US 11,947,334 B2
Macrostructure topology generation with disparate physical simulation for Computer Aided Design and Manufacturing
Konara Mudiyanselage Kosala Bandara, Beckenham (GB); Karl Darcy Daniel Willis, San Bruno, CA (US); Andrew John Harris, London (GB); Andriy Banadyha, Uxbridge (GB); Daniele Grandi, London (GB); Adrian Adam Thomas Butscher, Toronto (CA); Andreas Linas Bastian, Oakland, CA (US); and Hooman Shayani, Longfield (GB)
Assigned to Autodesk, Inc., San Francisco, CA (US)
Filed by Autodesk, Inc., San Francisco, CA (US)
Filed on Apr. 22, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/238,116.
Application 17/238,116 is a continuation of application No. PCT/US2019/060089, filed on Nov. 6, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/758,404, filed on Nov. 9, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0263498 A1, Aug. 26, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G05B 19/4099 (2006.01); B29C 64/393 (2017.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 50/02 (2015.01); G05B 19/18 (2006.01); G06F 30/23 (2020.01); G06F 113/10 (2020.01)
CPC G05B 19/4099 (2013.01) [B29C 64/393 (2017.08); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 50/02 (2014.12); G05B 19/182 (2013.01); G06F 30/23 (2020.01); G05B 2219/35167 (2013.01); G06F 2113/10 (2020.01)] 60 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
obtaining, by a computer aided design program, a design space for an object to be manufactured, a setup for physical simulation of the object, at least one design objective for the object, and at least one design constraint for the object;
iteratively modifying, by the computer aided design program, both a three dimensional topology of a generative model for the object and one or more outer shapes of the three dimensional topology using a generative design process that employs a level-set method of topology optimization and a level-set representation of the generative model in the design space, wherein the modifying comprises
changing a constitutive model for the physical simulation in accordance with a current iteration of the level-set representation and a homogenized lattice material representation that expresses stiffness of a lattice, which is composed of beams and void regions, as a function of lattice topology and volume fraction for the lattice with a uniform thickness of the beams in the lattice,
performing the physical simulation of the object using the changed constitutive model to produce a physical assessment with respect to the at least one design objective and the at least one design constraint,
computing shape change velocities for the level-set representation in the current iteration in accordance with the physical assessment, and
updating the level-set representation for the object using the shape change velocities with the level-set method;
adjusting, by the computer aided design program after the modifying completes changes to both the three dimensional topology and the one or more outer shapes of the three dimensional topology, (i) a thickness of the beams in the lattice, or (ii) a density of the lattice, in accordance with the physical simulation, the at least one design objective and the at least one design constraint, while keeping the three dimensional topology constant; and
providing, by the computer aided design program, a three dimensional model of the object in accordance with the three dimensional topology, the one or more outer shapes of the three dimensional topology and the adjusted lattice, for use in manufacturing a physical structure corresponding to the object using one or more computer-controlled manufacturing systems.