Patent ID: 8751197

Claim:
A method implemented on a computer having a memory and a processor coupled to the memory for designing a composite material part with a curved surface ( 65 ) to which a plurality of stiffening elements oriented in planes substantially perpendicular to said curved surface are joined, including a design of a three dimensional (3D) fabric model defining contours of fabrics which are to be stacked to shape said composite material part from geometric references relating to said part with a curved surface ( 65 ) and to said stiffening elements, said design of the 3D fabric model comprising the following steps: generating, using the processor, references ( 51 ) of the curved surface in 3D, the references ( 51 ) comprising an intersection curve for each stiffening element including intersections between a plane of the stiffening element with a support surface, including as many raised surfaces ( 53 ) per intersection created between the planes and the support surface; generating, using the processor, a planar surface ( 63 ) developed in two dimensional (2D) corresponding to the curved surface ( 65 ) of the part in 3D and generating geometric references ( 71 ) in 2D corresponding to the references ( 51 ) of the curved surface in 3D, said generating including creating raised surfaces ( 59 ) in 2D per intersection of the stiffening element with the support surface; associating the planar surface ( 63 ) developed in 2D with the curved surface ( 65 ) in 3D and associating the geometric references ( 71 ) with, the corresponding references ( 51 ) of the curved surface in 3D, such that any action in one of the surfaces is reflected in the other, said associating including creating junctions in pairs in the raised surfaces ( 53 , 59 ) obtained in 3D and 2D, resulting in a composite surface ( 61 ) with two domains, one domain in 3D and the other domain in 2D, per stiffening element; computing the fabric model in the surface ( 63 ) developed in 2D; and carrying out any subsequent modification of the fabric model either in the surface ( 63 ) developed in 2D or in the curved surface ( 65 ) in 3D, wherein an intersection point ( 69 ) is a reference point which changes selection between the 2D domain and the 3D domain, and wherein at least some of the steps of said method are performed using said processor.