Geometric constraints between related elements in different 2-dimensional views

Claim 3

The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first and said second geometrical elements are lines and said established relationship is a coplanarity constraint between said first and said second geometrical elements.

Claim 4

The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first geometrical element is a point and said second geometrical element is a line and said established relationship is a line on plane constraint between said first and said second geometrical elements.

Claim 5

The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first geometrical element is a circle and said second geometrical element is a line and said established relationship is a plane-tangent constraint between said first and said second geometrical elements.

Claim 6

The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein a projection vector of said first projected view is parallel with a projection vector of said second projected view.

Claim 7

The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first projected view is offset from said second projected view.

Claim 8

The method as claimed in claim 6 further including a step of defining a foldline between said first projected view and said second projected view.

Claim 11

The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein said first and said second geometrical elements are lines and said established relationship is a coplanarity constraint between said first and said second geometrical elements.

Claim 12

The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein said first geometrical element is a point and said second geometrical element is a line and said established relationship is a line on plane constraint between said first and said second geometrical elements.

Claim 13

The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein said first geometrical element is a circle and said second geometrical element is a line and said established relationship is a plane-tangent constraint between said first and said second geometrical elements.

Claim 14

The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein a projection vector of said first projected view is parallel with a projection vector of said second projected view.

Claim 15

The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein said first projected view is offset from said second projected view.

Claim 16

The method as claimed in claim 13 further including a step of defining a foldline between said first projected view and said second projected view.

Claim 17

The method of claim 8 wherein said step of modifying said second projected view comprises the step of repositioning said second geometric element within said second projected view.

Claim 18

The method of claim 8 wherein said step of modifying said second projected view comprises the step of resizing said second geometric element within said second projected view.

Claim 21

A computerized apparatus for depicting a three dimensional object as two or more projected views and for automatically defining and maintaining geometrical relationships between said projected views, said apparatus comprising: means for identifying a first geometrical element in a first projected view; means for identifying a second geometrical element in a second projected view; if a first projection vector of the first projected view is non-parallel to a second projection vector of the second projected view, means for constructing a foldline which bisects an angle between the first projection vector and the second projection vector; means for generating a first construction line which intersects the foldline and is parallel to the first geometrical element; means for generating a second construction line which intersects the foldline and is parallel to the second geometrical element; means for repositioning said second geometrical element within said second projected view to conform positions of said first geometrical element and said second geometrical element with the first construction line and the second construction line.

Claim 22

A computerized apparatus for depicting a three dimensional object as two or more projected views and for automatically defining and maintaining geometrical relationships between said projected views, said apparatus comprising: means for identifying a first geometrical element in a first projected view; means for identifying a second geometrical element in a second projected view; if a first projection vector of the first projected view is non-parallel to a second projection vector of the second projected view, means for constructing a foldline which bisects an angle between the first projection vector and the second projection vector; means for generating a first construction line which intersects the foldline and is parallel to the first geometrical element; means for generating a second construction line which intersects the foldline and is parallel to the second geometrical element; means for repositioning said second geometrical element within said second projected view to conform positions of said first geometrical element and said second geometrical element with the first construction line and the second construction line.

Claim 23

The apparatus as claimed in claim 18 wherein said first and said second geometrical elements are lines and said established relationship is a coplanarity constraint between said first and said second geometrical elements.

Claim 24

The apparatus as claimed in claim 18 wherein said first geometrical element is a point and said second geometrical element is a line and said established relationship is a line on plane constraint between said first and said second geometrical elements.

Claim 25

The apparatus as claimed in claim 18 wherein said first geometrical element is a circle and said second geometrical element is a line and said established relationship is a plane-tangent constraint between said first and said second geometrical elements.

Claim 26

The apparatus as claimed in claim 18 wherein a projection vector of said first projected view is parallel with a projection vector of said second projected view.

Claim 27

The apparatus as claimed in claim 18 wherein said first projected view is offset from said second projected view.

Claim 28

The apparatus as claimed in claim 23 further including means for defining a foldline between said first projected view and said second projected view.

Claim 29

A computerized apparatus for depicting a three dimensional object as two or more projected views and for automatically defining and maintaining geometrical relationships between said projected views, said apparatus comprising: means for identifying a first geometrical element in a first projected view; means for determining if a second geometrical element in a second projected view is located in a position corresponding to a position of said first geometrical element in said first projected view; and if a first projection vector of the first projected view is non-parallel to a second projection vector of the second projected view, means for constructing a foldline which bisects an angle between the first projection vector and the second projection vector; means for generating a first construction line which intersects the foldline and is parallel to the first geometrical element; means for generating a second construction line which intersects the foldline and is parallel to the second geometrical element; means for modifying said first projected view in response to an edit request; and, means for modifying said second projected view to conform positions of said the first geometrical element and the second geometrical element with the first construction line and the second construction line.

Claim 30

A computerized apparatus for depicting a three dimensional object as two or more projected views and for automatically defining and maintaining geometrical relationships between said projected views, said apparatus comprising: means for identifying a first geometrical element in a first projected view; means for determining if a second geometrical element in a second projected view is located in a position corresponding to a position of said first geometrical element in said first projected view; and if a first projection vector of the first projected view is non-parallel to a second projection vector of the second projected view, means for constructing a foldline which bisects an angle between the first projection vector and the second projection vector; means for generating a first construction line which intersects the foldline and is parallel to the first geometrical element; means for generating a second construction line which intersects the foldline and is parallel to the second geometrical element; means for modifying said first projected view in response to an edit request; and, means for modifying said second projected view to conform positions of said the first geometrical element and the second geometrical element with the first construction line and the second construction line.

Claim 31

The apparatus as claimed in claim 25 wherein said first and said second geometrical elements are lines and said established relationship is a coplanarity constraint between said first and said second geometrical elements.

Claim 32

The apparatus as claimed in claim 25 wherein said first geometrical element is a point and said second geometrical element is a line and said established relationship is a line on plane constraint between said first and said second geometrical elements.

Claim 33

The apparatus as claimed in claim 25 wherein said first geometrical element is a circle and said second geometrical element is a line and said established relationship is a plane-tangent constraint between said first and said second geometrical elements.

Claim 34

The apparatus as claimed in claim 25 wherein a projection vector of said first projected view is parallel with a projection vector of said second projected view.

Claim 35

The apparatus as claimed in claim 25 wherein said first projected view is offset from said second projected view.

Claim 36

The apparatus as claimed in claim 30 further including means for defining a foldline between said first projected view and said second projected view.

Claim 37

An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable mass storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for causing a processing means to execute computer-implemented program code for depicting a three dimensional object as two or more projected views and for automatically defining and maintaining geometrical relationships between said projected views, said computer readable program code in said article of manufacture comprising: computer readable program code for causing said processing means to identify a first geometrical element in a first projected view; computer readable program code for causing said processing means to identify a second geometrical element in a second projected view; if a first projection vector of the first projected view is non-parallel to a second projection vector of the second projected view, computer readable program code for causing said processing means to construct a foldline which bisects an angle between the first projection vector and the second projection vector; computer readable program code for causing said processing means to generate a first construction line which intersects the foldline and is parallel to the first geometrical element; computer readable program code for causing said processing means to generate a second construction line which intersects the foldline and is parallel to the second geometrical element; and computer readable program code for causing said processing means to reposition said second geometrical element within said second projected view to conform positions of said first geometrical element and said second geometrical element with the first construction line and the second construction line.

Claim 38

An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable mass storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for causing a processing means to execute computer-implemented program code for depicting a three dimensional object as two or more projected views and for automatically defining and maintaining geometrical relationships between said projected views, said computer readable program code in said article of manufacture comprising: computer readable program code for causing said processing means to identify a first geometrical element in a first projected view; computer readable program code for causing said processing means to identify a second geometrical element in a second projected view; if a first projection vector of the first projected view is non-parallel to a second projection vector of the second projected view, computer readable program code for causing said processing means to construct a foldline which bisects an angle between the first projection vector and the second projection vector; computer readable program code for causing said processing means to generate a first construction line which intersects the foldline and is parallel to the first geometrical element; computer readable program code for causing said processing means to generate a second construction line which intersects the foldline and is parallel to the second geometrical element; and computer readable program code for causing said processing means to reposition said second geometrical element within said second projected view to conform positions of said first geometrical element and said second geometrical element with the first construction line and the second construction line.