Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for receiving a definition of a version of a part family comprising a plurality of parts, each part having a same shape and a different respective size, wherein the definition includes a set of parameter values for each part of the part family; storing the definition along with other versions of the part family in either a parametric or parametric-independent format; receiving a request for the part family for a particular computer-aided design system; converting a latest version to a different format that is compatible with the particular computer-aided design system; and providing the converted part family in response to the request.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for generating a consensus mesh to cover a received set of points. In one embodiment, a meshing application generates multiple meshes that cover the received point set by varying parameters of an interpolating meshing technique, such as the ball-pivoting technique, tangent-space Delaunay triangulation, and the like. Different values for the one or more parameters are used to generate each of the meshes. After generating the multiple meshes, the meshing application may sort triangles in the meshes based on the frequency in which the triangles appear in the meshes. The meshing application may then iteratively add next-best triangles which are also compatible with the current consensus mesh to the consensus mesh, with the next-best triangle being a most frequently occurring triangle which has not yet been added to the consensus mesh. Compatibility may be defined using various criteria, such as producing a manifold and orientable triangulation.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein provide techniques for decomposing 3D geometry into developable surface patches and cut patterns. In one embodiment, a decomposition application receives a triangulated 3D surface as input and determines approximately developable surface patches from the 3D surface using a variant of k-means clustering. Such approximately developable surface patches may have undesirable jagged boundaries, which the decomposition application may eliminate by generating a data structure separate from the mesh that contains patch boundaries and optimizing the patch boundaries or, alternatively, remeshing the mesh such that patch boundaries fall on mesh edges. The decomposition application may then flatten the patches into truly developable surfaces by re-triangulating the patches as ruled surfaces. The decomposition application may further flatten the ruled surfaces into 2D shapes and lay those shapes out on virtual sheets of material.

Abstract: A technique for integrating a multi-touch surface into a desktop environment is disclosed. One or more multi-touch display devices are placed on the horizontal surface surrounding or beneath a keyboard or mouse. At least one region on the multi-touch surface is defined to display one or more user interface tools on the multi-touch surface. The one or more user interface tools displayed via the multi-touch surface may control or display information associated with desktop applications displayed via a primary display device.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for creating and customizing graphical models. In one embodiment, a design application receives a morphological attractor created from the same mesh as one or more inheritance-based character generation ancestor models. Upon receiving the morphological attractor, the design application may use the attractor to align and transform the ancestor models to create a new set of ancestor models which resemble the attractor. The new set of ancestor models is referred to herein as being in the “genetic space” of the attractor. A user may then create child character models in this same genetic space by, globally or locally, blending two or more of the new ancestor models.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product provide the ability to utilize a spatial model. A first input body and a second input body are obtained. A non-regular Boolean operation is performed that combines the first input body and the second input body to create and output an output body. The output body is a spatial model represented by a non-manifold solid body. A topological property of the non-manifold solid body is exposed to select and control an attribute of a building component represented by the non-manifold solid body.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for generating design variations. The technique involves identifying a first design variable and a second design variable associated with a first design. The technique further involves generating a first plurality of design variations based on the first design. Each design variation is generated by varying at least one of the first design variable and the second design variable. Finally, the technique involves causing the first plurality of design variations to be displayed to a user.

Abstract: A technique for integrating a multi-touch surface into a desktop environment is disclosed. One or more multi-touch display devices are placed on the horizontal surface surrounding or beneath a keyboard or mouse. At least one region on the multi-touch surface is defined to display one or more user interface tools on the multi-touch surface. The one or more user interface tools displayed via the multi-touch surface may control or display information associated with desktop applications displayed via a primary display device.

Abstract: A stroke parameterization engine within a rendering engine is configured to map a texture to the surface of a three-dimensional (3D) model along a stroke defined by an end-user of the rendering engine. The stroke parameterization engine converts the stroke to a polyline, then generates a geodesic trace by sliding a geodesic circle along the polyline and collecting points associated with the 3D model that fall within the geodesic circle. The stroke parameterization engine then parameterizes points associated with the polyline and the geodesic trace using UV coordinates associated with a texture map, thereby generating UV coordinates for each point within the polyline and geodesic trace. The stroke parameterization engine then projects the texture map onto the surface of the 3D model using the UV coordinates generated for the polyline and geodesic trace.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for manipulating objects within a virtual environment using a software widget. The software widget includes one or more controls for performing surface constrained manipulation operations. A graphical representation of the software widget is superimposed over the object and enables a user to use simple mouse operations to perform the various manipulation operations. The position operation determines an intersection point between the mouse cursor and a surface of a different object and moves the object to the intersection point. The scale operation adjusts the size of the object. The rotate operation adjusts the rotation of the object around a normal vector on the surface of the different object. The twist operation deforms the object along a local z-axis. The orientation operation adjusts the orientation of the object with respect to the normal vector.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product provide the ability to simulate a construction schedule. A first three-dimensional (3D) model and a schedule are acquired. The schedule includes activities for building the 3D model. Each of the activities is associated with model object(s) of the 3D model. A subset of the activities is selected based on properties of the activities. A first simulation appearance (of the model objects attached to the selected subset of activities) is defined. A second simulation appearance is defined for remaining/non-selected activities. The selected subset, the first simulation appearance, and the second simulation appearance are packaged into a playback profile that is capable of being applied to a second 3D model. A simulation of construction of the first 3D model (that is based on the playback profile) is played back.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for generating a status update message. The method involves defining one or more status update criteria and monitoring user activity in a software application for the one or more status update criteria. The method further involves determining, based on the user activity, that the one or more status update criteria have been met and generating, via a processing unit, a status update message. The status update message includes multimedia content related to a project associated with the software application.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, and computer readable storage medium provide the ability to pre-segment point cloud data. Point cloud data is obtained and segmented. Based on the segment information, a determination is made regarding points needed for shape extraction. Needed points are fetched and used to extract shapes. The extracted shapes are used to cull points from the point cloud data.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a method for manipulating the position and appearance of shadows cast by light striking objects within a three dimensional model. Typically, the location and appearance of shadows are determined using the position of a distant light source. A user selects a point from within a shadow bounded region to drag from an initial position to a destination position. Once a point is selected, the position of the light source may be adjusted about a pivot point. The adjusted position of the light source is determined based on the position of the destination position and the position of the pivot point within the 3D model.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a storage medium, for integrating components into objects that are to be 3D printed. One of the methods includes obtaining a three-dimensional model of a first object; receiving an input identifying an additional component; generating a digital representation of the additional component; integrating the digital representation of the additional component with the three-dimensional model; and providing the three-dimensional model with the integrated digital representation to a 3D printer for fabrication.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide for accurate relative location information to be preserved between vector and raster data sources during non-linear transformation. In a method according to an embodiment of the present invention, raster and vector data are received that corresponds to maps and conflated in a multi-step process. Objects of at least one of vector data are identified and conflated. For example, in an embodiment of the present invention, vertices of vector objects are identified. In a subsequent step, raster data is conflated by applying a non-linear transformation to the raster data using identified vertices of vector data from before and after conflation as control points. The resulting hybrid map is output that is advantageously accurate in general but is further advantageously accurate at critical points.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for triangulating vector graphics data having non-simple multi-styled and multi-connected shapes. The method provides for geometry flattening and more efficient processing of horizontal edges. The method involves computing a plurality of monotone chains corresponding to each of the plurality of shapes; computing a plurality of scan beams corresponding to the plurality of monotone chains; computing a plurality of monotone polygons corresponding to the monotone chains; computing a plurality of triangles from the plurality of monotone polygons; and displaying the plurality of triangles on the computer display.

Abstract: A method, system, apparatus, and computer program products provides the ability to define and generate a drainage system along a road network in a building information model (BIM) computer aided design (CAD) three dimensional (3D) model. The road network is acquired and includes a network of roads, geometry of the roads, centerlines for the roads, curbs along the roads, and surrounding conditions. User configurable rules/settings are acquired for automated placement of drainage components along the road. The rules/settings are applied to the road network to automatically design and define the drainage system. The drainage system includes multiple drainage system components and is based on the geometry, centerlines, curbs, and surrounding conditions. The components affect a location and a placement of other components. The drainage system is automatically designed dynamically without additional user input.

Abstract: A system for fabricating an object includes an extruder for one or more deposition materials having at least one nozzle and a movable support for the nozzle. The nozzle has a nozzle axis and is rotatably attached to the movable support via a connector that is actuatable relative to the movable support to change an angular orientation of the nozzle axis, thus varying an angle between the nozzle axis and a deposition surface. The system also includes a controller that can apply a correction factor calculated for a path of the nozzle when an acute angle is formed between the nozzle axis and the deposition surface, the correction factor for moving toward the acute angle being different from that when moving away from it. The correction factor removes differences in thickness of the deposited material caused by variations in the angle formed between the nozzle axis and the deposition surface.

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. An image is acquired from the device and converted to gray scale values. The gray scale values are averaged to determine an average light intensity. A determination is made regarding whether the average light intensity is below a threshold value. If the average light intensity is below the threshold value, the system state of the image viewing application is toggled. If the average light intensity is not below the threshold value, a second image is acquired from the device and the process is repeated.