Patents Assigned to Autodesk, Inc.
  • TECHNIQUES FOR SLICING A 3D MODEL FOR MANUFACTURING
    Publication number: 20140257547
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: AUTODESK, INC.
    Inventors: Johnathan BACHRACH, Saul GRIFFITH
  • TECHNIQUES FOR SLICING A 3D MODEL FOR MANUFACTURING
    Publication number: 20140253550
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: AUTODESK, Inc.
    Inventors: Johnathan BACHRACH, Saul GRIFFITH
  • TECHNIQUES FOR SLICING A 3D MODEL FOR MANUFACTURING
    Publication number: 20140257548
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: AUTODESK, Inc.
    Inventors: Johnathan BACHRACH, Saul GRIFFITH
  • INTERACTIVE TOOL FOR INSPECTING AND REPAIRING THREE DIMENSIONAL MODELS
    Publication number: 20140253541
    Abstract: A mesh repair application within a rendering engine is configured to generate a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows an end-user of the rendering engine to inspect and repair various defects associated with a three-dimensional (3D) model. The GUI provides a filmstrip that includes different visual representations of the various defects. When the end-user selects a given representation, the mesh repair application updates the GUI to display a detailed view of the defect associated with the selected visual representation. An advantage of the approach described herein is that the repair of defects associated with the 3D model may be expedited.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: AUTODESK, INC.
    Inventor: Ryan Michael SCHMIDT
  • TECHNIQUES FOR SLICING A 3D MODEL FOR MANUFACTURING
    Publication number: 20140253549
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: AUTODESK, INC.
    Inventors: Johnathan BACHRACH, Saul GRIFFITH
  • TECHNIQUE FOR FILLING HOLES IN A THREE-DIMENSIONAL MODEL
    Publication number: 20140253551
    Abstract: A mesh repair engine is configured to repair a hole in a three-dimensional (3D) model by (i) filling the hole with a rough mesh, (ii) refining the rough mesh, (iii) collapsing the refined mesh, (iv) refining the collapsed mesh, (v) flattening the refined, collapsed mesh, and then (vi) deforming the flattened mesh into a 3D surface that smoothly fills the hole in the 3D model. One advantage of the disclosed repair engine and associated hole repair technique is that the mesh repair engine is capable of generating polygons that fill regions of a 3D model that are not defined. Consequently, an end-user of the mesh repair tool is able to generate watertight 3D models from previously incomplete and non-watertight 3D models.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: AUTODESK, INC.
    Inventor: Ryan Michael SCHMIDT
  • TECHNIQUE FOR MAPPING A TEXTURE ONTO A THREE-DIMENSIONAL MODEL
    Publication number: 20140253548
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: AUTODESK, INC.
    Inventor: Ryan Michael SCHMIDT
  • TECHNIQUE FOR MAPPING A TEXTURE ONTO A THREE-DIMENSIONAL MODEL
    Publication number: 20140253547
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: AUTODESK, INC.
    Inventor: Ryan Michael SCHMIDT
  • Method and apparatus for producing, controlling and displaying menus
    Patent number: 8832597
    Abstract: A system that combines a radial marking menu portion with a linear menu portion in a single menu display. Item selection in the linear portion is performed by location selection using a pointing device. Item selection in the marker portion is determined by the pattern of a stroke made by the pointing device with the system ignoring linear menu items across which the stroke completely passes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventor: Gordon P. Kurtenbach
  • Application of bevel curves to splines
    Patent number: 8823712
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes, among other things, systems, methods and program products for application of bevel curves to splines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventor: Alexis Hetu
  • Multi-modal manipulation of a geometric model
    Patent number: 8825459
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and computer readable storage medium provide the ability to create a geometric model in a computer-aided design (CAD) application. Direct graphical manipulation via user interaction is used to create the geometric model in the CAD application. The direct graphical manipulation is captured, without additional user input, as one or more lines of script code as if the user is writing the script code. The captured script code is integrated into an environment hosted by the CAD application. The script code is then displayed where it can be modified. The modification of the script code acts to modify the geometric model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventors: Roslyn Robert Aish, Benjamin Luke Barnes, Mehdi Roham Sheikholeslami, Benjamin Doherty
  • Size based display of piping systems
    Patent number: 8823751
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a technique for rendering components included in a computer-aided design (CAD) drawing of a utility network, such as system of pipes and related equipment. Display settings may specify whether a particular component should be rendered using 2-line, 1-line or graphical 1-line display representations, based on the size of that component in the CAD drawing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: AUTODESK, Inc.
    Inventors: Sami Ghantous, Thord Backe, Bo Noren
  • CLOUD PLATFORM FOR MANAGING DESIGN DATA
    Publication number: 20140244588
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for receiving a first source file, the first source file including one or more first computer-aided design models; converting the first source file into a first plurality of files; generating a first snapshot, the first snapshot including the first source file, the first plurality of files, and a first version; receiving a second source file, the second source file having the first format that is readable by the first application, the second source file including one or more second models, the second source file being an updated version of the first source file; converting the second source file into a second plurality of files; generating a second snapshot; and associating the second snapshot with the first snapshot, where the second snapshot being a more recent version than the first snapshot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2014
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventors: James Awe, Johannes Leon Marais, Jianfeng Guo, Nathan James Pahucki
  • METHOD OF CREATING A PIPE ROUTE LINE FROM A POINT CLOUD IN THREE-DIMENSIONAL MODELING SOFTWARE
    Publication number: 20140244219
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, article of manufacture, and computer program product provide the ability to create a pipe route. A point cloud is obtained into a three-dimensional (3D) modeling application. Cylinders in the point cloud are identified and added as solids overlaying the point cloud. All cylinders that make up the pipe route are identified by system aided selection of two or more of the solids. Automatically, and without additional user input, the selected solids are converted into objects. A continuous pipe route is constructed from the objects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2014
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: AUTODESK, INC.
    Inventors: Murali Pappoppula, Karthik Nathan
  • Scalable distributed compute based on business rules
    Patent number: 8819683
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, article of manufacture, and computer-readable storage medium provide the ability to dynamically modify a distributed computing system workflow. A grid application dynamically receives configuration information including business rules that describe execution profiles. Channels based on the one or more execution profiles are defined. Each channel is configured to execute a work request in a distributed grid compute system (based on an execution profile). A first work request is received from a requestor and includes an identity of the requestor. The first work request is evaluated and the identity of the requestor is applied to direct the first work request to the appropriate channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventor: Garrick D. Evans
  • Collaborative feature extraction system for three dimensional datasets
    Patent number: 8811748
    Abstract: A collaborative feature extraction system uses crowdsourced feedback to improve its ability to recognize objects in three-dimensional datasets. The system accesses a three-dimensional dataset and presents images showing possible objects to a group of users, along with potential identifiers for the objects. The users provide feedback as to the accuracy of the identifiers, and the system uses the feedback to adjust parameters for candidate identifiers to improve its recognition of three-dimensional assets in future iterations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventor: Aaron C. Morris
  • REAL-TIME GOAL SPACE STEERING FOR DATA-DRIVEN CHARACTER ANIMATION
    Publication number: 20140225900
    Abstract: A method for generating real-time goal space steering for data-driven character animation is disclosed. A goal space table of sparse samplings of possible future locations is computed, indexed by the starting blend value and frame. A steer space is computed as a function of the current blend value and frame, interpolated from the nearest indices of the table lookup in the goal space. The steer space is then transformed to local coordinates of a character's position at the current frame. The steer space samples closest to a line connecting the character's position with the goal location may be selected. The blending values of the two selected steer space samples are interpolated to compute the new blending value to render subsequent frames of an animation sequence.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: AUTODESK, INC.
    Inventor: MICHAEL GIRARD
  • Navigation system for a 3D virtual scene
    Patent number: 8803881
    Abstract: A navigation system for navigating a three-dimensional (3D) scene that includes a model or object with which a user can interact. The system accommodates and helps both novice and advanced users. To do this, the system allows a user to designate a point on a model in a scene and the point is moved to the center of the view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventors: George Fitzmaurice, Justin Matejka, Igor Mordatch, Gord Kurtenbach
  • Graphics processing method and system
    Patent number: 8805064
    Abstract: The embodiments discussed herein involve flood filling a region with anti-aliasing. In forming a fill region, a candidate pixel can be included in the region based on a color of the pixel and also a color of a neighbor of the point. The inclusion basis may be a color distance between a seed color and the points, and a color distance between the seed color and the point's neighbor. Points in the region may be weighted according to their color distance relative to the seed color, where the color distance can also take into account alpha values. Flood filling may be anti-aliased by assigning alpha values to pixels in gaps between corners of the fill region, where an alpha value may be proportional to a point's contribution to the gap. Dimples in a fill region may be tested for and used to determine which of two flood fill algorithms to use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian R. Ameline, Eric A. Blaise, Michael C. Daum
  • Zebra Lights
    Publication number: 20140218476
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: AUTODESK, INC.
    Inventor: Robert Paul Bolter