JPH0728882A - CAD device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] When CAD data is searched, document data related to it can be searched and displayed at the same time. [Structure] The storage unit 10 of the database 4 stores CAD data such as the part shape created by the drawing / shape creating unit 2, and the storage unit 11 stores the design standard created by the document creating unit 7,
Stores document data such as know-how. Storage unit 12 is CAD
The name given to the data is used as the main data name, and the relevance data composed of this main data name and the related data name which is the name of the document data related to the keyword are stored. When a search request specifying a keyword of CAD data is input from the input means 1, the database manager 3 searches the storage unit 12 for relevance data including the specified keyword, and acquires the main data name forming the data. C in the name
AD data is retrieved from the storage unit 10 and displayed on the display unit 5, and document data having the related data name as a data name is retrieved from the storage unit 11 and displayed on the display unit 5.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a CAD device for creating CAD data such as mechanical drawings and part shapes. In particular, in addition to the created CAD data, parts usage, other know-how, design standards, and other document data are stored. The present invention relates to a CAD device that has a database for accumulating and that simultaneously searches for and displays related data when searching CAD data or document data by keywords.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a CAD device for creating CAD data such as mechanical drawings and part shapes, the created CAD data is stored in a database so that it can be reused in subsequent designs or referred to in other designs. Is common. However, documents such as how to use parts required for design, other know-how, design criteria, etc. are either managed on paper or stored in a database
It is provided separately from the AD device.

[0003]

Generally, when designing machines and parts, it is necessary to confirm various documented know-how and design standards. However, in the current CAD device, since only the CAD data such as the drawing data and the part shape data can be searched by the CAD device itself, it is necessary to check each by the know-how document and design standard document by paper.
Alternatively, it is necessary to search a document database constructed as another device, which is very inefficient and inconvenient. Also,
Finding out the know-how and design criteria related to a certain CAD data has been difficult for those who lack knowledge and experience.

The present invention has been proposed in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a database for accumulating document data in which know-how, design criteria, etc. are described in addition to CAD data, and to search for CAD data. , CA having a function of simultaneously searching and displaying document data related to the CA
It is to provide a D device.

Another object of the present invention is to search for the document data stored in the database, and to execute the CAD related thereto.
CAD that also has the function of simultaneously searching and displaying data
To provide a device.

An apparatus capable of registering and retrieving document data and image data in association with each other and displaying and outputting both at the same time has been proposed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-126172. This technique does not relate to CAD devices. Further, in this conventional technique, the same keyword is added to the related document and the image to be registered, and when the document corresponding to the keyword is present in both the document and the image at the time of search, they are simultaneously displayed and output. Since the document data and the image data are related to each other, when this is applied to the CAD device targeted by the present invention, the same keyword must be given to the related CAD data and the document data.

However, since the CAD data and the document data are independent data, it is a problem that the same keyword can always be used. Also, for example, the keyword of a certain CAD data X1 is a, another CA
The keyword of the D data X2 is b, the keyword of another CAD data X3 is c, and the CAD data X1 is the document data Y1 and Y2, and the CAD data X2 is the document data Y.
1 and Y3 into CAD data X3 and document data Y1 and Y4
When associating each one with each other, paying attention to the document data Y1, it is necessary to make the keywords into three types of a, b, and c. The more the one document data is associated with many CAD data, the more It is necessary to set a lot of keywords in the data, which may hinder the search, and the management of the keywords becomes complicated.

[0008]

According to the present invention, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, C is used in accordance with the information input from the input means.
A drawing / shape creating unit for creating AD data, a display unit for displaying the created CAD data, a database including a drawing / shape data storage unit for storing the created CAD data, and managing the database In a CAD device including a database manager, a document creating unit that creates document data such as know-how and design criteria according to the information input from the input unit, and the document data created by the document creating unit are stored. Related data that is a document data storage unit in the database and a name given to the CAD data stored in the drawing / shape data storage unit as a main data name and is a name of document data related to the main data name and the keyword A relevance data creating means for creating relevance data composed of Storing relationship data has been made,
The database manager includes a relevance data storage unit in the database, and the database manager searches the relevance data storage unit for relevance data including the designated keyword when a search request is made by designating a keyword, and the retrieved relation The CAD data having the main data name constituting the property data as the data name is retrieved from the drawing / shape data storage unit and displayed on the display means, and the document data having the related data name as the data name is the document data. The information is retrieved from the storage unit and displayed on the display means.

Further, in order to search for and display the CAD data related to the document data stored in the database at the same time, the drawing data may be displayed instead of the relation data creating means. Relevance data including a name given to the CAD data stored in the shape data storage unit as a main data name, and the main data name and a related data name that is a name of document data related to the keyword, and The name given to the document data stored in the document data storage unit is used as the main data name, and the relationship data composed of the main data name and the related data name which is the name of the CAD data related to the keyword is created. When a search request is made by specifying a keyword instead of the database manager, the specified keyword is provided. Relevance data including the same is retrieved from the relevance data storage unit, and CAD data or document data having a main data name constituting the retrieved relevance data as a data name is stored in the drawing / shape data storage unit or the document data storage. From the document data storage unit or the drawing / shape data storage unit, and displays it on the display unit while searching the document data or CAD data having the related data name as a data name. It has a database manager that

[0010]

In the CAD apparatus of the present invention, the drawing / shape data storage section of the database stores the CAD data created by the drawing / shape creation means, and the document data storage section is a document created by the document data creation means. The data is stored, and further, the relevance data storage unit stores the relevance data created by the relevance data creating means, and when a search request specifying a keyword of CAD data is input from the input means, a database is created. The manager retrieves relevance data including the specified keyword from the relevance data storage unit, retrieves CAD data having a main data name forming the relevance data as a data name from the drawing / shape data storage unit. The document data is displayed on the display means, and the document data having the related data name as the data name is searched from the document data storage section and displayed on the display means. To. Further, when a search request designating a keyword of document data is input from the input means, the database manager searches the relevance data storage unit for relevance data including the designated keyword and configures the relevance data. The document data having the main data name as the data name is retrieved from the document data storage unit and displayed on the display means, and the CAD having the related data name as the data name
Data is retrieved from the drawing / shape data storage unit and displayed on the display means.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 1, C of one embodiment of the present invention.
The AD device comprises an input means 1, a drawing / shape forming means 2,
Database manager 3, database 4, display means 5, hardcopy output means 6, and document creation means 7
And a relevance data creating means 8 and a control means 9.

The input means 1 is composed of a keyboard, a mouse and the like. When creating CAD data, document data, and relevance data, the user inputs necessary data and instructions from the input means 1. Further, when searching the database 4, the keywords or the like used for the search are input by this input means 1
Enter from.

The display means 5 is composed of a CRT display or the like. The CAD data created by this CAD device, the document data, and the data retrieved by the database 4 are:
This is displayed on the display means 5.

The hard copy output means 6 is composed of a plotter or the like. If a hard copy of the CAD data created by this CAD device is required, it can be created by this hard copy output means 6.

The drawing / shape forming means 2 is a C drawing such as a mechanical drawing or a part shape drawing according to the information input from the input means 1.
It is a means for creating AD data and is a means basically provided in an existing CAD device.

The document creating means 7 is a means for creating document data such as design standards and know-how in a text data format or an image data format, and is a kind of editor.

The relationship data creating means 8 is a means for creating the relationship data indicating the relationship between the CAD data and the document data in accordance with the input information from the input means 1, which is also a kind of editor.

The database manager 3 is means for registering and searching data in the database 4.

The control means 9 is the database manager 3
And the CA connected to each of the above means 1, 2, 5-8.
This is the part that controls the entire D device.

The database 4 is for accumulating CAD data, document data and association data, and as shown in the drawing, includes a drawing / shape data storage unit 10, a document data storage unit 11, and an association data storage unit 12. Have

The drawing / shape data storage unit 10 is a CAD data storage unit. As shown in FIG. 2, each CAD data has data names A-1, A-2, and
... is added and registered. Database manager 3
Acquires the corresponding CAD data by searching the drawing / shape data storage unit 10 by the data name.

The document data storage unit 11 is a document data storage unit. As shown in FIG. 3, each document data is registered with data names B-1, B-2, ... For identifying it. The database manager 3 acquires the corresponding document data by searching the document data storage unit 11 with the data name.

Here, in the present embodiment, the data name for identifying the CAD data and the data name for identifying the document data are, for example, one character at the beginning of the data name.
It can be distinguished whether it is CAD data or document data. In this specification, for convenience, C
The AD data name is prefixed with the letter A, and the document data name is prefixed with the letter B.

The association data storage unit 12 is an association data storage unit. Relevance data is stored in tabular form in this storage. One relevance data is a main data name, a keyword set for CAD data or document data having this main data name, and a C having this main data name.
It is composed of a related data name which is a data name of document data or CAD data related to AD data or document data.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the association data stored in the association data storage unit 12. In the figure, 12-
, ..., 12-i, ... are all one association data. In the relationship data 12-1, the main data name is A-1
But the keywords are "pin", "diameter 4", "stainless steel"
However, B-1 and B-3 are set in the related data names.
Further, in the relationship data 12-i, the main data name is B-1.
However, the keyword is "Gear", and the related data name is B-2,
A-2 is set.

Next, the operation of this embodiment configured as described above will be described.

The user operates the input means 1 to execute CAD.
When the instruction to start data creation is given, the control means 9 activates the drawing / shape creation means 2. After that, the user inputs 1
Is operated to input various data and instructions necessary for CAD data creation, the drawing / shape creating means 2 creates CAD data such as a drawing or a part shape according to the input information. The created drawing and part shape data are displayed on the display means 5 by the control means 9. When the user operates the input unit 1 to instruct the hard copy, the control unit 9 controls the hard copy output unit 6 to execute the CA.
Output a hard copy of D data.

Next, the user operates the input means 1 to give the created CAD data a data name (for example, A-
1) is designated and the registration is instructed, the control means 9 causes the database 4 through the database manager 3.
CAD created above in the drawing / shape data storage unit 10 of
Give the data the data name A-1 specified above,
Store as shown in FIG.

When the user operates the input means 1 to instruct the start of document data creation, the control means 9 activates the document creation means 7. After that, when the user inputs a text or the like showing a design standard or know-how or a graphic such as a graph from the input means 1, the document creating means 7 edits them as a document. The edited document data is displayed on the display unit 5 by the control unit 9.

Next, the user operates the input means 1 to give a data name (for example, B-1) to the created document data.
Is specified and the registration is instructed, the control means 9
Stores the created document data in the document data storage unit 11 of the database 4 through the database manager 3,
The designated data name B-1 is given and stored as shown in FIG.

Further, the user can appropriately call the relevance data creating means 8 by operating the input means 1 to newly register the relevance data or update the already registered relevance data. When called by the user, the relevance data creating means 8 displays on the display means 5 a selection prompting message of new registration or update registration.

When the user selects new registration by operating the input means 1, the relevance data creating means 8 causes the screen of the display means 5 to display relevance by leaving the columns of main data name, keyword and related data name blank. Display the data entry screen. Then, the user can enter the main data name, keyword,
When the relevant data name is input and registration is instructed, the data is registered in the relevant data storage section 12 of the database 4 through the control means 9 and the database manager 3. By such an operation, the relationship data 12- as shown in FIG.
, ..., 12-i, ... Can be newly registered in the association data storage unit 12.

When the user selects update registration by operating the input means 1, the relevance data creating means 8 displays an input prompting message of the main data name on the display means 5.
In response to this, when the user inputs the data name (CAD data name or document data name) to be the main data name from the input means 1, the relation data creation means 8 stores the relation data through the control means 9 and the database manager 3. Part 1
The relevance data including the input main data name is searched from 2, and the content is displayed on the display unit 5 to promote the update. If not found, an error is displayed on the display means 5.

The user adds, deletes, or changes a keyword or adds, deletes, or changes a related data name to the existing relevance data displayed on the display means 5 by operating the input means 1. When the registration is instructed, the relevance data creating unit 8 rewrites the original relevance data in the relevance data storage unit 12 with the relevance data including the updated main data name, the keyword, and the relevant data name.

The data created by the drawing / shape creating means 2, the document creating means 7 and the relation data creating means 8 and stored in the database 4 are appropriately searched when design work is being performed using the CAD device. Is used. The operation at this time will be described below.

When the user operates the input means 1 to instruct to start searching the database 4, the control means 9 activates the database manager 3. Database manager 3
Displays a keyword input prompt message on the display means 5.

When the user inputs a keyword in response to this, the database manager 3 inputs the keyword as shown in FIG. 5 (S1), and the relevance data including the same keyword as the input keyword is stored in the database 4. The relevance data storage unit 12 is searched (S2).

If the relevant data does not exist (YES in S3), an error message or the like is displayed and the search processing ends, but if the relevant data is found (NO in S3), the relevant data is found. It is determined whether the main data name in the data is a CAD data name or a document data name (S
4) If it is a CAD data name, the CAD data having the main data name as the data name is used as the drawing / shape data storage unit 10
And displays it in the main display area of the display means 5 (S
5) If it is the document data name, the document data having the main data name as the data name is retrieved from the document data storage unit 11 and displayed in the main display area of the display means 5 (S6).

Next, it is judged whether or not the related data name exists in the searched related data (S7), and if not, the search processing is terminated. On the other hand, if it exists, pay attention to one of the related data names (S8) and determine whether the related data name is a CAD data name or a document data name (S9). The CAD data having the data name as the data name is searched from the drawing / shape data storage unit 10 and displayed in the sub display area of the display means 5 (S10). If it is the document data name, the related data name is the data name. Document data stored in the document data storage unit 11
And is displayed in the sub display area of the display means 5 (S11). Such processes S8 to S11 are repeated for all relevant data names existing in the retrieved relevant data (S12). Then, when the search and display of all the related data are completed, the search processing is ended.

Therefore, for example, when the user inputs a name: "pin", diameter: "4 (millimeter)", material: "stainless steel" as a keyword and makes a search request, the database manager 3 causes the relation of FIG. The relationship data 12-1 is searched from the sex data storage unit 12, and since the main data name A-1 is the CAD data name, the drawing / shape data storage unit 10 is searched with the data name A-1 2 data name A-
The CAD data of No. 1 is acquired and displayed in the main display area on the left side of the display means 5 as shown in FIG. 6, for example. Further, since the related data 12-1 includes document data names B-1 and B-3 as related data names, the database manager 3 searches the document data storage unit 11 with these data names. Then, the corresponding document data is acquired and displayed in, for example, a plurality of windows in the sub display area on the right side of the display means 5 as shown in FIG. Therefore, the names B-1, B-
If the precautions for using the pin indicated by the CAD data of the name A-1 are described in 3, it means that useful information for the designer can be easily extracted.

In addition, for example, the user uses a keyword as
When a search request is made by inputting the name; "gear", the database manager 3 acquires the relationship data 12-i of FIG. 4, and the main data name B-1 is the document data name, so the document data storage The section 11 is searched by the data name B-1 to obtain the corresponding document data, and this is displayed in the main display area of the display means 5. Further, the document data having the related data name B-2 as a data name is searched from the document data storage unit 11 and displayed in the sub display area, and the related data name A-
The CAD data having 2 is retrieved from the drawing / shape data storage unit 10 and displayed in the sub display area. In this example, when the data of the main data name is document data, it has another document data and CAD data as related data. Similarly, when the data of the main data name is CAD data, different document data and CAD data may be provided as related data.

[0043]

As described above, according to the CAD apparatus of the present invention, C data such as drawings and part shapes are stored in the same database.
Since the AD data, the document data such as the design standard and the know-how, and the association data describing the association of each data are accumulated and the association data is referred to retrieve the related data at the same time, or It is possible to display the document data related to the CAD data at the same time when the CAD data is searched, and to display the CAD data related to the same at the time of the search for a certain document data. Therefore, it is possible to retrieve the information required at the time of designing including the related data at once, so that the efficiency of the design and the improvement of the design quality can be expected. Also, once the document data and related data are created by a skilled person, the related data can be searched by using it, so even those with little knowledge or experience can easily obtain the necessary information. can do.

Further, the relationship between the CAD data and the document data is defined by a main data name, a keyword of data having the main data name as a data name, and a data name of data related to the data. Because it is managed by sex data,
Since each CAD data and document data can be given an arbitrary keyword unique to them, and they can be related to each other, the same keyword is given to the related CAD data and document data so that they can be related to each other. There is no such problem as when holding.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a drawing / shape data storage unit.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a document data storage unit.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a relevance data storage unit.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a database manager search process.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a display example of search results.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Input means 2 ... Drawing / shape creation means 3 ... Database manager 4 ... Database 5 ... Display means 6 ... Hard copy output means 7 ... Document creation means 8 ... Relevance data creation means 9 ... Control means 10 ... Drawing / shape data Storage unit 11 ... Document data storage unit 12 ... Relevance data storage unit

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. C according to the information input from the input means
A drawing / shape creating unit for creating AD data, a display unit for displaying the created CAD data, a database including a drawing / shape data storage unit for storing the created CAD data, and managing the database In a CAD device including a database manager, a document creating unit that creates document data such as know-how and design criteria according to the information input from the input unit, and the document data created by the document creating unit are stored. Related data that is a document data storage unit in the database and a name given to the CAD data stored in the drawing / shape data storage unit as a main data name, and the name of the document data related to the main data name and the keyword Relevance data creating means for creating relevance data composed of a name and the relevance data creating means And a relevance data storage unit in the database for storing the relevance data created by the above, wherein the database manager makes the relevance data including the designated keyword at the time of a search request designating the keyword. A CAD having a data name that is searched from the data storage unit and has the main data name that constitutes the searched relevance data
Data is retrieved from the drawing / shape data storage unit and displayed on the display unit, and document data having a related data name as a data name is retrieved from the document data storage unit and displayed on the display unit. Characteristic CAD device. 2. C according to the information input from the input means
A drawing / shape creating unit for creating AD data, a display unit for displaying the created CAD data, a database including a drawing / shape data storage unit for storing the created CAD data, and managing the database In a CAD device including a database manager, a document creating unit that creates document data such as know-how and design criteria according to the information input from the input unit, and the document data created by the document creating unit are stored. Related data that is a document data storage unit in the database and a name given to the CAD data stored in the drawing / shape data storage unit as a main data name, and the name of the document data related to the main data name and the keyword The relationship data composed of the name and the document data stored in the document data storage section are added. It has been the name of the main data name, associated with the main data name and the keyword C
Relevance data creating means for creating relevance data composed of a relevance data name which is the name of AD data, and relevance in the database for storing relevance data created by the relevance data creating means A data storage unit, and the database manager searches the relevance data storage unit for relevance data including the specified keyword when a search request specifying a keyword is performed, and configures the relevance data that is searched. CAD with data name as data name
The data or document data is retrieved from the drawing / shape data storage unit or the document data storage unit and displayed on the display means, and the document data or CAD data having the associated data name as a data name is stored in the document data storage unit. Alternatively, the CAD device is characterized in that it is retrieved from the drawing / shape data storage unit and displayed on the display means.