Abstract: The invention is directed to a product life cycle management (PLM) system, comprising a database storing objects, preferably 3D objects, and relations between said objects. The PLM system provides a graphical user interface suitable for displaying to a user a graphical representation of a hierarchy of stored objects. The graphical user interface is adapted, upon selection of a displayed object by a user, to display objects related to the selected object. At a given level in the hierarchy, displayed objects are distributed according to a respective weight. The weight of a displayed object depends on the number of its descendants in the hierarchy, which are displayed in said graphical representation. The invention makes it possible to navigate in a database of a PLM system, storing notably complex modeled objects through interrelated data.

Abstract: A process for creating from a mesh an isotopologic set of parameterized surfaces includes providing a mesh having a plurality of vertices connected by edges, defining faces, the vertices comprising regular vertices of valence 4 and irregular vertices of valence different from 4. The mesh may have a sharpness value defined on at least one vertex or edge, with a default value, the sharpness being representative of the attractiveness of the vertex or edge on the surface modeled by the mesh. The sharpness may measure the difference between the mesh as it stands at a given subdivision level and the initial mesh.

Abstract: Automatic generation of a tolerance scheme includes accessing data defining a three-dimensional model that defines a part for manufacture, identifying a tolerance feature in the three-dimensional model, determining at least one unconstrained degree of control for the tolerance feature, automatically creating a tolerance scheme for the tolerance feature, and rendering the tolerance scheme and the three-dimensional model in a window such that the tolerance scheme annotates the tolerance feature. The tolerance scheme is based on an engineering standard for communicating a tolerance and constrains the unconstrained degree of control.

Abstract: For determining the behavior of a flexible system submitted to predetermined displacement boundary conditions, a process uses geometrically non-linear finite element analysis. The process has a plurality of incremental steps within a total Lagrangian formalism with co-rotational update. In each incremental step, one computes for a finite element of the flexible system a displacement vector, having translational and rotational components, at the nodes of the finite element. This computation of the displacement vector is carried out by minimizing the energy of the flexible system when the system is submitted to a fraction of the predetermined displacement. For a given finite element, the co-rotational update is carried out by computing an updated elementary frame of reference, without considering the bending rotational components of the displacement vectors computed at the nodes of the finite element. The properties of this co-rotational update make all computations similar, hence simpler and easier.

Abstract: Processing data in a computer-aided design (CAD) system includes determining that a feature of a three-dimensional model has a condition that requires correction. The condition is automatically corrected by performing an action. The action may be an action that reorders a sequence of features in the three-dimensional model, an action that changes at least one parameter of the feature, an action that deletes a feature reference, or an action that changes a feature reference. Furthermore, the action may have one or more constraints that bound the action to a set of features that are directly and indirectly related to the feature on which the action operates.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and system reduces size of a data structure of a computer-aided design (CAD) model. Given a CAD model formed of a plurality of modeling elements, the method and system provide one or more geometric entities defining modeling elements of the CAD model. The geometric entities have corresponding graphical entities configured to display the CAD model. For each modeling element, the method and system determine visibility of the modeling element and produce a reduced data structure by storing in the structure graphic data representing the graphical entities and geometric data of only certain ones of the geometric entities determined as a function of visibility of the corresponding modeling elements.

Abstract: Generating a routing system for a three-dimensional model of a real-world object includes specifying a set of connections, applying a filter to the connections to prevent more than one connection having the same first connector and the same second connector from being rendered more than once, creating geometric entities that are curves and that represent the connections, and displaying the routing system in a visually simplified manner by rendering the plurality of geometric entities. Additionally, the connections can automatically be merged into a harness bundle.

Abstract: A computer system allows client processes to access data through a server process. The server process contains an application and a engine. The engine receives requests in a first language from one of the client processes and issues responses in the first language to the client process. The engine communicates with the application in a second language distinct from the first language, the second language being an object-oriented language. In the second language, objects have properties and associated with events. The application instantiates objects, evaluates properties of instantiated objects based on data and reacts to events. The engine issues responses in the first language to the client process according to the objects instantiated by the application and to their properties; the engine also provides updated properties and events to the application in the second language according to requests received in the first language from the client process.

Abstract: A curve is created in a computer-aided design system, based on a set of points inputted by the user. A polyline is computed and the curvature envelope along said polyline is computed to determine particular points (A0, A1, A2, A3, A4, A5) on thepolyline, which are extrema of curvature. Segmenting points (M0,1, M1,2, M2,3, M3,4, M4,5) are selected between pairs of particular points. A curve passing through the particular segmenting points is computed and is fitted to thepolyline. The process provides a curve that is well fitted to the set of points and does not require high skills from the user.