Method and apparatus for providing a presumptive drafting solution

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for providing a presumptive drafting solution. Input from a cursor control device is received, wherein the input reflects a movement in a computer drawing program of a cursor over a drawing having one or more geometric entities (having one or more geometric attributes). In one or more embodiments, a relevant geometric entity is identified based on how the cursor is moved over the drawing. A presumptive drafting solution is then provided based on the identified relevant geometric entity. In addition, prior drawing solutions (having one or more solution attributes) are obtained and compared to the one or more geometric attributes. A drawing solution having one or more solution attributes similar to the one or more geometric attributes may be provided to the user.

1 . A computer-implemented method for providing a presumptive drafting solution comprising:
 receiving input from a cursor control device relating to a geometric entity of a drawing, wherein the geometric entity has one or more geometric attributes;   obtaining one or more prior drawing solutions of a computer drawing program, wherein the one or more prior drawing solutions each have one or more solution attributes;   comparing the one or more geometric attributes to the one or more solution attributes; and   providing the drawing solution having one or more solution attributes similar to the one or more geometric attributes.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a geometric attribute and a solution attribute comprise a line style. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a geometric attribute and a solution attribute comprise a line weight. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a geometric attribute and a solution attribute comprise a color. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a geometric attribute and a solution attribute comprise a layer. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a geometric attribute and a solution attribute comprise an offset with another geometric entity. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a geometric attribute and a solution attribute comprise an alignment with another geometric entity. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a prior drawing solution comprises other geometry in the drawing. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a prior drawing solution comprises other geometry that a user of the drawing has drawn in the past. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a prior drawing solution comprises a set of solution rules for a specific type of work. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the solution rules are inherited from other drawings. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the set of solution rules is managed explicitly by a user. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the solution rules are established across multiple users doing a similar type of work. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 the one or more prior drawing solutions are stored in a sorted list; and   when the one or more geometric attributes are similar to one or more solution attributes, a prior drawing solution, from the sorted list, previously selected more often by a user is provided.   
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the sorted list is self-correcting in that the sorted list is updated when a prior drawing solution is selected by a user. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the user does not explicitly take any action to cause the list to be updated. 
   
   
       17 . An article of manufacture comprising a program storage device, readable by a computer, tangibly embodying at least one program of instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps for providing a presumptive drafting solution, the method steps comprising the steps of:
 receiving input from a cursor control device relating to a geometric entity of a drawing, wherein the geometric entity has one or more geometric attributes;   obtaining one or more prior drawing solutions of a computer drawing program, wherein the one or more prior drawing solutions each have one or more solution attributes;   comparing the one or more geometric attributes to the one or more solution attributes; and   providing the drawing solution having one or more solution attributes similar to the one or more geometric attributes.   
   
   
       18 . The article of manufacture of  claim 17  wherein a geometric attribute and a solution attribute comprise a line style. 
   
   
       19 . The article of manufacture of  claim 17  wherein a geometric attribute and a solution attribute comprise a line weight. 
   
   
       20 . The article of manufacture of  claim 17  wherein a geometric attribute and a solution attribute comprise a color. 
   
   
       21 . The article of manufacture of  claim 17  wherein a geometric attribute and a solution attribute comprise a layer. 
   
   
       22 . The article of manufacture of  claim 17  wherein a geometric attribute and a solution attribute comprise an offset with another geometric entity. 
   
   
       23 . The article of manufacture of  claim 17  wherein a geometric attribute and a solution attribute comprise an alignment with another geometric entity. 
   
   
       24 . The article of manufacture of  claim 17  wherein a prior drawing solution comprises other geometry in the drawing. 
   
   
       25 . The article of manufacture of  claim 17  wherein a prior drawing solution comprises other geometry that a user of the drawing has drawn in the past. 
   
   
       26 . The article of manufacture of  claim 17  wherein a prior drawing solution comprises a set of solution rules for a specific type of work. 
   
   
       27 . The article of manufacture of claim  28  wherein the solution rules are inherited from other drawings. 
   
   
       29 . The article of manufacture of claim  30  wherein the set of solution rules is managed explicitly by a user. 
   
   
       31 . The article of manufacture of claim  32  wherein the solution rules are established across multiple users doing a similar type of work. 
   
   
       33 . The article of manufacture of  claim 17  wherein:
 the one or more prior drawing solutions are stored in a sorted list; and   when the one or more geometric attributes are similar to one or more solution attributes, a prior drawing solution, from the sorted list, previously selected more often by a user is provided.   
   
   
       34 . The article of manufacture of  claim 33  wherein the sorted list is self-correcting in that the sorted list is updated when a prior drawing solution is selected by a user. 
   
   
       35 . The article of manufacture of  claim 34  wherein the user does not explicitly take any action to cause the list to be updated. 
   
   
       36 . An apparatus for providing a presumptive drafting solution in a computer system comprising:
 (a) a computer system having a memory, a display device, and a cursor control device coupled thereto;   (b) a computer drawing program executing on the computer system, wherein the computer drawing program is configured to:
 (i) receive input from the cursor control device relating to a geometric entity of a drawing, wherein the geometric entity has one or more geometric attributes; 
 (ii) obtain one or more prior drawing solutions of the computer drawing program, wherein the one or more prior drawing solutions have one or more solution attributes; 
 (iii) compare the one or more geometric attributes to the one or more solution attributes; and 
 (iv) provide the drawing solution having one or more solution attributes similar to the one or more geometric attributes. 
   
   
   
       37 . The apparatus of  claim 36  wherein a geometric attribute and a solution attribute comprise a line style. 
   
   
       38 . The apparatus of  claim 36  wherein a geometric attribute and a solution attribute comprise a line weight. 
   
   
       39 . The apparatus of  claim 36  wherein a geometric attribute and a solution attribute comprise a color. 
   
   
       40 . The apparatus of  claim 36  wherein a geometric attribute and a solution attribute comprise a layer. 
   
   
       41 . The apparatus of  claim 36  wherein a geometric attribute and a solution attribute comprise an offset with another geometric entity. 
   
   
       42 . The apparatus of  claim 36  wherein a geometric attribute and a solution attribute comprise an alignment with another geometric entity. 
   
   
       43 . The apparatus of  claim 36  wherein a prior drawing solution comprises other geometry in the drawing. 
   
   
       44 . The apparatus of  claim 36  wherein a prior drawing solution comprises other geometry that a user of the drawing has drawn in the past. 
   
   
       45 . The apparatus of  claim 36  wherein a prior drawing solution comprises a set of solution rules for a specific type of work. 
   
   
       46 . The apparatus of claim  47  wherein the solution rules are inherited from other drawings. 
   
   
       48 . The apparatus of claim  49  wherein the set of solution rules is managed explicitly by a user. 
   
   
       50 . The apparatus of claim  51  wherein the solution rules are established across multiple users doing a similar type of work. 
   
   
       52 . The apparatus of  claim 36  wherein the computer program is further configured to:
 store prior drawing solutions in a sorted list of prior drawing solutions;   provide a prior drawing solution, from the sorted list, that has been selected more often by a user when the one or more geometric attributes are similar to one or more solution attributes.   
   
   
       53 . The apparatus of  claim 52  wherein the sorted list is self-correcting in that the sorted list is updated when a prior drawing solution is selected by a user. 
   
   
       54 . The apparatus of  claim 53  wherein the user does not explicitly take any action to cause the list to be updated.