Abstract: An iterative design environment performs an iterative design process of a product by implementing usage feedback of the product when utilized under real-world conditions. Sensors are installed on the physical product and collect data about the behavior of the product under real-world conditions. The sensor data comprise usage feedback implemented to inform and produce a design problem statement and one or more design solutions. The sensor data is received by a problem statement engine to produce a problem statement based, at least in part, on the sensor data. A design engine then produces one or more design solutions for the problem statement and one of the design solutions is fabricated to produce a new physical product. Sensors are then installed onto the new physical product and the iterative design process may be performed again. The iterative design process may be performed multiple times until a satisfactory physical product is achieved.

Abstract: A method for managing a device network includes determining that first data received from a first network device is associated with a first communications interface protocol. The method further includes retrieving a first software plug-in associated with the first communications interface protocol, and modifying the first data via the first software plug-in to generate first modified data. The method further includes performing a first operation associated with a second network device based on the first modified data, where the second network device is associated with a second communications interface protocol.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein include a method, a non-transitory computer-readable medium, and a system for generating video clips for teaching how to apply a tools in various application programs for editing documents. The method includes identifying one or more characteristic features of a video clip. The method also includes providing the one or more characteristic features to a trained machine learning analysis module. The method further includes evaluating the characteristic features to generate a clip rating. The method also includes determining whether to discard the video clip based on the clip rating.

Abstract: Systems and methods are presented for allowing multiple users to collaboratively edit 3-D assets in real-time, using a distributed 3-D editing/rendering software application. The software application may include a lightweight, browser-based user interface that is able to run on computing devices with relatively little memory and processing power. The software application may further include a progressive rendering engine.

Abstract: One embodiment of the invention is a slicing engine that generates two or more slices of a virtual 3D model given a slice plane. The slicing engine then determines connection points on each of the slices that indicate how the 3D model is to be reconnected by the user when the 3D model is fabricated. The slicing engine also determines an optimized layout for the various slices of the 3D model on fabrication material for minimal use of the material. The user is then able to “print” the layout on the fabrication material via 3D printers, and connect the various printed slices according to the connection points to build a physical representation of the 3D model.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for computer aided design of physical structures include: obtaining a first 3D model including a polygon mesh associated with one or more modelled solids, the one or more modelled solids being in a boundary representation format; producing from the polygon mesh a quad patch network that combines, using transfinite interpolation, the polygon mesh with one or more smooth boundary curves corresponding to the one or more modelled solids; defining one or more locally refinable smooth surface representations using the quad patch network as input and based at least in part on a smallest dimension representable by a geometry modeling kernel of a computer aided design program; and combining the one or more locally refinable smooth surface representations with the one or more modelled solids to form a second 3D model that is watertight at the one or more smooth boundary curves.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system provide the ability to conduct a dynamic simulation in a computer-aided design (CAD) application. A CAD model is acquired on a server. On the server, a proxy object is created for the CAD model. The proxy object is a voxel-based representation of the CAD model and fully encompasses a simulation mesh of the CAD model. The proxy object is transmitted to the client. The transmitted proxy object includes extents of a voxel domain, of the voxel-based representation, in three (3) directions, minimum and maximum coordinates in each of the three directions, and a number of voxel divisions in the three directions. the proxy object is processed on the client and enables dynamic interactive rendering operations. The simulation mesh is processed on the server and the proxy object on the client is replaced with a real polygonal rendering from the simulation mesh.

Abstract: A method and system provide the ability to generate and use synthetic data to extract elements from a floor plan drawing. A room layout is generated. Room descriptions are used to generate and place synthetic instances of symbol elements in each room. A floor plan drawing is obtained and pre-processed to determine a drawing area. Based on the synthetic data symbols in the floor plan drawing are detected. Orientations of the detected symbols are also detected. Based on the detected symbols and orientations, building information model (BIM) elements are fetched and placed in the floor plan drawing.

Abstract: A method and system provide the ability to generate and use synthetic data to extract elements from a floor plan drawing. A room layout is generated. Room descriptions are used to generate and place synthetic instances of symbol elements in each room. A floor plan drawing is obtained and pre-processed to determine a drawing area. Based on the synthetic data symbols in the floor plan drawing are detected. Orientations of the detected symbols are also detected. Based on the detected symbols and orientations, building information model (BIM) elements are fetched and placed in the floor plan drawing.

Abstract: Techniques for gradually transitioning a user to a second navigation scheme while using a first navigation scheme in a 3D design application that generates and displays a 3D virtual environment. The design application initially implements the first navigation scheme and a set of function tools of the standard navigation scheme. The design application monitors for a set of patterns of navigation actions during use of the first-person navigation scheme, each pattern being performed more efficiently when using the standard navigation scheme. Upon detecting a pattern using the first-person navigation scheme, the design application may switch to the standard navigation scheme. Also, upon detecting selection of a function tool, the design application may switch to the standard navigation scheme during use of the function tool. When the function tool is closed, the design application may switch back to the first-person navigation scheme.

Abstract: A method and system provide the ability to design a terrain surface. A triangular surface mesh representative of an existing surface is obtained. One or more constraints to control the triangular surface mesh are specified. Drainage for the triangular surface mesh is automatically determined based on the constraints. The triangular surface mesh is optimized based on the drainage and one or more design options. The optimizing modifies the triangular surface mesh to define drainage flow for the drainage.

Abstract: A method, system, and apparatus provide the ability to control a system state of/in an image viewing application using a camera/portable viewing device. A screen of the camera is used to display a virtual reality view and an opening is positioned over a lens of the camera. The screen and physical buttons of the camera are not accessible when the camera is placed into the virtual reality viewing mechanism. An image is acquired from a camera through the opening. Color is used to make choices for operations. Alternatively, based on the toggling of the system state through a light blocking operation, a motion operation is conducted. The motion operation is based on length of time light is blocked and the length controls a speed of the motion operation.

Abstract: A design application is configured to determine design problem geometry and design criteria associated with a design problem to be solved. Based on this information, the design application identifies one or more design approaches to creating a custom material having specific material attributes needed to solve the design problem. The design application then executes the design approaches to create material designs that reflect one or more custom materials. With these designs as input, a manufacturing machine may then construct physical instances of those custom materials. A given custom material may have a unique combination of material attributes potentially not found among existing materials. Additionally, a design fabricated from a custom material may better satisfy the design criteria than a design fabricated from a known material.

Abstract: A method, system, and apparatus create a 3D CAD model. Scan data from two or more structured scans of a real-world scene are acquired and each scan processed independently by segmenting the scan data into multiple segments, filtering the scan data, and fitting an initial model that is used as a model candidate. Model candidates are clustered into groups and a refined model is fit onto the model candidates in the same group. A grid of cells representing points is mapped over the refined model. Each of the grid cells is labeled by processing each scan independently, labeling each cell located within the refined model as occupied, utilizing back projection to label remaining cells as occluded or empty. The labels from multiple scans are then combined. Based on the labeling, model details are extracted to further define and complete the refined model.

Abstract: A design application receives an exemplary design from an end-user having one or more functional attributes relevant to solving a design problem. The design application then generates a set of labels that describes the functional attributes of the exemplary design. Based on the set of labels, the design application explores a functional space to retrieve one or more system classes having functionally descriptive labels that are similar to the set of labels generated for the exemplary design. The one or more system classes include different approaches to solving the design problem, and represent systems having at least some functional attributes in common with the exemplary design.

Abstract: A system and method for designing and manufacturing of composite parts wherein the planner can design the part on a computer and analyze the entire work flow process from design to manufacture so as to determine the most efficient design and method of manufacture including resource costs including time, machines, material, labor and expenses.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for connecting users based on a measure of correlation. The method involves receiving a first activity data element associated with a first user, where the first activity data element includes activity information related to a first software application, receiving a second activity data element associated with a second user, where the second activity data element includes activity information related to the first software application, and determining, via a processing unit, a measure of correlation between the first and second activity data elements. The method further involves determining, based on the measure of correlation between the first and second activity data elements, that a connection between the first user and the second user should be facilitated, and facilitating a connection between the first user and the second user.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system provide the ability to license a software application. A software application is used on a client computer. Usage information for the software application is acquired and is used to generate an original token that is encrypted. The encrypted token is forwarded to a server computer for licensing authentication and processing. The encrypted token is audited on the client computer by selecting and receiving the token from a licensing service, verifying the token, and displaying the result of the verifying.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide the ability to track document versioning. Before executing an open operation on a first document version, a first before-hash is generated. After executing the open operation, a first after-hash is generated. Before executing a save operation, the first before-hash is acquired, and after execution (resulting in a second document version), a second after-hash of the second document version is generated. A version hash linked graph (VHLG) is generated and includes document nodes for the different document versions where each node includes a hash of that document version, a user-application node corresponding to the user or application that executed the operations, and edges connecting the nodes (e.g., that identify the operation and/or the document lineage) Based on the VHLG, a full history of a document is provided.

Abstract: A method and system provide the ability to manage data. Property sets consisting of property set objects are created based on a schema that defines a type and a version of the objects. The property sets are organized hierarchically to form a property tree. A commit graph stores the property set objects via an append only data structure. The commit graph provides a topology of changes between states of the objects as commit nodes organized as parent commit nodes and child commit nodes. Change sets represent a change between two commit nodes. Each change set tracks changes made on the objects, and the changes specify permitted basic operations including insert, remove, or modify operations that are applied on each state to get to a next state of the objects.