDEML) may he utilized to provide an application programming interface. Functions provided by the DDEML may be utilized by the CAD program or bend model program to manage DDE conversations. The DDEML also provides a function that enables a server application to register the service names it supports. The service names are then broadcast to other applications in the system, which use the names to connect to the server. To use the API elements of the DDEML, a DDEML.H header file should be included in the source files, a USER32.LIB file should be linked to the system and a DDEML.DLL file should reside in the system's path.
The API functions which are defined for the communication library of the interface may be selected based on the types of data and transactions that are required. For handling data related to a sheet metal part, these API functions may include functions to handle data representing the faces and edges of the part. Other API functions may also be included for initializing the interface and transferring other types of data. Table 1 contains a list of exemplary API functions that may be included in the bend model-CAD (BMCAD) interface to facilitate the transfer of data between the 2-D CAD program and the bend model program. In Table 1, the name of each API function is provided along with its associated purpose or function. Additional API functions may be provided in addition to that indicated in Table 1 and/or other combinations or subcombinations of the API functions indicated in Table 1 may be provided according to the type of applications or processes involved. API FUNCTIONS API FUNCTION NAME PURPOSE Initialize_BMCAD_Interface Initialize the BMCAD Interface Terminate_BMCAD_Interface Terminate the BMCAD Interface Initialize_Part Initialize a part and set basic parameter values Close_Part Close a part and erase all of its contents Save_Part Save a part in a defined file format Load_Part Load a part from a defined file format Add_Face Create a face from basic flange data and add face to the part Delete_Face Delete a face from the part Update Face Update an edited face which was sent earlier Attach_Faces Attach two faces and create bendline(s) Delete_Bendline Delete all bendlines between two defined faces Set_Bending_Parameters Set new bending parameters for a bendline Shift_Face Move one face with respect to another face Auto_Detect_Collinear_Bendli nes Automatically detect collinear bendlines Add_View Send 2-D view of part to 2-D CAD Close_Part Close part without erasing file Set_View_Update_Mode Send ON or OFF mode for the view update mode Set_Fold_Mode Send a FOLD or UNFOLD mode of Set_Base_Face Set a base face for the part Send_Flat Send a flat version of the part Send_Folded Send a folded version of the part Send_Faces Send a version of the part as a collection of faces
Other API functions may be provided for closing a part without saving its contents and for saving or loading a part from a data file. For example, a Close_Part function may be provided for the purpose of deleting or closing a part identified by a part name that is provided as input. When the Close_Part function is called, the document that contains the part will be closed without saving the part to a file. If a bend model viewer, such as that described above with respect to Fig. 3 is also provided, then the viewer associated with the part may also be deleted. If a user wishes to save a part to a particular file, then a Save Part function may be provided to enable a user to save a part in a file. Input to the Save_Part function should include the part name and the file name to which the data relating to the part (as identified by the part name) is to be saved. The file name should be a full path name with the proper extension (e.g., ".BMF"). To provide extra flexibility, a user may be given the option to save the part in one of several file formats such as BMF, PGF, etc. In such a case, the user should provide the appropriate extension to indicate the type of file format that is requested. A Load_Part function may also be included in the library to permit the loading of a part from a file. The input to the Load_Part function should include the file name of the file containing the part data as well as the part name which will be assigned to the part after it has been loaded. Once again, the part name should be unique so that the part may be later referred to by the user. In addition, the file name should include the full path name with the extension (e.g., ".BMF" or another appropriate format) so that the file may be properly loaded at the client or version side.
As indicated in Table 1, various API functions may also be provided to facilitate the editing and modification of the faces of a part. Such API functions include an Add_Face function, a Delete_Face function, an Update_Face function, and an Attach_Faces function. In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, individual face data of a part may be transferred and edited using the interface between the 2-D CAD program and the object oriented bend model program. A face may be defined from basic flange data given, for example, as a set of loops of edges. That is, a face may be defined from a list of loops, each of which is a list of edges. An edge may comprise various types, including a line, an arc or a circle. A unique name should be provided for each face of a part. In addition, a user should also define and assign a unique name for each edge of a face. The edge name should be unique within the part, so that each edge can be referred to later when, for example, attaching two faces. Since it is generally difficult to edit the faces of a part within a 3-D CAD environment, the modification of the faces of an existing part or the creation of faces for a new part should preferably he performed within a 2-D CAD environment. Accordingly, the above-noted API functions may be utilized for passing face data from the bend model program to the 2-D CAD program to perform 2-D based editing of the faces. Modifications to the face data may then be transferred via the interface to the bend model program to update the 2-D and 3-D representations of the part in the object oriented bend model.
A face of a sheet metal part may be represented by a collection or list of loops, each of which is a list of edges. For a simple rectangular or square face without any openings, a single bounding loop may be used to define the face. For example. Fig. 6A illustrates an exemplary face of a part that is defined by a single bounding loop Z1 that consists of line edges L1, L2, L3 and L4. Each face within a part may be defined by a bounding loop. For each face of a sheet metal part having various openings, a list or set of loops may be utilized to define the face. For example, Fig. 6B illustrates an exemplary face of a sheet metal part with two hole openings and a rectangular opening. For the exemplary face of Fig. 6B, the face would be defined by the bounding loop Z1 and inside loops Z2, Z3, and Z4. Bounding loop Z1 would include line edges L1, L2, L3 and L4, and inside loops Z2, Z3 and Z4 would define the openings provided in the sheet metal part. Inside loop Z2 would include circle edge C1, inside loop Z3 would include circle edge C2, and inside loop Z4 would include line edges L5, L6, L7 and L8.
In particular, Fig. 7A illustrates the structure of a buffer for storing all the face data associated with a part. The face data format of Fig. 7A may be utilized when sending the part data as a collection of attached faces with the Send Faces function (described in greater detail below). As shown in Fig. 7A, the buffer may include various fields for storing various parameter information including: the length of the contents of the buffer; the number of faces (N) of the part; each face name for the N faces of the part: and the face data for each of the N faces of the part. The length of the fields indicating the length of the bufter and the number of faces N may he long. such as 4 bytes each. The length of the face name may also be long and, therefore, the field containing the face names for the N faces may be N x 4 bytes in length. Further, the fields containing the face data may be set according to a predetermined face format for each set of face data; and, therefore, the fields containing the face data should be N x face format in length. In this regard, it is noted that the length of the faces data does not include the 4 bytes taken by the length of the value itself. An exemplary data structure and arrangement for the face format for each face is illustrated in Fig. 7B.
Fig. 7B illustrates an exemplary data structure and related buffer for containing the face data. The face data format of Fig. 7B may be utilized when sending face data for a single face of the part with, for example, the Add_Face function (described in more detail below). As illustrated in Fig. 7B, the face format of the buffer may include various fields for defining or storing different parameters, including: the length of the contents of the buffer; the number of hole-loops (H) in the face; the bounding loop of the face; and data defining each of the H hole-loops of the face. The length of the field defining the length of the buffer and the length of the field defining the number of hole-loops may be long, such as 4 bytes in length. Further, the data defining the bounding loop of the face may have a length that is set in accordance with a predetermined loop format for storing the bounding loop data. The predetermined loop format may also be used for defining each of the hole-loops of the face. As a result, the field containing the H hole-loops may have a length that is set to H x loop format. While a face of the part may have no holes (i.e., 0 hole-loops), each face should at least have a bounding loop. Further, it is noted that the length of the face buffer does not include the 4 bytes taken by the length value itself.
Fig. 8A illustrates an exemplary arrangement for the loop format that may be used to define the bounding loop and the each of the hole-loops of a face. As shown in Fig. 8A, the buffer containing each loop may comprise fields for defining or storing the following parameters: the number of edges (E) in the loop; and data defining each of the E edges in the loop. The field of the loop format defining the number of edges in the loop may be long, such as 4 bytes in length. In addition, the fields defining each of the E edges of the loop may have a length that corresponds to the formatting of the edge data and, therefore, may have a total length of E x edge format. When storing the edge data, the edges of the loop do not have to be sorted and the direction of each edge (i.e., the order of its start-end points) does not need to be identified. If gaps exist in a loop, then they may be filled with straight lines.
The data defining the edges in the loop format may be stored according to a predetermined edge format. Fig. 8B illustrates exemplary data structure and arrangement for storing the edge-related data. As illustrated in Fig. 8B, the edge format may include various fields for defining or storing data related to the edge, including: an edge type; the name of the edge; and the data defining the edge depending on the edge type. The field defining the edge type may be one byte in length and be utilized to define the type of edge that is present (i.e., line, arc, or circle). Different type characters may be utilized to define each edge type. For example, the following scheme may be used: line - type character 1; arc - type character 2; and circle - type character 3. Additional edge types may also be defined, such as attribute data - type character 0 or centerpoint - type character 4. The field defining the edge name in the edge format may be long, such as 4 bytes in length and should be assigned by the user and be unique within the part. The edge names can be later used to refer to particular edges of a face.
The edge data that is provided in each edge buffer may be structured according to the type of edge data that is present. Table 2 lists the data that may be included for each edge type and the length or size of each edge type data (indicated by parenthesis in Table 2). Of course, different sets of data may be provided according to the type of edges that are present and, therefore, Table 2 may be modified according to the application of the invention. EDGE DATA EDGE TYPE DATA (Size) Line Start-point of the line (3x8 bytes) Arc Center-point of the arc (3x8 bytes) Circle Center-point of the circle (3x8 bytes) Center Point Center-point of the hole-loop (3x8 bytes) Attribute Length of attribute data (4 bytes)
As shown in Fig. 9A, a graphical user interface may be provided that includes a region for displaying a graphic representation of the part. With the use of an input device (such as a keyboard or mouse device), a user may select a face of the part that is to be deleted. As shown in Fig. 9A, once a face is selected, the selected face may be highlighted or shaded with a different color to indicate that it has been selected. After providing the selected face as input to the Delete _Face function, data may be transferred so that the face is deleted and the part model later updated. The resultant part may then be redisplayed to the user, as shown for example in Fig. 9B. When deleting the face from a part. all bendlines adjacent to the face will also be deleted. Bendlines may exist at one or more edges of the face to be deleted and, therefore, the edges may be checked to determine which bendlines are to be deleted.
In addition to adding or deleting a face to the part, it may also be necessary to update the object orient bend model of the part with an edited or modified face. For example, by using the editing tools of the 2-D CAD system, the dimensions or holes of a face may be modified and the resultant edited face may need to be sent back and applied to the bend model part. In such a case. an Update_Face function may be provided to pass the edited face data back to the bend model program to update the bend model part. The input to the Update_Face function is similar to that for the Add_Face function. That is, the input to the Update_Face function should include the part name, the name of the face that is to be updated, and a buffer containing the revised or edited face data. The format of the face data may be similar to that described above with reference to Figs. 7 and 8.
As shown in Table 1, API functions may also be provided in the interface library to facilitate the editing of bendlines and bending parameters for the sheet metal part. For example, a Set_Bending_Parameters function may be provided to permit the bending parameters for any bendline in the part to be changed or altered. The bendline may be defined by specifying two faces of the part between which the bendline lies. This may be performed by specifying an edge in each of the faces. If bending parameters of one bendline are being changed, then all bendlines known to be simultaneous with that bendline may also be changed exactly in the same way. However, if a bendline is only collinear and not simultaneous with the selected bendline, then the bending parameters for that bendline will not be changed.
After entering the bending parameters for the bendline with the bending parameters dialog box, the user may confirm the accuracy of the same (by, for example, selecting the "OK" hot key) and cause the entered bending parameters to be sent to the bend model part. Thereafter, as shown in Fig. 11C, the bend model part may be updated with the new set of bending parameters and the modified graphic representation of the part may be redisplayed to the user for confirmation, as shown in Fig. 11C.
In addition to setting the bending parameters for a bendline of the part, an API function may also be provided to facilitate the deletion of bendlines from the sheet metal part. For example, a Delete_Bendline function may be provided which causes all bendlines between two given faces to be deleted from the part. The input for the Delete_Bendline function should include the part name, and the names of the first adjacent face and the second adjacent face to the bendline(s) to be deleted. The bendlines may be identified and selected by a user by identifying the adjacent faces on the part and calling the Delete _Bendline function. When the bendline or bendlines are deleted, the adjacent faces will become unattached at their corresponding edges.
In addition to unattaching faces by deleting corresponding bendline(s), it may also be necessary for a user or design programmer to attach two faces at selected or specified edges. As indicated above in Table 1, an Attach_Faces function may be provided in the interface library to facilitate attachment of two faces in the bend model part. When two faces are attached, a bendline or a set of simultaneous bendlines may be created between the two specified faces. Besides specifying the part name as input to the Attach Faces function, the names of the edges of the first face which define the bendline for the first face, and the names of edges of the second face which define the bendline for the second face may be provided as input. To properly align the faces. alignment information may also be provided to the Attach_Faces function as input when attaching two faces. That is, the user may provide data indicating the type and offset amount of the alignment with respect to the first face. In addition, a set of bending parameters to be defined for the newly created bendline(s) may also be provided as input by the user. For each bending parameter, a flag may be provided to indicate whether a default value is to be utilized for the bending parameter. When such a flag is set ON, a default value may be applied for a bending parameter when the bending parameter is not specified by the user.
Fig. 20B illustrates an exemplary data structure and format for transferring attached face data. The attached face data format of Fig. 20B may be utilized when calling the Attach_Faces function (see, e.g., Fig. 20A) or when calling the Send_Faces function (see, e.g., Fig. 19 - discussed below). The attached face data format of the buffer, as illustrated in Fig. 20B, includes fields for storing or defining various parameters, including: the number of edges (A) in the face that are to be attached; and the identification numbers or IDs of each of the A edges of the face that are to be attached. As noted above, each of the edge IDs should be unique within the part, so that the edges to be attached may be accurately identified. Further, by keeping the edge IDs unique, the array or list of edge IDs that are stored in the buffer do not need to be sorted or maintained in any order. The length of the field defining the number of edges (A) in the face to be attached may be long, such as 4 bytes in length. The length of the field containing the IDs of the A edges may have a length equal to: A x 4 bytes.
Figs. 20C and 20D illustrate exemplary data structures and arrangements for transferring the attachment bending parameters. In particular, as shown in Fig. 20C, the attachment bending parameters format for the buffer (which may be provided as part of the buffer illustrated in Fig. 20A) may include fields for defining or storing various data and parameters, including: the number of the specified attachment bending parameters (S); and data for each of the S attachment bending parameters. The length of the field defining the number of specified attachment bending parameters may be long, such as 4 bytes in length. Further, the format or structure of the data for each of the S attachment bending parameters may set in accordance with a predetermined format, such as that illustrated in Fig. 20D. As illustrated in Fig. 20D, the buffer containing the data for each attachment bending parameter may include fields for defining or storing the following: a parameter type; and a parameter value. The parameter type may be a character and the field defining the parameter type may have a length of 1 byte. The field containing the parameter value may have a length which varies depending on the parameter type. By way of a non-limiting example, Table 3 indicates the values that may be assigned for the parameter type to indicate different types of parameters. In addition, Table 3 indicates, according to parameter type, the length of the parameter value field that may be provided in the buffer. PARAMETER DATA PARAMETER PARAMETER TYPE PARAMETER VALUE (Size) Angle Type 0 8 bytes Bend Deduction Type 1 8 bytes Inside Radius Type 2 8 bytes Dimension for adjacent flange Type 3 1 byte Dimension for adjacent flange Type 4 1 byte
In Table 3, the dimensions for the adjacent faces or flanges may be defined with respect to the corresponding bendline. The parameter value for each dimension may indicate how the dimensions are to be measured with respect to the thickness of the part and may be defined according to a dimension type (character - I byte) in accordance with the following: Unknown - Type 1; Neutral - Type 2; Inside - Type 3; Outside - Type 4. In most cases, only Inside or Outside dimension types should be permitted. In such a case, Outside may be set as the default dimension type.
Fig. 13 illustrates an exemplary flow chart of the various processes and operations that may be carried out when attaching two edges of a part. The attach process may be implemented through software in the 2-D CAD program or the bend model program. Initially, at step S10, the edges of the faces to be attached are identified. For each face, a set of edges should be identified to define the bendline for the attached faces. The set of edges may include one or more edges of each face and each edge should he identified by a name. Once again, a graphical user interface may be provided to facilitate the selection of the edges by the user. Fig. 14A illustrates an exemplary user interface that may be provided for selecting edges. With the use of a mouse device or another type of input device, a user may select the set of edges for each face. In Fig. 14A, a line edge of a first face 1F is selected and a line edge of a second face 2F is also selected. In addition, it is noted that in the represented part of Fig. 14A, the first face 1F and a third face 3F are not attached.
After identifying the edges of each face, at step S14, a user may then define the bending parameters to be associated with the bendline(s) that will be created between the faces to be attached. The bending parameters to be set by the user may include the bend angle, the bend type (front/back), the bend deduction amount, the inside radius and the flange dimensions of the bendline with respect to the first face and the second face. In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a dialog box or display screen may be provided to the user to facilitate the entry of the bending parameters. Fig. 14D illustrates an exemplary graphical user face and dialog box that may be displayed to the user along with the representation of the bend model of the part. As shown in Fig. 14D. the Attach dialog box may include fields for permitting an operator to enter the bend angle (Angle), the bend type (i.e., front or back), the bend deduction amount (BD), the inside radius (IR), and the flange dimensions (Dim) of the bendline with respect to the first face and the second face (neutral, inside, outside).
In accordance with an aspect of the invention, a user may also enter offset data when defining the attachment parameters at step S.18. The offset data may indicate the relative shift that should exist with respect to the alignment points of the faces when attaching the edges of the faces. The offset amount may be used to move the second face in the direction of the bendline relative to the first face (which acts as a base face for the offset). The offset may be entered in inches, millimeters or another appropriate dimension, and the shift may occur in the positive (+) or negative (-) direction relative to the direction of the loop defining the base face. That is, the direction of a positive offset is the direction of the bendline with respect to the first face. Flip option data may also be set when defining the attachment parameters at step S.18. When the flip option is set ON, the first face and the second face may be flipped by 180° with respect to one another. If the flip option is turned OFF, then the faces are not flipped with respect to one another when attaching the edges of the faces.
Referring again to Fig. 14D, the various attachment parameters defined at step S.18 may be performed through an Attach dialog box that is displayed to the user. In particular, various fields may be provided in the Attach dialog box to permit a user to enter the offset amount (Offset), the reference point (i.e., start-point, center-point or end-point) and to activate or deactivate the flip option (Flip). The various attachment parameters and the bending parameters, when defined by user, may be included as input to the Attach_Faces function when exchanging data between the 2-D CAD program and the bend model program. An "OK" hot key may be provided in the Attach dialog box to permit the user to confirm that the values entered for the attach process are correct.
Other API functions may be provided in the communication library of the interface to facilitate the modeling and design of the sheet metal part. For example, as indicated in Table 1, an Auto Detect_Collinear_Bendlines function may be provided for the purpose of automatically detecting which bendlines are collinear in the part. Input to this function should include at least the part name of the part for which collinear bendlines are to be detected. When this function is performed, all defined bendlines in the part may be analyzed to determine if collinear bendlines are properly marked as collinear bendlines. If a bendline is not properly marked or flagged as a collinear bendline, then the function may mark the bendline as such. Since this function relies on the presence of bendlines in the part, all bendlines in the part should be created or defined in the part before the function is utilized. Collinear bendlines may be indicated in the part geometry or topology information in the bend model of the part. Collinear bendlines may be detected or identified based on the existence of bendlines along a common axis or line. In addition, the various methods and operations for automatically detecting collinear bendlines in a part, such as that disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 08/706,830, filed September 3, 1996, in the names of K. HAZAMA et al., entitled "Apparatus and Method for Integrating Intelligent Manufacturing System with Expert Sheet Metal Planning and Bending System", may be utilized in either the 2-D CAD program or the bend model program to implement this function. The disclosure of U.S. Patent Application No.08/706,830 is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
In addition, an Add_View function may be provided to create a view instance from basic flange data (given, for example, as a set of edges) and to add the view to a given layout of the part. The Add_View function may be utilized to send, for example, a 2-D wire-frame view of the part from the bend model program to the 2-D CAD program, so that this data may be utilized to perform drawing and editing functions in the 2-D CAD environment. In this regard, it is possible to project a 3-D wire-frame view into a 2-D plane, and to send the resultant 2-D wire-frame to the 2-D CAD system. Fig. 17 illustrates a graphic representation of an exemplary 2-D wire-frame view that may be sent to the 2-D CAD program using the Add_View function. To create a view instance with the Add_View function, the view data should be passed in accordance with a predetermined view format. The buffer containing the view data may be provided along with the part file name and a view identification number or 1D as input to the Add_View function. With respect to the view format, the buffer containing the view data may include various parameters for defining: the length of the contents of the buffer; the number of edges (E) in the view; and edge data defining each of the E edges in the view. The length of the parameter field defining the length of the buffer may be long, such as 4 bytes. The indicated length of the buffer should not include the 4 bytes utilized by the length parameter field. The field defining the number of edges (E) in the view may also be long, such as 4 bytes in length. Finally, the data defining each of the E edges in the view may be stored in the buffer in accordance with the edge format described above with reference to Fig. 8B. As such, the field of the view data buffer containing the data for each of the edges in the view may have a length equal to: E x edge format.
To send data relating to the part to the bend model program using the interface, API functions may be provided to permit transfer of the part data in various formats. For example, in accordance with an aspect of the invention, the part data may be set as a collection of attach faces or as a flat version of the part (without any face data). In this regard, a Send_Faces function and a Send_Flat function may be provided in the interface library. The Send_Faces function and a Send_ Flat function are described below with reference to Figs. 18A and 18B.
With the Send_Faces function, a version of the part is sent as a collection of attached faces by sending basic flange information in the form of data including a set of loops, as well as data defining the bendlines and bending parameters. Fig. 18B is a graphic representation of a collection of attached faces that may be sent for a part with the Send_Faces function. Sending the part as a collection of faces may be useful when it is necessary to revise the faces of the part or make other revisions to the design of the part. The input to the Send_Faces function should include: the part name; the faces data of the part written in a buffer provided as a set of face data (see, e.g., the face data format described above with reference to Figs. 7A); and the data defining the bendlines and bending parameters (e.g., bending angle, inside radius, bend deduction, bend type, etc.) written in a buffer provided as a set of single bendline data. The bendline and bending parameters data may be provided and passed with the Send_Faces function in accordance with a special or predetermined format, For instance, Fig. 19 illustrates an exemplary data structure and arrangement for transferring the bendline and bending parameters data.
As shown in Fig. 19, the buffer containing the bendline and bending parameters data may include fields for storing the following parameters and data: the length of the bendline/bending parameter data buffer; the number of bendlines (B); and the bendline and bending parameter data for each of the B bendlines. The length of the field defining the length of the buffer may be long, such as 4 bytes, and the length of the buffer should not include the 4 bytes taken by the buffer length field, The length of the field defining the number of bendlines may also be long or 4 bytes in length. Further, the format for the bendline/bending parameter data may be set in accordance with a predetermined format, such as the attached face format illustrated in Fig. 20B. A detailed description of the attached face format illustrated in Fig. 20B is provided above.
The Send_Flat function may be utilized to develop a representation of the part with face data from raw CAD geometry. Once a database of edges is created from the flat version of the part, a face detection algorithm such as that disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 08/690,671 can be utilized to create basic flange information in the form of loops. This information may then be used to create flanges of the part. Thereafter, fold and/or unfold algorithms, such as those disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 08/690,671, may be performed to develop a 3-D model of the part and/or an object oriented bend model of the part containing face data.
In addition to sending the part as a flat version or a collection of faces, an option may be provided to the user to send a 3-D version of the part to the 2-D CAD program. As such, a Send_Folded function may be provided. This function may he useful when the 2-D CAD program is capable of accepting raw 3-D geometry and includes unfolding capabilities or algorithms for forming a 2-D model of the part from the raw 3-D geometry data. The input for this function should include the part name as well as the folded version of the part written in a buffer as a set of edges in 3-D space. The buffer containing the part data may be configured according to the face, loop and edge format discussed above with reference to Figs. 7A, 7B, 8A and 8B.
With the various features of the present invention, a wide variety of tasks may be accomplished when designing and modeling a part. For example, the invention may be utilized to initialize a part. create faces and bendlines, automatically detect collinear bendlines, set and update bending parameters, edit a part, fold or unfold a part, and send a flat or folded version of a part to the CAD application program environment.
While the invention has been described with reference to several exemplary embodiments and disclosed features, it is understood that the words which have been used herein are words of description and illustration, rather than words of limitation.
Although the invention has been described herein with reference to particular means, materials and embodiments, the invention is not intended to be limited to the particulars disclosed herein. Another aspect of this application concerns a computer readable memory that store a computer program for causing a computer to operate as the interface of claims 1-23 or for causing a computer to perform the method of claims 24-44.
An interface for transferring part data between two application environments, one of said application environments including a computer-aided design (CAD) program and the other of said application environments including an object oriented bend model program, said interface comprising:
an inter-process communication system that establishes an inter-process communication path between said CAD program and said bend model program; and
a library of application program interface (API) functions that may be called by said CAD program and said bend model program to transfer and exchange part data through said inter-process communication path.
The interface for transferring part data according to claim 1, wherein said part data comprises data defining a sheet metal part including a plurality of faces.
The interface for transferring part data according to claim 2, wherein said library of API functions comprises a Send_Faces function for transferring the data defining the sheet metal part as a collection of attached faces.
The interface for transferring part data according to claim 3, wherein the data that is transferred with said Send_Faces function is provided in a buffer that comprises a part name, a set of face data, and bending parameter data.
The interface for transferring part data according to claim 4, wherein the set of face data comprises loop data for each face of said sheet metal part, said loop data including data defining a bounding loop of each face.
The interface for transferring part data according to any of the claims 2 to 5, wherein said library of API functions further comprises an Add_Face function for transferring face data defining a face that is to be added to the data defining the sheet metal part.
The interface for transferring part data according to claim 6, wherein a set of input data that is provided to the Add_Face function includes a part name, a face name, and the face data, the face data including loop data defining a bounding loop of the face to be added to the sheet metal part.
The interface for transferring part data according to any of the claims 2 to 7, wherein said library of API functions further comprises a Delete_Face function for transferring face data defining a face that is to be deleted from the data defining the sheet metal part.
The interface for transferring part data according to claim 8, wherein a set of input data that is provided to the Delete_Face function includes a part name and a face name of the face to be deleted from the sheet metal part.
The interface for transferring part data according to any of the claims 2 to 9, wherein said library of API functions further comprises a Delete_Bendline function for transferring data defining a bendline that is to be deleted from the sheet metal part.
The interface for transferring part data according to claim 10, wherein a set of input data that is provided to the Delete_Bendline function includes a part name, a name of a first face of the sheet metal part that is adjacent to the bendline to be deleted, and a name of a second face of the sheet metal part that is adjacent to the bendline to be deleted.
The interface for transferring part data according to any of the claims 2 to 11, wherein said library of API functions further comprises an Attach_Faces function for transferring data defining faces of the sheet metal part that are to be attached.
The interface for transferring part data according to claim 12, wherein the data transferred by the Attach_Faces function includes a buffer comprising a part name, a set of edge names of a first face of the sheet metal part that is to be attached, a set of edges names of a second face of the sheet metal part that is to be attached, and attachment parameters for attaching the edges of the first and second faces.
The interface for transferring part data according to any of the claims 2 to 13, wherein said library of API functions further comprises a Set_Bending_Parameters function for transferring data defining bending parameters that are to be set for a bendline of the sheet metal part that is defined between a first adjacent face and a second adjacent face.
The interface for transferring part data according to claim 14, wherein a set of input data that is provided to the Set_Bending_Parameters function includes a part name, a name of the first adjacent face, a name of the second adjacent face, and the bending parameters that are to be set for the bendline.
The interface for transferring part data according to claim 15, wherein the bending parameters that are transferred with said Set_Bending_Parameters function comprises one of a bending angle, a bend type, a bend deduction amount, and an inside radius of the bend.
The interface for transferring part data according to any of the claims 2 to 16, wherein said library of API functions further comprises a Shift_Face function for transferring data defining a second face of the sheet metal part that is to be shifted with respect to a first face of the sheet metal part.
The interface for transferring part data according to claim 17, wherein the data transferred by the Shift_Face function includes a buffer comprising a part name, a name of the first face, a name of the second face, and a shift amount indicating the amount by which the second face is to be shifted with respect to the first face.
The interface for transferring part data according to any of the claims 1 to 18, wherein said part data comprises data defining a sheet metal part, said library of API functions comprising a Send_Flat function for transferring the data defining the sheet metal part as a flat version of the part.
The interface for transferring part data according to claim 19, wherein the data that is transferred with said Send_Flat function is provided in a buffer that comprises a part name, a set of edges defining the flat version of the part, and a set of default bending parameters for the part.
The interface for transferring part data according to any of the claims 1 to 20, wherein said part data comprises data defining a sheet metal part, said library of API functions comprising a Send_Folded function for transferring the data defining the sheet metal part as a folded version of the part.
The interface for transferring part data according to claim 21, wherein the data that is transferred with said Send_Folded function is provided in a buffer that comprises a part name, and a set of edges defining the folded version of the part.
The interface for transferring part data according to any of the claims 1 to 22, wherein said inter-process communication path is established in accordance with a predetermined message protocol, said predetermined message protocol comprising dynamic data exchange (DDE).
A method for transferring part data between two application environments, one of said application environments including a computer-aided design (CAD) program and the other of said application environments including an object-oriented bend model program, said method comprising:
establishing an inter-process communication path between said CAD program and said bend model program;
defining a library of application program interface (API) functions that may be called by said CAD program and said bend model program to transfer part data through said inter-process communication path;
calling one of said API functions of said library; and
transferring part data between said CAD program and said bend model program based on the API function that was called from said library.
The method for transferring part data according to claim 24, wherein said part data comprises data defining a sheet metal part including a plurality of faces.
The method for transferring part data according to claim 25, wherein said method further comprises calling a Send_Faces function from said library and transferring the data defining the sheet metal part as a collection of attached faces in response to the Send_Faces function being called from said library.
The method for transferring part data according to claim 26, further comprising providing, when said Send_Faces function is called from said library, a buffer that comprises a part name, a set of face data, and bending parameter data in order to transfer the data defining the sheet metal part.
The method for transferring part data according to claim 27, wherein the set of face data comprises loop data for each face of said sheet metal part, said loop data including data defining a bounding loop of each face.
The method for transferring part data according to any of the claims 26 to 28, further comprising calling an Add_Face function form said library and transferring, in response to the Add_Face function being called from said library, face data defining a face that is to be added to the data defining the sheet metal part.
The method for transferring part data according to claim 29, further comprising providing a set of input data, when calling the Add_Face function, that includes a part name, a face name, and the face data, the face data including loop data defining a bounding loop of the face to be added to the sheet metal part.
The method for transferring part data according to any of the claims 26 to 30, further comprising calling a Delet_Face function from said library and transferring, in response to the Delete_Face function being called from said library, face data defining a face that is to be deleted from the data defining the sheet metal part.
The method for transferring part data according to claim 30, further comprising providing a set of input data, when calling the Delete_Face function, that includes a part name and a face name of the face to be deleted from the sheet metal part.
The method for transferring part data according to any of the claims 26 to 32, further comprising calling an Attach_Faces function from said library and transferring, in response to the Attach_Faces function being called from said library, data defining faces of the sheet metal part that are to be attached.
The method for transferring part data according to claim 32, further comprising providing, when the Attach_Faces function is called from said library, a buffer comprising a part name, a set of edge names of a first face of the sheet metal part that is to be attached, a set of edges names of a second face of the sheet metal part that is to be attached, and attachment parameters for attaching the edges of the first and second faces.
The method for transferring part data according to any of the claims 26 to 34, further comprising calling a Set_Bending_Parameters function from said library and transferring, when said Set_Bending_Parameters function is called from said library, data defining bending parameters that are to be set for a bendline of the sheet metal part that is defined between a first adjacent face and a second adjacent face.
The method for transferring part data according to claim 35, further comprising providing a set of input data, when calling the Set_Bending_Parameters function, that includes a part name, a name of the first adjacent face, a name of the second adjacent face, and the bending parameters that are to be set for the bendline.
The method for transferring part data according to any of the claims 26 to 36, further comprising calling a Shift_Face function from said library and transferring, when said Shift_Face function is called from said library, data defining a second face of the sheet metal part that is to be shifted with respect to a first face of the sheet metal part.
The method for transferring part data according to claim 37, further comprising providing, when the Shift_Face function is called from said library, a buffer comprising a part name, a name of the first face, a name of the second face, and a shift amount indicating the amount by which the second face is to be shifted with respect to the first face.
The method for transferring part data according to any of the claims 24 to 38, wherein said part data comprised data defining a sheet metal part, and said method further comprises calling a Send_Flat function from said library and transferring, when said Send_Flat function is called from said library, the data defining the sheet metal part as a flat version of the part.
The method for transferring part data according to claim 39, further comprising providing, when said Send_Flat function is called from said library, a buffer that comprises a part name, a set of edges defining the flat version of the part, and a set of default bending parameters for the part.
The method for transferring part data according to any of the claims 24 to 40, wherein said establishing comprises establishing said inter-process communication path in accordance with a predetermined message protocol, said predetermined message protocol comprising dynamic data exchange (DDE).
A method for transferring part data between two application environments, one of said application environments including a computer-aided design (CAD) program and the other of said application environments including an object-oriented bend model program, said part data including data defining a sheet metal part, said method comprising:
defining a library of application program interface (API) functions, that may be called by said CAD program and said bend model program, to transfer part data through said inter-process communication path;
determining a set of input data for one of said API functions of said library;
calling said one of said API functions and providing, as input to said one of said API functions, the set of input data; and
transferring, via said inter-process communication path, the set of input data between said CAD program and said bend model program in accordance with said one of said API functions that was called from said library.
A method for transferring part data according to claim 42, wherein said determining a set of input data comprises:
identifying a part name of the sheet metal part;
identifying a set of edge of a first face of the sheet metal part that is to be attached;
identifying a set of edges of a second face of the sheet metal part that is to be attached to the set of edges of the first face;
defining attachment parameters for attaching the edges of the first and second faces; and
providing, as the set of input data, the part name, a set of edge names of the edges of the first face of the sheet metal part, a set of edges names of the edges of the second face of the sheet metal part, and the attachment parameters for attaching the edges of the first and second faces,
and further wherein said calling comprises calling an Attach_Faces function from said library of API functions to transfer the set of input data and attach the first and second faces of the sheet metal part.
identifying a first face of the sheet metal part;
identifying a second face of the sheet metal part that is to be shifted with respect to the first face;
defining a shift amount for shifting the second face with respect to the first face; and
providing, as the set of input data, the part name, a name of the first face of the sheet metal part, a name of the second face of the sheet metal part, and the shift amount,
and further wherein said calling comprises calling a Shift_Face function from said library of API functions to transfer the set of input data and shift the second face with respect to the first face of the sheet metal part.
EP99906526A 1998-02-27 1999-02-26 Apparatus and method for transferring and editing sheet metal part data Expired - Fee Related EP1057084B1 (en)
US09/031,666 US6542937B1 (en) 1998-02-27 1998-02-27 Apparatus and method for transferring and editing sheet metal part data
US31666 1998-02-27
PCT/JP1999/000947 WO1999044107A1 (en) 1998-02-27 1999-02-26 Apparatus and method for transferring and editing sheet metal part data
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EP99906526A Expired - Fee Related EP1057084B1 (en) 1998-02-27 1999-02-26 Apparatus and method for transferring and editing sheet metal part data
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1999-02-26 DE DE69907157T patent/DE69907157T2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
1999-02-26 AU AU26420/99A patent/AU2642099A/en not_active Abandoned
1999-02-26 TW TW088102961A patent/TW445411B/en not_active IP Right Cessation
1999-02-26 KR KR10-2000-7009548A patent/KR100385441B1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
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KR100385441B1 (en) 2003-05-27
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CN1193311C (en) 2005-03-16
EP1057084A1 (en) 2000-12-06
JPH11328249A (en) 1999-11-30
TW445411B (en) 2001-07-11
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DE69907157T2 (en) 2003-12-11
JP4375833B2 (en) 2009-12-02
CN1292105A (en) 2001-04-18
US9213526B1 (en) 2015-12-15 Service oriented architecture (SOA) modeling
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