Lowering geometric drawing resolution by filtering out data based on threshold values to increase retrieval speed

Claim 1

A method for displaying drawings with a CAD system, the CAD system comprising a display apparatus and a drawing storage unit which stores a plurality of drawings, each drawing stored in the drawing storage unit and defined at least by shape and size value, there being a plurality of different shapes of graphic forms and a predetermined display condition of the size value corresponds, respectively, to each of the shapes of the graphic forms, the method comprising the steps of: reading a respective drawing from the drawing storage unit; comparing said size value of each graphic form of the drawing in accordance with the display condition of the size value corresponding to the respective graphic form; and displaying the respective drawing on the display apparatus with the graphic forms of the drawing whose size value is not smaller than the corresponding display condition of the size value, wherein: the plurality of different shapes of graphic forms comprise line segments; and the display conditions corresponding to line segments require that a respective line segment is displayed when the length of the line segment is longer than a predetermined threshold value and that the line segment is not displayed when the length of the line segment is shorter than the predetermined threshold value, said display conditions variable by industry, and each graphic form being displayed based upon the display conditions stored in a table in memory.

Claim 2

A method for displaying drawings with a CAD system, the CAD system comprising a display apparatus and a drawing storage unit which stores a plurality of drawings, each drawing stored in the drawing storage unit and defined at least by shape and size value, there being a plurality of different shapes of graphic forms and a predetermined display condition of the size value corresponds, respectively, to each of the shapes of the graphic forms, the method comprising the steps of: reading a respective drawing from the drawing storage unit; comparing said size value of each graphic form of the drawing in accordance with the display condition of the size value corresponding to the respective graphic form; and displaying the respective drawing on the display apparatus with the graphic forms of the drawing whose size value is not smaller than the corresponding display condition of the size value, wherein: the plurality of different shapes of graphic forms comprise line segments; and the display conditions corresponding to line segments require that a respective line segment is displayed when the length of the line segment is longer than a predetermined threshold value and that the line segment is not displayed when the length of the line segment is shorter than the predetermined threshold value, said display conditions variable by industry, and each graphic form being displayed based upon the display conditions stored in a table in memory.

Claim 3

A method for displaying drawings with a CAD system, the CAD system comprising a display apparatus and a drawing storage unit which stores a plurality of drawings, each drawing stored in the drawing storage unit and defined at least by shape and size value, there being a plurality of different shapes of graphic forms and predetermined display conditions of the size value correspond, respectively, to each of the shapes of the graphic forms, the method comprising: reading a respective drawing from the drawing storage unit; comparing said size value of each graphic form of the drawing in accordance with the display condition of the size value corresponding to the respective graphic form; and displaying the respective drawing on the display apparatus with the graphic forms of the drawing whose size value is not smaller than the corresponding display condition of the size value, wherein: the plurality of different shapes of graphic forms comprise circles or arcs; and the display conditions corresponding to circles or arcs require that a respective circle or arc is displayed when the magnitude of the radius of the circle or arc is larger than a predetermined threshold value and that the circle or arc is not displayed when the magnitude of the radius of the circle or arc is smaller than the predetermined threshold value, said display conditions variable by industry, and each graphic form being displayed based upon the display conditions stored in a table in memory.

Claim 4

A method for displaying drawings with a CAD system, the CAD system comprising a display apparatus and a drawing storage unit which stores a plurality of drawings, each drawing stored in the drawing storage unit and defined at least by shape and size value, there being a plurality of different shapes of graphic forms and predetermined display conditions of the size value correspond, respectively, to each of the shapes of the graphic forms, the method comprising: reading a respective drawing from the drawing storage unit; comparing said size value of each graphic form of the drawing in accordance with the display condition of the size value corresponding to the respective graphic form; and displaying the respective drawing on the display apparatus with the graphic forms of the drawing whose size value is not smaller than the corresponding display condition of the size value, wherein: the plurality of different shapes of graphic forms comprise circles or arcs; and the display conditions corresponding to circles or arcs require that a respective circle or arc is displayed when the magnitude of the radius of the circle or arc is larger than a predetermined threshold value and that the circle or arc is not displayed when the magnitude of the radius of the circle or arc is smaller than the predetermined threshold value, said display conditions variable by industry, and each graphic form being displayed based upon the display conditions stored in a table in memory.

Claim 5

A method for displaying drawings with a CAD system, the CAD system comprising a display apparatus and a drawing storage unit which stores a plurality of drawings, each drawing stored in the drawing storage unit and defined at least by shape and size value, there being a plurality of different shapes of graphic forms and predetermined display conditions of the size value correspond, respectively, to each of the shapes of the graphic forms, the method comprising: reading a respective drawing from the drawing storage unit; comparing said size value of each graphic form of the drawing in accordance with the display condition of the size value corresponding to the respective graphic form; and displaying the respective drawing on the display apparatus with the graphic forms of the drawing whose size value is not smaller than the corresponding display condition of the size value, wherein the plurality of different shapes of graphic forms comprise letters and the display conditions corresponding to letters determine whether to omit from displaying a respective letter or whether to replace the respective letter with a blocks said display condition variable by industry, and each graphic form being displayed based upon the display condition stored in a table in memory.

Claim 6

A method for displaying drawings with a CAD system, the CAD system comprising a display apparatus and a drawing storage unit which stores a plurality of drawings, each drawing stored in the drawing storage unit and defined at least by shape and size value, there being a plurality of different shapes of graphic forms and predetermined display conditions of the size value correspond, respectively, to each of the shapes of the graphic forms, the method comprising: reading a respective drawing from the drawing storage unit; comparing said size value of each graphic form of the drawing in accordance with the display condition of the size value corresponding to the respective graphic form; and displaying the respective drawing on the display apparatus with the graphic forms of the drawing whose size value is not smaller than the corresponding display condition of the size value, wherein the plurality of different shapes of graphic forms comprise letters and the display conditions corresponding to letters determine whether to omit from displaying a respective letter or whether to replace the respective letter with a blocks said display condition variable by industry, and each graphic form being displayed based upon the display condition stored in a table in memory.

Claim 7

A method for displaying drawings with a CAD system, the CAD system comprising a display apparatus and a drawing storage unit which stores a plurality of drawings, each drawing stored in the drawing storage unit and defined at least by shape and size value, there being a plurality of different shapes of graphic forms and predetermined display conditions of the size value correspond, respectively, to each of the shapes of the graphic forms, the method comprising: reading a respective drawing from the drawing storage unit; comparing said size value of each graphic form of the drawing in accordance with the display condition of the size value corresponding to the respective graphic form; and displaying the respective drawing on the display apparatus with the graphic forms of the drawing whose size value is not smaller than the corresponding display condition of the size value, wherein the plurality of different shapes of graphic forms comprise free lines and the display conditions corresponding to free lines determine whether to omit from displaying, or not omit from displaying, a respective free line, said display conditions variable by industry, and each of the graphic forms being displayed based upon the display conditions stored in a table in memory.

Claim 8

A method for displaying drawings with a CAD system, the CAD system comprising a display apparatus and a drawing storage unit which stores a plurality of drawings, each drawing stored in the drawing storage unit and defined at least by shape and size value, there being a plurality of different shapes of graphic forms and predetermined display conditions of the size value correspond, respectively, to each of the shapes of the graphic forms, the method comprising: reading a respective drawing from the drawing storage unit; comparing said size value of each graphic form of the drawing in accordance with the display condition of the size value corresponding to the respective graphic form; and displaying the respective drawing on the display apparatus with the graphic forms of the drawing whose size value is not smaller than the corresponding display condition of the size value, wherein the plurality of different shapes of graphic forms comprise free lines and the display conditions corresponding to free lines determine whether to omit from displaying, or not omit from displaying, a respective free line, said display conditions variable by industry, and each of the graphic forms being displayed based upon the display conditions stored in a table in memory.

Claim 9

A method for displaying drawings with a CAD system, the CAD system comprising a display apparatus and a drawing storage unit which stores a plurality of drawings, each drawing stored in the drawing storage unit and defined at least by shape and size value, there being a plurality of different shapes of graphic forms and predetermined display conditions of the size value correspond, respectively, to each of the shapes of the graphic forms, the method comprising: reading a respective drawing from the drawing storage unit; comparing said size value of each graphic form of the drawing in accordance with the display condition of the size value corresponding to the respective graphic form; and displaying the respective drawing on the display apparatus with the graphic forms of the drawing whose size value is not smaller than the corresponding display condition of the size value, wherein the plurality of different shapes of graphic forms comprise dimensional values and the display conditions corresponding to dimensional values determine whether to omit from displaying, or not omit from displaying, a respective dimensional value, said display conditions variable by industry, and each of the graphic forms being displayed based upon the display conditions stored in a table in memory.

Claim 10

A method for displaying drawings with a CAD system, the CAD system comprising a display apparatus and a drawing storage unit which stores a plurality of drawings, each drawing stored in the drawing storage unit and defined at least by shape and size value, there being a plurality of different shapes of graphic forms and predetermined display conditions of the size value correspond, respectively, to each of the shapes of the graphic forms, the method comprising: reading a respective drawing from the drawing storage unit; comparing said size value of each graphic form of the drawing in accordance with the display condition of the size value corresponding to the respective graphic form; and displaying the respective drawing on the display apparatus with the graphic forms of the drawing whose size value is not smaller than the corresponding display condition of the size value, wherein the plurality of different shapes of graphic forms comprise dimensional values and the display conditions corresponding to dimensional values determine whether to omit from displaying, or not omit from displaying, a respective dimensional value, said display conditions variable by industry, and each of the graphic forms being displayed based upon the display conditions stored in a table in memory.

Claim 11

A method for displaying drawings with a CAD system, the CAD system comprising a display apparatus and a drawing storage unit which stores a plurality of drawings, each drawing stored in the drawing storage unit and defined at least by shape and size value, there being a plurality of different shapes of graphic forms and predetermined display conditions of the size value correspond, respectively, to each of the shapes of the graphic forms, the method comprising: reading a respective drawing from the drawing storage unit; comparing said size value of each graphic form of the drawing in accordance with the display condition of the size value corresponding to the respective graphic form; and displaying the respective drawing on the display apparatus with the graphic forms of the drawing whose size value is not smaller than the corresponding display condition of the size value, wherein the plurality of different shapes of graphic forms comprise attribution information of the drawings and the display conditions corresponding to attribution information determine whether to allow standardized attribution information for each drawing, said display conditions variable by industry, and each of the graphic forms being displayed based upon the display conditions stored in a table in memory.

Claim 12

A method for displaying drawings with a CAD system, the CAD system comprising a display apparatus and a drawing storage unit which stores a plurality of drawings, each drawing stored in the drawing storage unit and defined at least by shape and size value, there being a plurality of different shapes of graphic forms and predetermined display conditions of the size value correspond, respectively, to each of the shapes of the graphic forms, the method comprising: reading a respective drawing from the drawing storage unit; comparing said size value of each graphic form of the drawing in accordance with the display condition of the size value corresponding to the respective graphic form; and displaying the respective drawing on the display apparatus with the graphic forms of the drawing whose size value is not smaller than the corresponding display condition of the size value, wherein the plurality of different shapes of graphic forms comprise attribution information of the drawings and the display conditions corresponding to attribution information determine whether to allow standardized attribution information for each drawing, said display conditions variable by industry, and each of the graphic forms being displayed based upon the display conditions stored in a table in memory.