Tool for shared engineering mesh-run integration with version evolution tracking

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018336723-A1
Application number	US-201715597839-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 17, 2017
Priority date	May 17, 2017
Publication date	Nov 22, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

The physical object design and manufacture tool employs a processor programmed to parse user-supplied instructions expressed as text statements according to a predefined syntax and grammar. The processor interfaces with a graphical mesh creation tool that that expresses object geometry according to a predefined data model and that produces a graphical rendering of an object in accordance with the data model. The processor also interfaces with a computer-implemented analysis system that responds to predefined analysis code instructions and generates a simulation output stored in a file system associated with the analysis system. The processor is further interfaced with a version control repository system. The processor translates user-supplied instructions into designated analysis code that it submits to the analysis system as a job to be run. The processor causes the version control repository system to capture a state of the user-supplied instructions and generates an identifier or hash code that it uses to tag the file where the simulation output is stored.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A computer-implemented tool for design of a physical object, comprising:
a processor programmed to parse user-supplied instructions expressed as text statements according to a predefined syntax and grammar; the processor being programmed to define a first interface to a graphical mesh creation tool that that expresses object geometry according to a predefined data model and that produces a graphical rendering of an object in accordance with the data model; the processor being programmed to define a second interface to a computer-implemented analysis system of the type that responds to predefined analysis code instructions and that generates a simulation output stored in a file system associated with the analysis system; the processor being programmed to define a third interface to a computer-implemented version control repository system; wherein the processor is programmed to translate at least one of the parsed user-supplied instructions into a physical object geometry specification expressed using the data model; wherein the processor is programmed (a) to translate at least one of the parsed user-supplied instructions into designated analysis code instructions, (b) to submit the designated analysis code instructions to the analysis system as a job to be run on the analysis system and (c) to cause the file system associated with the analysis system to allocate a file on said file system in which to store output of an analysis performed by the analysis system using the designated analysis code; wherein the processor is programmed to cause the version control repository system to capture a state of the user-supplied instructions, to generate an identifier based on the captured state and to associate the identifier with the allocated file on the file system associated with the analysis system.

2 . The tool of claim 1 wherein the processor is further programmed with a fourth interface to a computer aided design system and to receive physical object geometry data from the computer aided design system.

3 . The tool of claim 1 wherein the text statements are expressed using an object-oriented text-based computer programming language.

4 . The tool of claim 1 wherein version control repository system is associated with a repository file system and wherein the processor is programmed to capture the state of the user-supplied instructions by causing the version control repository system to store the user-supplied instructions in the repository file system.

5 . The tool of claim 4 wherein the processor generates the identifier by computing a hash of the user-supplied instructions stored in the repository file system.

6 . The tool of claim 1 wherein the processor is programmed to verify the integrity of the user-supplied instructions and track a responsible party and decision date when a geometry change, analysis specification, or material of construction was changed.

7 . The tool of claim 1 wherein the processor is programmed to translate parsed user-supplied instructions into analysis code instructions that are selectively expressed in one of a plurality of different grammars corresponding to different types of analysis systems.

8 . The tool of claim 2 wherein the processor is programmed to ingest product design constrains supplied as at least one of the user-supplied instructions and the physical object geometry data.

9 . The tool of claim 1 wherein the processor is programmed to translate product design constraints that specify at least one of materials, boundary conditions and contact interfaces into analysis code and according to the predefined data model.

10 . The tool of claim 1 wherein the processor is programmed to facilitate consistent syntax and grammar among a series of material and part suppliers, such that multiple users may verify trusted contributor status of the counterparties.

11 . The tool of claim 1 wherein the processor is programmed to facilitate the re-ingestion of testing and surveillance of the manufacturing activity, as quality control and verification of computational analysis tools.

12 . The tool of claim 1 wherein the processor is programmed for a common syntax and grammar that is supportive of various computer implemented analysis systems and graphical mesh creation tools for expression of object geometry.

13 . A computer-implemented tool for design and optimization of a physical object, comprising:
a processor programmed to parse user-supplied instructions expressed as text statements according to a predefined syntax and grammar; the processor being programmed to define an interface to a computer-implemented analysis system of the type that responds to predefined analysis code instructions and that generates a simulation output stored in a file system associated with the analysis system; wherein the processor is programmed to translate at least one of the parsed user-supplied instructions into a physical object geometry specification expressed using the data model; wherein the processor is programmed (a) to translate at least one of the parsed user-supplied instructions into designated analysis code instructions, (b) to submit the designated analysis code instructions to the analysis system as a job to be run on the analysis system and (c) to cause the file system associated with the analysis system to allocate a file on said file system in which to store output of an analysis performed by the analysis system using the designated analysis code; wherein the processor is programmed to cause the version control repository system to capture a state of the user-supplied instructions, to generate an identifier based on the captured state and to associate the identifier with the allocated file on the file system associated with the analysis system.

14 . The computer implemented tool of claim 1 wherein the processor is programmed to generate and supply manufacturing control system instructions based on the physical object geometry expressed using the data model to an automated manufacturing system which manufactures the physical object.

15 . The computer implemented tool of claim 14 wherein the automated manufacturing system is an additive manufacturing system.

16 . The computer implemented tool of claim 1 wherein the processor is programmed to generate and supply manufacturing control system instructions based on the physical object geometry expressed using the data model to an automated manufacturing system which manufactures the physical object.

17 . The computer implemented tool of claim 16 wherein the automated manufacturing system is an additive manufacturing system.

18 . The computer implemented tool of claim 1 wherein the processor includes a user interface through which a plurality of users submit user-supplied instructions and wherein at least one of the graphical mesh creation tool, and the version control repository system are accessible to said plurality of users thereby facilitating group collaboration among said plurality of users.

19 . The computer implemented tool of claim 1 wherein the processor includes a user interface through which a plurality of users submit user-supplied instructions and wherein at least one of the graphical mesh creation tool, and the version control repository system are accessible to said plurality of users thereby facilitating group collaboration among said plurality of users.

20 . A method for establishing a common syntax and grammar definitions for use in design or optimization of a

Assignees

• L Livermore Nat Security Llc

Inventors

• Elmer William

Classifications

• G06F2111/02

  CAD in a network environment, e.g. collaborative CAD or distributed simulation · CPC title

• G06T17/00 Primary

  Three-dimensional [3D] modelling for computer graphics · CPC title

• G06F30/20

  Design optimisation, verification or simulation (optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30) · CPC title

• G06F30/23

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

• G06F30/17

  Mechanical parametric or variational design · CPC title