Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product provide the ability to render a line having line stylization/linetype pattern via texture mapping of a graphics processing unit (GPU). Linetype information for a pattern of a linetype for the line is acquired. The pattern is stored in a texture by encoding a type of element of the pattern and a texel center location. The GPU renders the line by computing a distance between a pixel of the line and the texel center location, determining if the distance exceeds a threshold, and rendering the pixel if the distance is within the threshold.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for providing a graphical user interface configured to present a view of a computer model of a network, wherein the model of the network includes a plurality of elements that represent physical objects in the network and wherein each of the elements is associated with one or more rule points; receiving user input selecting a rule point for an element presented in the view; accepting user input specifying programming logic to be associated with a first one of the predefined conditions of the selected rule point, the programming logic having been entered into a graphical user interface configured to present an interactive template of the predefined condition; enabling the predefined condition based on the accepting; and validating the model by simulating operation of network.

Abstract: One embodiment of the invention sets forth a technique for avoiding collisions between agents traversing different lanes of a multi-lane path in a crowd simulation. A perception data structure is maintained per agent that keeps track of the speeds and locations of neighboring agents in the crowd simulation. At each frame, the perception data structure corresponding to a particular agent is analyzed to identify any projected collisions. If the perception data structure indicates that the agent is projected to collide with another agent, then a collision avoidance operation is executed to avoid the collision.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for rendering zebra stripes on a three dimensional (3D) object. In one aspect, a method includes rendering an image of an object from the perspective of a camera For each pixel of a plurality of pixels of the image, a point on the surface of the object corresponding to the pixel is determined. An angle between a surface normal at the point and a line between the point and the light source is determined. A zebra light color for the pixel is determined using a stripe function and the angle, the stripe function specifying alternating high and low intensities for various angles. A blended pixel color for the pixel is determined by blending a material color for the point with the zebra light color.

Abstract: According to an aspect, a method includes: receiving, at a machine comprising a processor and a memory, composite material properties for a composite material to be simulated; receiving, at the machine, a composite microstructure for the composite material to be simulated; and obtaining, using the processor and the memory, a set of adjusted material properties for one or more constituents of the composite material, for use in simulating the composite material, by processing the composite material properties and the composite microstructure using fixed constituent property constraints.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a storage medium, for generating thermal zones. In one aspect, a method includes identifying a perimeter zone for a first portion of a conceptual representation of a building; and dividing the perimeter zone into a plurality of thermal zones, comprising: determining a plurality of first candidate thermal zones based at least in part on a maximum thermal zone angle threshold that each of the first candidate thermal zones satisfy, determining a plurality of second candidate thermal zones based at least in part on a maximum thermal zone length threshold that each of the second candidate thermal zones satisfy, and selecting a plurality of thermal zones from the first candidate thermal zones and the second candidate thermal zones.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for identifying a plurality of part families, where each part family comprises a plurality of parts; and for each part in each part family: obtaining connection port geometry information for a physical part in a part family; positioning each of the port vectors in a three-dimensional space at a respective location specified by the port vector; generating a respective port alignment line for each of the port vectors; generating one or more base curves each positioned to align with a plurality of the port alignment lines; generating one or more port solids from the connection port geometry information; and constructing body geometry between each of the one or more port solids by sweeping along a respective base curve, wherein the constructing is based at least on the connection port geometry information.

Abstract: One or more embodiments of the invention provide a collaboration platform that permits multiple users to collaborate on multiple copies of a model simultaneously. The collaboration application provides a full set of two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) tools for a client to manipulate a model and transmit the results of such manipulations to a server. Both the clients and the server maintain a history of the manipulations results. Once object changes are received by the server from one or more clients, the server distributes the object changes to the remaining clients. Thereafter, the clients modify their local version of the model in accordance with the object changes received from the server. The history maintained by the clients or the server may then be used to undo or redo any of the object changes, or to rebuild a model space in the event of a network failure.

Abstract: One embodiment of the invention sets forth a mechanism for displaying lighting values associated with a 3-D graphics model by superimposing an overlay grid with lighting values on the 3-D graphics model. A software rendering engine computes lighting values for each frame that includes the 3-D graphics model, where each frame may have different lighting settings. An overlay grid with lighting values may be superimposed on an area defined by a light meter on the 3-D graphics model. The lighting values on the overlay grid are associated with the light meter and may vary frame-over-frame. In another embodiment, a JPEG image with a superimposed overlay grid with per-pixel lighting values covering a 3-D graphics model is generated for each frame that includes the 3-D graphics model. These JPEG images may be displayed on the screen and stored to an external memory.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include methods for semi-automatic quantity takeoff from computer aided design (CAD) drawings. For each drawing object a corresponding takeoff object is created. A takeoff object may include the dimension of geometry (e.g., numerical, lineal, area) to quantify, the object parameter to be quantified for all instances of the object, and the takeoff calculations to be performed. After a takeoff object is defined, the corresponding instances are automatically identified and quantified. The cost of each instance is then calculated and added to the project cost. Using automated methods, instead of manual techniques, reduces errors and increases the accuracy of the generated cost estimate. Advantageously, the takeoff objects may be saved in the system database and reused for different projects, thereby ensuring consistency between projects.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture provide the ability to shape a terrain. An associative framework dependency graph used to control the shaping of the terrain is established. The graph defines an association between and processing order for two or more nodes that include an input node and an action node. The input node is a drawing entity or set of one or more geometric parameters. The action node is dependent on and uses the input node as input to perform an evaluation and produce an output object. The associative framework dependency graph is displayed and evaluated by evaluating the action node in accordance with the processing order to produce a finished ground terrain.

Abstract: The present invention is a system that allows a number of 3D volumetric display or output configurations, such as dome, cubical and cylindrical volumetric displays, to interact with a number of different input configurations, such as a three-dimensional position sensing system having a volume sensing field, a planar position sensing system having a digitizing tablet, and a non-planar position sensing system having a sensing grid formed on a dome. The user interacts via the input configurations, such as by moving a digitizing stylus on the sensing grid formed on the dome enclosure surface. This interaction affects the content of the volumetric display by mapping positions and corresponding vectors of the stylus to a moving cursor within the 3D display space of the volumetric display that is offset from a tip of the stylus along the vector.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product provide the ability to model a polyline boundary from point cloud data. Point cloud data is obtained and boundary cells are extracted. Potential boundary points are filtered from the boundary cells. Line segments are extracted from the potential boundary points and refined. A regularized polygon is obtained by intersecting the refined line segments.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, and computer-readable storage device is configured to perform three-dimensional (3D) modeling. A modeling tool is activated in a 3D modeling application executing on a multi-touch device. An input touch event and input gesture for creating a new 3D geometric form is received. Dynamically, in real-time as the input gesture is received, the new 3D geometric form is created and displayed. The shape of the new 3D geometric form corresponds to the input gesture.

Abstract: A method and system for computer aided design (CAD) is disclosed for intuitive shape control of boundary patch. A boundary patch is also known as n-sided patch which is defined by a number of input curves/edges. Continuity constraints (G0, G1 and G2) can be specified individually for the input curves. Boundary patch is primarily used to cover a relatively flat area where other modeling operators such as loft, sweep or fillet cannot apply due to irregular shape of the area. The present invention provides a technique to directly manipulate boundary tangent magnitude of a patch and allows the user to deform the patch shape in a very intuitive way. Thus, the present invention is especially useful for industrial design applications.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a system, for generating an analytical energy model from a conceptual representation or a mass form model.

Abstract: The process of generating regular elements in a CAD drawing is accelerated by providing a CAD designer with graphical user interface (GUI) tools to generate regular elements for a CAD drawing interactively, dynamically, and in real-time. The GUI tools allow the CAD designer to preview the regular elements that he or she will be adding to the CAD drawing and modify the number of regular elements to be added interactively and in real-time.

Abstract: A method, system, apparatus, article of manufacture, and computer program product provide the ability to detect junctions. 3D pixel image data is obtained/acquired based on 2D image data and depth data. Within a given window over the 3D pixel image data, for each of the pixels within the window, an equation for a plane passing through the pixel is determined/computed. For all of the determined planes within the given window, an intersection of all of the planes is computed. A spectrum of the intersection/matrix is analyzed. Based on the spectrum, a determination is made if the pixel at the intersection is of 3 or more surfaces, 2 surfaces, or is 1 surface.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product/computer readable storage medium provide the ability to render a shadow. A three-dimensional (3D) scene comprising an object is obtained. An external physical light source that is external to the 3D scene is detected by a sensor. An artificial light source is created in the 3D scene that corresponds to the external physical light source. Based on the artificial light source, a shadow of the object is cast. The 3D scene including the object and the shadow are then rendered.

Abstract: One embodiment of the invention sets forth a CAD application configured to perform quantity takeoff computations. The CAD application is further configured to organize a CAD drawing into a hierarchical representation of object families and associated object types, where instances of the object types represent drawing objects present in the CAD drawing. The CAD application is further configured to receive a selection of an object family and to parse the selection to determine the object types associated with the selection. The CAD application then creates a takeoff object for each of the object types associated with the selection and identifies instances, associated with object properties, of each of the object types of the selection. The CAD application quantifies the instances and associated properties to produce a quantity takeoff value. Advantageously, users are able to more quickly and easily estimate the cost of a design project associated with the CAD drawing.