A 3D model system is configured to validate and optimize for 3D printing an unprocessed 3D model described by an input data file. The 3D model system is configured to detect printability issues associated with the unprocessed 3D model and automatically address these issues. Such issues can include boundary edges, non-manifold geometries, structural deficiencies, etc. Upon resolving these issues, the 3D model can be optimized for 3D printing. Optimizations can include hollowing to reduce printing cost and exterior surface smoothing. The resulting validated and optimized 3D model can be converted into an output data file which can be an input to a 3D printer or a 3D printing service for printing the object depicted by the 3D model. The 3D model system can operate as a network or cloud-based service. Users are able to interact with the 3D model system using a series of web-based user interfaces.

A modeling application is provided with functionality that adapts pour breaks to be in accordance with modifications performed to cast objects forming one or more pours.

The invention notably relates to a computer-implemented method for designing an outer surface of a composite part manufactured by molding a stack of material layers. The method comprises defining constant offset surfaces, a constant offset surface being a respective part of the outer surface which is to have a constant offset value relative to the reference surface, the constant offset value of a respective constant offset surface corresponding to the sum of the thicknesses of the material layers below the respective constant offset surface, and determining a final surface that corresponds to a tangent continuous connection of the constant offset surfaces. This provides an improved solution for designing an outer surface of a composite part.

The invention provides a method for forming a building element, comprising defining in a computer memory: a building element parametric three-dimensional (3D) model of a building element, and a building element constraint space, said building element constraint space comprising building element dimensional parameters of said building element that are mathematically coupled to at least one selected from another dimensional parameter of the building element, a minimum value, a maximum value, and a combination thereof; said method further comprising running a computer program on a computer system which: retrieves from said computer memory said building element parametric 3D model and its linked constraint space; visualises said building element parametric 3D model through a display system; provides a user tool which is visualised through said display system and which allows a user to modify one or more building element dimensional parameters to provide an amended building element parametric 3D model by receiving user input via a user input system that is operationally coupled with said computer system, wherein said modification of said building element dimensional parameters by said user tool is limited by said building element constraint space; visualises said amended building element parametric 3D model through said display system in response to said user input, and converts said amended building element parametric 3D model into control instructions for a control system for controlling at least one 3D manufacturing assembly for forming said amended building element and provides said control instructions to said control system.

A method of producing a forming tool for producing a complex formed part with a target geometry by performing a drawing type of forming pro cess on a workpiece, wherein the forming tool has an active surface that engages the workpiece to be formed including determining an active-surface geometry specification for the active surface; and producing the active surface according to the active-surface geometry specification.

There is provided a method of predicting a thermal fatigue life of a mold.

The method of predicting a thermal fatigue life of a mold which is made of a mold material having a hardness H and on which heating during contact with a workpiece and cooling after contact with a workpiece are repeated, the method includes obtaining a temperature distribution of a mold heated during contact with a workpiece; obtaining a distribution of thermal stress occurring in the mold according to the temperature distribution; obtaining a thermal stress maximum value .sub.h_MAX at a position x on the mold and a temperature T.sub.h at the thermal stress maximum value .sub.h_MAX according to the thermal stress distribution; obtaining a yield strength .sub.y(T.sub.h) at the temperature T.sub.h and a contraction (T.sub.c) at a temperature T.sub.c of the mold when it is cooled using the mold material having a hardness H; and substituting .sub.h_MAX, .sub.y(T.sub.h) and (T.sub.c) into the following relational formula, and thereby obtaining a thermal fatigue life N at a position x on the mold:

N={C.sub.1(.sub.y(T.sub.h)/.sub.h_MAX).sup.m.Math.ln(1(T.sub.c)).sup.1C.sub.2}.sup.n (C.sub.1, C.sub.2, m, and n are constants).

A computer-implemented method for designing a virtual garment or upholstery in a three-dimensional scene comprising the steps of: a) providing a three-dimensional manikin, a set of pattern parts of said virtual garment or upholstery and a set of seam specification; b) receiving from a user a plurality of declarations of assembly tasks (A, B, C, D1, D2, E1, E21, E22, F2) for assembling the garment or upholstery; c) receiving from the user at least a declaration of a partial ordering relationship between two or more of said assembly tasks; d) executing said tasks according to said partial ordering relationship, each task changing a state of the garment or upholstery under assembly; characterized in that it further comprises a step of: e) while executing the tasks, generating a tree data structure comprising nodes linked by directed arcs, each node being associated to a state of the garment or upholstery and each arc being associated to an assembly task. A computer program product, non-volatile computer-readable data-storage medium and Computer Aided Design system for carrying out such a method. Application of the method to the manufacturing of a garment or upholstery.

A fracture determination device is provided which can predict fracture in an ultra-hard steel material. This fracture determination device 1 is provided with: a reference forming limit value generation unit 22 which, on the basis of reference forming limit value information, generates a reference forming limit value for a reference element size, which is the element size used as a reference; a target forming limit value generation unit 23 which uses the tensile strength of the steel material to change the reference forming limit value, predict the forming limit value for the element size and generate a target forming limit value; an analysis running unit 24 which runs a deformation analysis using input information and which outputs deformation information including the strain of each of the elements; a principal strain determination unit 25 which determines the maximum principal strain and the minimum principal strain of each of the elements included in the deformation information; and a fracture determination unit 26 which, on the basis of the determined maximum principal strain and minimum principal strain of each of the elements and the target forming limit value, determines whether each element in the analysis model will fracture.

A method, for arranging graphical design elements on a seat cover (1) of a vehicle seat, includes creating a three-dimensional seat cover model (2) having at least two three-dimensional cut models (2.1.1 to 2.1.7) connected by at least one seam (N) and visualizing the three-dimensional seat cover model (2) by a computer-assisted design tool (CAD) and positioning at least one graphical design element (G) on at least one cut part (1.1.1 to 1.1.7) with a drawing tool (ZW). An image of a graphic design element (G) is displayed on the three-dimensional seat cover model (2) in accordance with a UV transformation (UVT) of a corresponding cut model (2.1.1 to 2.1.7) with a texture display tool (TW) connected to the computer-assisted design tool (CAD).

An anti-warping design method for designing a resin molded article on a programmed computer includes dividing the molded article into a plurality of small elements, calculating sensitivity values for at least part of the elements with respect to warpage of the molded article, and displaying a distribution of the sensitivity values.