Systems and methods for dimensioning CAD drawings

Abstract

An automatic adaptive dimensioning program for CAD software in which dimension annotations are created by the CAD program automatically as an object is drawn and automatically associated with the object. Thereafter, changing the length of the object automatically changes the associated dimension annotation, or alternatively, changing the associated dimension annotation automatically changes the length of the object. When another object is interposed into or superposed onto an intermediate position of the existing object, the automatic adaptive dimensioning annotation feature of the invention automatically creates dimension annotations corresponding to the position of the new object relative to the existing object. The new object can be automatically positioned in relation to the existing object by specifying interposition dimensions or segment lengths in the dimension annotations.

1 . A method for creating a computer aided design drawing formed of a plurality of target objects, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) inputting first coordinate position data;    (b) displaying a first target object corresponding to the first coordinate position data;    (c) creating first dimension annotation data correlated to the first coordinate position data;    (d) associating the first target object with the first dimension annotation data, wherein as a result of such association a change in the first coordinate position data will effect a correlated change in the first dimension annotation data    (e) subsequent to step (d), inputting further coordinate position data corresponding to at least one further target object;    (f) displaying the further target object in accordance with the further coordinate position data;    (g) creating further dimension annotation data correlated to the further coordinate position data;    (h) associating the at least one further target object with the further dimension annotation, wherein as a result of such association a change in the further coordinate position data will effect a correlated change in the further dimension annotation data.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of: 
 (i) displaying simultaneously a first dimension annotation correlated to the first dimension annotation data together with a further dimension annotation correlated to the further dimension annotation data.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising the steps of: 
 (j) determining if the at least one further target object intersects the first target object    (k) wherein if the at least one further target object intersects the first target object into a first segment and a second segment: 
 (i) calculating first segment coordinate position data;  
 (ii) calculating second segment coordinate position data;  
 (iii) creating first segment dimension annotation data correlated to the first segment coordinate position data;  
 (iv) creating second segment dimension annotation data correlated to the second segment coordinate position data;  
 (v) associating the first segment with the first segment dimension annotation data; and  
 (vi) associating the second segment with the second segment dimension annotation data.  
   
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising the steps of: 
 (a) displaying a first segment dimension annotation correlated to the first segment annotation data; and    (b) displaying a second segment dimension annotation correlated to the second segment annotation data.    
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising the step of: 
 (a) determining if the at least one further target object is adjacent to any other target object.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising the steps of: 
 (a) inputting modifications to the further coordinate position data;    (b) displaying the further target object in accordance with the modified further coordinate position data; and    (c) creating modified further dimension annotation data correlated to the modified further coordinate position data.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising the step of: 
 (a) displaying a modified further dimension annotation correlated to the modified further dimension annotation data.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising the steps of: 
 (a) if the at least one further target object is adjacent to the first target object: 
 (i) modifying the first coordinate position data in correlation to the modified further coordinate position data;  
 (ii) displaying the first target object in accordance with the modified first coordinate position data;  
 (iii) modifying the first dimension annotation data correlated to the modified first coordinate position data;  
 (iv) displaying a first dimension annotation correlated to the modified first dimension annotation data.  
   
   
   
       9 . A computer aided design system configured to implement the method of  claim 2 .  
   
   
       10 . A computer readable signal bearing medium comprising means for implementing the method of  claim 2 .  
   
   
       11 . A method for creating a computer aided design drawing formed of a plurality of target objects, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) inputting coordinate position data for a new target object;    (b) displaying the new target object corresponding to the coordinate position data;    (c) creating dimension annotation data correlated to the coordinate position data;    (d) associating the new target object with the dimension annotation data, wherein as a result of said association a change in the coordinate position data will effect a correlated change in the dimension annotation data;    (e) repeating steps (a) through (d) for at least one additional target object;    (f) wherein all of steps (a) through (d) are completed for one target object prior to inputting coordinate position data for any additional target object.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the step of: 
 (g) displaying simultaneously a dimension annotation correlated to the dimension annotation data for the new target object together with a dimension annotation correlated to the dimension annotation data for the additional target object.    
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein step (a) further comprises the steps of: 
 (a) determining whether the new target object intersects any other target object; and    (b) wherein if the new target object intersects at least one other target object so as to create a first segment and a second segment: 
 (i) calculating first segment coordinate position data,  
 (ii) calculating second segment coordinate position data,  
 (iii) creating first segment dimension annotation data correlated to the first segment coordinate position data,  
 (iv) creating second segment dimension annotation data correlated to the second segment coordinate position data,  
 (v) associating the first segment with the first segment dimension annotation, and  
 (vi) associating the second segment with the second segment dimension annotation.  
   
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the steps of: 
 (i) displaying a first segment dimension annotation correlated to the first segment annotation data; and    (ii) displaying a second segment dimension annotation correlated to the second segment annotation data.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising the step of: 
 (a) determining if the new target object is adjacent to any other target object.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising the steps of: 
 (a) selecting a target object;    (b) inputting modified coordinate position data for the selected target object;    (c) displaying the selected target object in accordance with the modified coordinate position data; and    (d) modifying the dimension annotation data corresponding to the selected target object, the modification correlated to the modified coordinate position data.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the step of displaying a modified dimension annotation correlated to the modified dimension annotation data.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the steps of: 
 (a) if the selected target object is adjacent to at least one other adjacent target object: 
 (i) adjusting the coordinate position data corresponding to the adjacent target object, wherein the adjustment is correlated to the modified coordinate position data;  
 (ii) displaying the adjacent target object in accordance with the adjusted coordinate position data; and  
 (iii) adjusting the dimension annotation data corresponding to the adjacent target object, wherein the adjustment is correlated to the adjusted coordinate position data.  
   
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising the step of displaying a dimension annotation correlated to the adjusted dimension annotation data.  
   
   
       20 . A computer aided design system configured to implement the method of  claim 12 .  
   
   
       21 . A computer readable signal bearing medium comprising means for implementing the method of  claim 12 .  
   
   
       22 . A method of modifying a computer aided design drawing formed of a plurality of objects, wherein for each object the drawing comprises: 
 (a) coordinate position data corresponding to the display of the object;    (b) dimension annotation data correlated to the coordinate position data;    (c) a dimension annotation correlated to the dimension annotation data;    (d) wherein the object is associated with the dimension annotation such that as a result of said association a change in the coordinate position data will effect a correlated change in the dimension annotation data;    the method of modifying comprising the steps of:    (e) selecting a target object from the plurality of objects;    (f) deleting the target object from the drawing; and    (g) deleting the dimension annotation corresponding to the target object.    
   
   
       23 . A computer aided design system configured to implement the method of claim  2322 .  
   
   
       24 . A computer readable signal bearing medium comprising means for implementing the method of  claim 22 .  
   
   
       25 . A method for creating a computer aided design drawing formed of a plurality of target objects, wherein at least one target object in the drawing is associated with a corresponding dimension annotation, the method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) inputting new coordinate position data for a new target object;    (b) displaying the new target object corresponding to the new coordinate position data;    (c) creating new dimension annotation data correlated to the new coordinate position data;    (d) displaying a new dimension annotation correlated to the new dimension annotation data;    (e) associating the new target object with the new dimension annotation, wherein as a result of said association a change in the new coordinate position data will effect a correlated change in the new dimension annotation data;    (f) inputting additional coordinate position data for an additional target object;    (g) wherein all of steps (a) through (d) are completed for the new target object prior to inputting the additional coordinate position data for the additional target object.    
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising the step of: 
 (a) displaying simultaneously the additional target object correlated to the additional coordinate position data, together with the new target object.    
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising the steps of: 
 (a) creating additional dimension annotation data correlated to the additional coordinate position data;    (b) associating the additional target object with the additional dimension annotation, wherein as a result of said association a change in the additional coordinate position data will effect a correlated change in the additional dimension annotation data;    (c) displaying simultaneously an additional dimension annotation correlated to the additional dimension annotation data, together with the new dimension annotation.    
   
   
       28 . A computer aided design system configured to implement the method of  claim 25 .  
   
   
       29 . A computer readable signal bearing medium comprising means for implementing the method of  claim 25.