Patent ID: 7346408

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of designing a carton having a plurality of panels, each panel made up of one or more flaps, the method comprising: accepting carton structural information corresponding to a carton; forming a 2D unfolded model of the substrate that when cut and folded according to the carton structural information forms the carton; forming a 3D model of the carton corresponding to the carton structural information; displaying on a first display a 2D view of the unfolded carton design; displaying on a second display a perspective 3D view of the 3D model of the carton; accepting from a user input to manipulate the view of the 3D model on the second display; accepting from the user input to select a flap of the carton on the view of the 3D model on the second display; as a result of the selecting of a flap, automatically modifying the view in the first display to be of the selected flap shown in an orientation arranged for the user to design the selected flap; accepting a design of the selected flap from the user designing using the 2D unfolded view on the first display, including the user placing graphics on the selected flap in the case that the selected flap is one onto which graphics is to be placed; modifying the perspective 3D view of the 3D model to include any changes made in the design; accepting from the user an indication of the location of a guide line on a flap; determining from the indication of the location of the guide line a guide surface such that the guideline is the intersection of the guide surface and the flap; determining the intersection of the guide surface and the 3D model of the carton, the intersection defining guide lines on one or more other flaps that are part of the outer surface of the carton; and displaying the guide lines on the selected and other outer surface flaps on the 2D unfolded view, such that the user can indicate on the perspective view an action to be performed on the 2D unfolded view, such that the user can select a flap for design using the 3D view, such that the user can design the selected flap using the 2D unfolded view, such that the perspective display of the 3D model is updated to reflect a change made in the 2D unfolded view, and such that the user can use the guide lines to align graphics being placed on one or more flaps.