Abstract: Systems, methods, and software for placing, customizing, and pricing part marks for use in one or more part designs that are represented in a computer model. Placement may be performed as a function of particular locations of part designs. Users may customize part marks by determining particular attributes thereof, such as textual content, font, and/or manufacturing method, among others. A user may manipulate a graphical user interface in order to determine various attributes that further define part mark. Pricing may be performed as a function of user-determined attributes and/or data from one or more pricing catalogs.

Abstract: Methods and software facilitate supplier willingness awareness in a marketplace of suppliers of structures represented and/or specified in a design. In some embodiments, methods and software of the present disclosure allow each of any one or more designers participating in an automated marketplace to view a list of suppliers that are willing to fabricate a particular design and/or prices associated with fabricating such a design such that the designers can quickly and easily identify suppliers that are not only capable of fabricating particular designs but also willing to do so. Such a list may be generated by comparing a list of objective requirements for a design, which may be generated from fabrication data associated with a designer's request for price or computer aided design file, to willingness data associated with one or more suppliers.

Abstract: A system that provides automated/semi-automated price quotations for fabricating one or more instantiations of a structure that is modeled in a computer model. The system automatedly extracts price-influencing data from the computer model. The system uses the extracted pricing data and pricing parameters to automatedly determine a firm fabrication-price quotation. In some embodiments, the system further includes fabrication ordering functionality that allows a user place a fabrication order with a fabricator based on the firm price quotation. Such systems can be implemented in any of a wide variety of manners, such as within a single computing device or across a communications network, among others. In some embodiments, functionalities of the system are integrated into computer-modeling software directly of via add-on software.

Abstract: Methods and software that allow one or more users to utilize custom pricing in the context of an electronic marketplace. Such custom pricing can be implemented by transmitting specifications of custom pricing engines and/or custom design document interrogator engines to the marketplace along with or independently from one or more design documents containing structures to be priced. Various corresponding and related methods and software are described.

Abstract: In an aspect a system for selecting a plurality of entities to manufacture an object. A system includes a computing device. A computing device is configured to receive one or more files providing a design of an object to be manufactured. A computing device is configured to identify a first comprehensive process for manufacturing an object using a first exterior element. A computing device is configured to identify a second comprehensive process for manufacturing an object using a second exterior element. A computing device is configured to communicate a first comprehensive process and a second comprehensive process to one or more third parties. A computing device is configured to receive a first exterior element dataset and a second exterior element dataset. A computing device is configured to generate an objective function. A computing device is configured to provide a selection of a process.

Abstract: A method of enabling expedited manufacture of one or more instantiations of a structure modeled as a 3D computer model, the method implemented on one or more computer devices including displaying one or more user selectable expedited manufacturing reservation options for a plurality of requests for manufacture, generating a prompt to select a user selectable expedited manufacturing reservation option, receiving an expedited manufacturing, storing the expedited manufacturing reservation, receiving a request for manufacture of one or more instantiations of a structure modeled in an associated 3D computer model from a user, compare one or more of the requests for manufacture and one or more aspects of the associated 3D computer model with the expedited manufacturing reservation, determining an applicability of the expedited manufacturing reservation to the request for manufacture, calculating a total time to complete the request for manufacture, and presenting the total time to complete the request for manufactu

Abstract: In an exemplary embodiment, software made in accordance with the present invention displays a marketplace interface, which displays at least a portion of a CAD model and a set ofmarketplace tool selectors to a user such that the user can manipulate the tool selectors to interact with an electronic marketplace. The marketplace interface may include a spectrum interface designed and configured to allow the user to selectively augment the marketplace interface with additional functionality. Various corresponding and related systems, methods, and software are described.

Abstract: A method of enabling expedited manufacture of one or more instantiations of a structure modeled as a 3D computer model, the method implemented on one or more computer devices including displaying one or more user selectable expedited manufacturing reservation options for a plurality of requests for manufacture, generating a prompt to select a user selectable expedited manufacturing reservation option, receiving an expedited manufacturing, storing the expedited manufacturing reservation, receiving a request for manufacture of one or more instantiations of a structure modeled in an associated 3D computer model from a user, compare one or more of the requests for manufacture and one or more aspects of the associated 3D computer model with the expedited manufacturing reservation, determining an applicability of the expedited manufacturing reservation to the request for manufacture, calculating a total time to complete the request for manufacture, and presenting the total time to complete the request for manufactu

Abstract: Methods and software facilitate supplier willingness awareness in a marketplace of suppliers of structures represented and/or specified in a design. In some embodiments, methods and software of the present disclosure allow each of any one or more designers participating in an automated marketplace to view a list of suppliers that are willing to fabricate a particular design and/or prices associated with fabricating such a design such that the designers can quickly and easily identify suppliers that are not only capable of fabricating particular designs but also willing to do so. Such a list may be generated by comparing a list of objective requirements for a design, which may be generated from fabrication data associated with a designer's request for price or computer aided design file, to willingness data associated with one or more suppliers.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method carried out on a computer system for parsing a software model to identify manufacturing requirements for a designed product and comparing those requirements, along with received user preferences. to corresponding attribute information from potential suppliers that is stored on a database, so as to automatically select a preferred supplier.

Abstract: In an exemplary embodiment, software made in accordance with the present invention displays a marketplace interface, which displays at least a portion of a CAD model and a set of marketplace tool selectors to a user such that the user can manipulate the tool selectors to interact with an electronic marketplace. The marketplace interface may include a spectrum interface designed and configured to allow the user to selectively augment the marketplace interface with additional functionality. Various corresponding and related systems, methods, and software are described.

Abstract: A method of providing automated help includes receiving, at a computer system including at least one processor and at least one computer readable medium storing machine-executable instructions, user inputs for utilizing a plurality of functions of a computer program, detecting, at the computer system, a plurality of user actions utilizing the plurality of functions, as a function of the user inputs, at the computer system, an action trigger indicating a user help condition, wherein detecting further comprises identifying, in a help trigger database associating a plurality of action triggers with user help conditions, an action trigger matching at least a user action of the plurality of user actions, by the computer system, a first area of expertise associated with the user help condition, based on the identified first area of expertise associated with the user help condition, identifying, by the computer system, expertise to provide assistance to the user.

Abstract: In an aspect an apparatus for geometric part searching is presented. An apparatus includes at least a processor and a memory communicatively connected to the at least a processor. At least a processor is configured to generate a search index as a function of a plurality of part specification files. At least a processor is configured to receive an input part specification file. At least a processor is configured to generate a query for an input part as a function of an input part specification file and a search index. A query is configured to output a comparison of an input part specification file to a part estimation specification file. At least a processor is configured to identify a matching part estimation file from a plurality of query results.

Abstract: In an aspect a system for selecting a plurality of entities to manufacture an object. A system includes a computing device. A computing device is configured to receive one or more files providing a design of an object to be manufactured. A computing device is configured to identify a first comprehensive process for manufacturing an object using a first exterior element. A computing device is configured to identify a second comprehensive process for manufacturing an object using a second exterior element. A computing device is configured to communicate a first comprehensive process and a second comprehensive process to one or more third parties. A computing device is configured to receive a first exterior element dataset and a second exterior element dataset. A computing device is configured to generate an objective function. A computing device is configured to provide a selection of a process.

Abstract: A system for evaluating manufacturing feasibility of a graphical design is disclosed. The system includes a secret owner device and a memory, operatively connected to the secret owner device. The memory may be configured to store a three-dimensional form including a three-dimensional shape and a dimension set in three dimensions and at least a local geometric feature. The apparatus may also include a merge engine configured to generate at least a combined three-dimensional graphical design as a function of the three-dimensional graphical design and the at least a contributor graphical design. The apparatus also includes an interrogation engine communicatively connected to the merge engine.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for automatically generating, transmitting, and receiving one or more price requests and corresponding pricing from one or more price-providers. In some embodiments, such systems and methods are embodied in a pricing-method-agnostic ecommerce marketplace that allows each price-provider to select the pricing method it desires to use to generate its price for a corresponding price request. Examples of differing pricing methods include methods utilizing “stock” pricing engines of differing sophistication, customized pricing engines, pricing engines split between the marketplace and a price-provider, and/or pricing engines located offboard the marketplace, as well as pricing methods that are performed entirely outside the control of the marketplace, among others. Various corresponding and related systems, methods, and software are described.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for secret sharing for secure collaborative graphical design. Graphical secret shares are generated from a three-dimensional graphical design and distributed to one or more contributor devices. Contributor graphical designs modifying graphical secret shares may be received from contributor devices. Various corresponding and related systems, methods, and software are described.

Abstract: A support structure includes a discrete object side and a recess in the discrete object side, the recess formed to mate with a fixture side of a workpiece. A method for manufacturing a support structure includes registering a discrete object model to a blank model and forming a recess in a discrete object side of the fixture blank model.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for secret sharing for secure collaborative graphical design. Graphical secret shares are generated from a three-dimensional graphical design and distributed to one or more contributor devices. Contributor graphical designs modifying graphical secret shares may be received from contributor devices. Various corresponding and related systems, methods, and software are described.

Abstract: A system comprising an electronic pricing system configured to receive information corresponding to a designed product and determine an initial price(s) as well as initial values of other business variables associated with the price. The system allows a user to enter a change to a price or the other business variable to instantly discover how the change affects other variables and optionally how the change affects one or more allowable ranges of acceptable values of other variables. The user can then lock the value of one or more of the variables and prices and change others to instantly discover how a change to one affects the others. The user can then order manufacture of the designed product as a function of values of price and other business variables.