Abstract: A method and system provide a complete energy analytical model. An input model is acquired and consists of a combination of architectural building elements (ABEs) and conceptual massing elements (CMEs). The input model is pre-processed by extracting information from both the ABEs and the CMEs, and constructing virtual elements that encapsulate the extracted information. A discrete set of points in three-dimensional (3D) space that is distributed over boundary faces of the ABEs or CMEs is determined. The discrete set of points is used to provide a representation of the input model that is used in combination with a 3D cubical grid (a voxel grid) to analyze a spatial structure of the input model. A two-dimensional (2D) discrete approximation of the geometry of the input model is used to determine surfaces of the energy analytical model which is then output.

Abstract: A design application is configured to perform a system-level optimization of a collection of system components. The design application iteratively executes a multi-objective solver to optimize structural and functional relationships between the system components in order to meet global design criteria and generate a system design. The design application initializes the design process by extracting from a knowledge base system templates having taxonomic, structural, or functional attributes relevant to the system design. The design application generates the knowledge base by mining taxonomic, structural, and functional relationships from a corpus of engineering texts.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and system provide the ability to determine and provide a safety risk analysis for construction. Construction related data is obtained and includes textual data and a visual artifact for the construction project. A construction safety context is identified based on the construction related data. Based on the construction safety context, a safety participant risk score that assigns a numerical safety risk participant value to any entity involved in the construction project is determined. Based on the safety risk participant score, a safety project score that assigns a risk level on a per-project basis is determined. The safety risk analysis is presented based on the safety participant risk score and safety project score, via a graphical user interface.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for a multi-tool additive manufacturing system that executes in a three-dimensional build volume. In one aspect, a system includes a build platform; a support; a first robot coupled with the support and configured to operate in a build volume defined by the build platform, wherein the first robot includes a first additive manufacturing tool; a second robot coupled with the support and configured to operate in the build volume, wherein the second robot includes a second additive manufacturing tool; wherein the first robot and the second robot are programmed to coordinate simultaneous application; and wherein a first tool path of the first additive manufacturing tool in the first region abuts or overlaps with a second tool path of the second additive manufacturing tool in the second region so as to form a bond.

Abstract: In various embodiments of the present invention, a blending engine blends multiple surfaces included in a three-dimensional (3D) model of an object. First, the blending engine trims off portions of the surfaces that are targeted for blending at trimming curves to generate trimmed surfaces. The blending engine then constructs a single parametric blending surface via a unified parametrization for the trimming curves. Notably, to achieve the unified parametrization, the blending engine performs one or more spherical parametrization operations that generate parametrized curves based on the trimming curves and a fundamental sphere. After constructing the parametric blending surface based on the parametrized curves, the blending engine joins the parametric blending surface to the trimmed surfaces to produce a final, smooth intersection between the surfaces.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, a motion effect generator enables the creation of tangible representations of the motion of three-dimensional (3D) animated models for 3D printing. In operation, the motion effect generator receives a 3D animated model and animates the model through a configurable interval of time. As the motion effect generator animates the model, the motion effect generator applies a motion depiction technique to one or more selected components included in the model—explicitly portraying the motion of the 3D animated model as static motion effect geometries. Subsequently, based on the motion effect geometries, the motion effect generator creates a 3D motion sculpture model that is amenable to 3D printing.

Abstract: One embodiment of the invention disclosed herein provides techniques for fitting a mesh representation that includes a plurality of mesh points with a NURBS surface. A subdividing engine subdivides the mesh representation into a plurality of patches in a parametric domain. A vertex solving engine computes one or more vertex boundary continuity constraints for each vertex included in a plurality of vertices associated with the plurality of patches. An edge solving engine computes one or more edge boundary continuity constraints for each edge included in a plurality of edges associated with the plurality of patches. A patch solving engine fits a first patch included in the plurality of patches with at least one partial NURBS surface based on the vertex boundary continuity constraints and the edge boundary continuity constraints.

Abstract: A computer-implemented layout tool includes a mechanical design engine for configuring mechanical design components to be included in a design, an electrical design engine for configuring electrical components to be included in the design, a constraint engine for identifying a three-dimensional (3D) printer to be used to print the design and to provide design constraints including feedback for inoperative or impermissible configurations of one or more mechanical components or electrical pathways associated with the design; and a simulation engine for simulating, at least, electrical performance of the design based on one or more electrical components added to the design after printing and proposed electrical pathways.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, article of manufacture, and computer program product provide the ability to optimize a transport alignment. Terrain data, constraint data, and cost data are read. Terrain pixels having elevation values are organized and stored in a first grid structure with rows and columns that enable efficient access to each terrain pixel. One or more raster layers of a same dimension and orientation as the first grid structure are created. A starting alignment is obtained. The starting alignment is then optimized using the one or more raster layers.

Abstract: A method, system, apparatus, and computer program products provides the ability to dynamically define and generate inlet spacing along a road in a building information model (BIM) computer aided design (CAD) three dimensional (3D) model. A representation of a road is acquired in the BIM CAD 3D model, wherein the representation includes a geometry. An inlet spacing is defined for the road. Inlet locations for inlets are determined based on the inlet spacing. A determination is made regarding whether the inlet spacing and inlets satisfy design rules for the road. When the inlet spacing and/or inlets fail to satisfy the design rules, a different inlet spacing is selected from a group of preset integers, and the process repeats until the design rules are satisfied.

Abstract: An animation engine is configured to apply motion amplifiers to sketches received from an end-user in order to create exaggerated, cartoon-style animation. The animation engine receives a sketch input from the end-user as well as a selection of one or more motion amplifiers. The animation engine also receives one or more control sketches that indicate how the selected motion amplifiers are applied to the sketch input. The animation engine projects the sketch input onto a sketch grid to create a sketch element, and then animates the sketch element by deforming the underlying sketch grid based on the control sketches. The animation engine then interpolates the sketch input, based on the deformations of the sketch grid, to animate the sketch. In this manner, the animation engine exposes an intuitive set of tools that allows end-users to easily apply the well-known Principles of Animation.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for space frame design involves constructing a load stress map in a geometrical boundary representation of a design space, defining attachment points and load application points in the design space, creating a starting network of interconnecting lines between each two of the attachment points and load application points in the design space, assigning load application factors to each line of the starting network of interconnecting lines based on values of the load stress map, generating potential space frame designs by culling different subsets of lines of the starting network of interconnecting lines for each potential space frame design according to variable culling parameters, evaluating the potential space frame designs with respect to optimization parameters, combining the culling parameters for the potential space frame designs the performance score of which is above a predefined performance threshold, and iterating the steps of generating potential space frame designs and e

Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, at least a portion of a keyboard is displayed on a touch-screen display. A first action performed via the touch-screen display is detected. Based on the detected first action, a region of the at least a portion of the keyboard is displayed on the touch-screen display. A second action performed via the touch-screen display is detected. Based on the second action, a character may be selected or the full keyboard may be re-displayed. The first action and the second action may be performed anywhere on the touch display.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and computer program product provide the ability to sweep a profile along a circular arc of a path. A sweep operation to sweep a profile along an arc of a path is initialized in a CAD application. For each path segment (in the path) that is circular, a determination is made regarding whether the profile crosses an axis of revolution of the circular path segment at a start position of the circular path segment. The profile that crosses the axis of revolution of the circular path segment is trimmed. The trimmed profile and an association with the circular path segment having the axis of revolution that is crossed by the trimmed profile are stored. A selective union operation that joins the solid bodies from the trimmed profiles is performed.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present application sets forth a computer-implemented method for generating a three-dimensional (3D) surface model. The method includes joining a first 3D object having a first closed surface mesh and a second 3D object having a second closed surface mesh to produce an irregular surface mesh. The method further includes computing a first intersection contour for the irregular surface mesh. The method further includes removing at least one portion of the irregular surface mesh proximate to the first intersection contour to produce a first boundary. The method further includes growing the first boundary towards at least one other boundary. The method further includes connecting the first boundary to the at least one other boundary to produce a portion of a non-manifold surface mesh that comprises at least a portion of the 3D surface model.

Abstract: A sketch-based interface within an animation engine provides an end-user with tools for creating emitter textures and oscillator textures. The end-user may create an emitter texture by sketching one or more patch elements and then sketching an emitter. The animation engine animates the sketch by generating a stream of patch elements that emanate from the emitter. The end-user may create an oscillator texture by sketching a patch that includes one or more patch elements, and then sketching a brush skeleton and an oscillation skeleton. The animation engine replicates the patch along the brush skeleton, and then interpolates the replicated patches between the brush skeleton and the oscillation skeleton, thereby causing those replicated patches to periodically oscillate between the two skeletons.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for reducing or eliminating curl and wrap in additive manufacturing include, in at least one aspect, obtaining a three dimensional (3D) model of a 3D object to be additively manufactured using a thermoplastic material delivery apparatus; generating a variable width brim for at least a first layer of the 3D model, wherein a width of the brim varies from a maximum value to a minimum value at different locations adjacent at least the first layer of the 3D model, and the generating comprises varying the width of the brim in accordance with an amount of convexity of the 3D model in regions corresponding to the different locations; and outputting the variable width brim for use in preventing warping during the additive manufacturing of the object from the 3D model using the thermoplastic material delivery apparatus.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus including medium-encoded computer program products for generating and visualizing 3D scenes include, in one aspect, a method including: obtaining site data acquired by one or more capture devices, wherein the site data comprises data sets corresponding to two or more locations about a physical site, and each respective data set comprises (i) imaging data of the physical site, (ii) coordinate data for the imaging data, and (iii) time metadata for the imaging data; reconstructing a series of three dimensional (3D) modeled scenes of the physical site from the site data using the imaging data, the coordinate data, and the time metadata; receiving a request having associated position, orientation and time data; and generating, in response to the request, output for display of a portion of the 3D modeled scenes to represent the physical site based on the position, orientation and time data.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention set forth a technique for animating objects placed across a surface of a graphics object. A CAD application receives a set of motions and initially applies a different motion in the set of motions to each object placed across the surface of the graphics object. The CAD application calculates bounding areas of each object according to the current motion applied thereto, which are subsequently used by the CAD application to identify collisions that are occurring or will occur between the objects. Identified collisions are cured by identifying valid motions in the set of motions that can be applied to a colliding object and then calculating bounding areas for the valid motions to select a valid motion that, when applied to the object, does not cause the object to collide with any other objects.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for simulating occupant behavior in buildings may be used to predict the energy use of a building structure. The activities of actual building occupants are recorded and provided as an input to the occupant behavior simulation. The occupant behavior simulation generates simulated occupant schedules with similar behavioral patterns. An arbitrary set of factors can be used to select plausible activity types, durations, and numbers of participants during an occupant behavior simulation. The simulated occupant schedules may then be incorporated into a building performance simulation to help architects predict the energy demand associated with different building design options.