Patent ID: 8269766

Claim:
A method for generating three-dimensional shape data comprising: inputting a specification for a sketched image; reading in the sketched image as image data; creating data in two-dimensional coordinates from lines included in the read-in image; mutually associating a prescribed value set in the sketched image and a prescribed value in a three-dimensional space defined in a computer, and determining a placement position, in the three-dimensional space, of the sketched image and a viewing point position with respect to the image, so that the input specification is satisfied; mapping a cross-sectional line of the sketched image into the three-dimensional space and creating a cross-sectional outer contour line in the three-dimensional space, based on the placement position and the viewing point position; creating a first line, included in the sketched image from which data is created, as a spatial curved line in the three-dimensional space, using the cross-sectional outer contour line in the three-dimensional space; correcting distortion of the created spatial curved line; and creating a curved surface based on the corrected spatial curved line, wherein the creation of the spatial curved-line in three-dimensional space further comprises: creating a virtual surface by moving the cross-sectional outer contour line towards the cross-sectional line, and creating the spatial curved line by projecting a second line included in the sketched image onto the virtual surface from the viewing point direction.