Skin-based approach to virtual modeling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016171127-A1
Application number	US-201514968690-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 14, 2015
Priority date	Dec 15, 2014
Publication date	Jun 16, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A design engine for designing an article to be worn on a human body part (input canvas) in a virtual environment. A virtual model engine of the design engine is used to generate and modify a virtual model of the input canvas and a virtual model of the article based on skin-based gesture inputs detected by an input processing engine. The gesture inputs comprise contacts between an input tool and the input canvas at locations on the input canvas. The virtual model engine may implement different design modes for receiving and processing gesture inputs for designing the article, including direct manipulation, generative manipulation, and parametric manipulation modes. In all three modes, a resulting virtual model of the article is based on physical geometries of at least part of the input canvas. The resulting virtual model of the article is exportable to a fabrication device for physical fabrication of the article.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A computer-implemented method for designing an article for a body part, the method comprising:
detecting a first set of contacts between an input tool and an input canvas at a first set of locations on the input canvas, wherein the input canvas comprises the body part; determining a first input based on the first set of contacts and the first set of locations, the first input for a virtual model of the article; and modifying the virtual model of the article based on the first input to generate a modified virtual model of the article, the virtual model of the article based on physical geometries of at least part of the input canvas.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the virtual model of the article comprises a parametric virtual model of the article comprising parameters that are modifiable via inputs to the parametric virtual model.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , further comprising generating the parametric virtual model of the article by:
generating a surface based on physical geometries of at least a portion of the input canvas; subdividing the surface into a plurality of planes; and positioning an interactive module on each plane, a plurality of interactive modules on the plurality of planes comprising the parametric virtual model of the article.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , further comprising connecting the plurality of interactive modules to one another to produce a closed mesh.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein each interactive module comprises a plurality of parameters preconfigured with default values that are modifiable by inputs to the parametric virtual model.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the surface is generated using a three-dimensional (3D) scan of the input canvas received from an input camera.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein each interactive module is programmed as a pyramid with a spring along each edge of the pyramid and a repelling particle at a top of the pyramid.

8 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising exporting the modified virtual model of the article to a fabrication device.

9 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first input comprises a touch input, a poke input, a rub input, a drag input, a grab input, or a resize input.

10 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to design an article for a body part by performing the steps of:
detecting a first set of contacts between an input tool and an input canvas at a first set of locations on the input canvas, wherein the input canvas comprises the body part; determining a first input based on the first set of contacts and the first set of locations, the first input for a virtual model of the article; and modifying the virtual model of the article based on the first input to generate a modified virtual model of the article, the virtual model of the article based on physical geometries of at least part of the input canvas.

11 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the virtual model of the article comprises a parametric virtual model of the article comprising parameters modifiable by inputs to the parametric virtual model.

12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , further comprising producing the parametric virtual model of the article by:
generating a surface based on physical geometries of at least part of the input canvas; subdividing the surface into a plurality of planes; positioning an interactive module on each plane; and connecting the interactive modules to produce the parametric virtual model of the article.

13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein each interactive module comprises a plurality of parameters preconfigured with default values that are modifiable by inputs to the parametric virtual model.

14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the interactive modules are connected to form a closed mesh to produce the parametric virtual model of the article.

15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the interactive modules are connected by connecting each interactive module to its neighboring interactive modules at its base and connecting edges of the interactive modules to the base surface.

16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , further comprising exporting the modified virtual model of the article to a fabrication device.

17 . A system configured for designing an article for a body part, comprising:
a memory that includes a virtual model engine; and a processor that is coupled to the memory and, upon executing the virtual model engine, is configured to:
detect a first set of contacts between an input tool and an input canvas at a first set of locations on the input canvas, wherein the input canvas comprises the body part;
determine a first input based on the first set of contacts and the first set of locations, the first input for a virtual model of the article; and
modify the virtual model of the article based on the first input to generate a modified virtual model of the article, the virtual model of the article based on physical geometries of at least part of the input canvas.

18 . The system of claim 17 , further comprising an input camera for capturing movement and interactions of the input tool and input canvas.

19 . The system of claim 17 , further comprising a head-mounted display for displaying the modified virtual model of the article as an overlay on the input canvas.

20 . The system of claim 17 , further comprising a projector and screen for displaying the modified virtual model of the article in real-time.

Assignees

• Autodesk Inc

Inventors

• Gannon Madeline
• Grossman Tovi
• Fitzmaurice George

Classifications

• G06T2219/2021

  Shape modification · CPC title

• G02B27/017 Primary

  Head mounted · CPC title

• G06F3/04845

  for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour · CPC title

• G06F3/005

  Input arrangements through a video camera · CPC title

• G06F30/23

  using finite element methods [FEM] or finite difference methods [FDM] · CPC title