Autodesk, Inc.

Nam Ho Kim

David Jon Weinberg

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for computer aided design of physical structures include: obtaining a density-based representation of a modeled object, the density-based representation comprising multiple different subsets of elements, each subset having a starting element at a milling depth, which is one of three or more milling depths for three or more corresponding discrete layers that are each perpendicular to a milling direction for the modeled object; and reassigning milling depths of at least a portion of the multiple different subsets of elements, the reassigning for a current starting element in a current layer for an element subset comprising moving the milling depth for the element subset of the current starting element when an angular difference between other starting elements, which are associated with the current starting element and are located in a different layer, meets or exceeds a threshold value.

Computer aided generative design with tool size control to facilitate 2.5-axis subtractive manufacturing processes

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for computer aided design of physical structures using generative design processes, where the 3D models of the physical structures are produced so as to facilitate manufacturing of the physical structures using 2.5-axis subtractive manufacturing systems and techniques, include: obtaining a design space, design criteria, and in-use case(s); iteratively modifying a generatively designed shape in the design space in accordance with the design criteria and the in-use case(s) using a density-based representation of the generatively designed shape and including adjusting the density-based representation of the generatively designed three dimensional shape in accordance with a milling direction of a 2.5-axis subtractive manufacturing process in at least two iterations of the iteratively modifying; and providing the generatively designed shape for use in manufacturing a physical structure using computer-controlled manufacturing that employs the 2.5-axis subtractive manufacturing process.

Computer aided generative design with layer boundary determination to facilitate 2.5-axis subtractive manufacturing processes

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for computer aided design of physical structures include: obtaining a density-based representation of a modeled object and data specifying a starting element for each of multiple different subsets of elements; processing starting elements having milling depths associated with layers below a top most layer, the processing including, for a current starting element for a current layer, identifying other starting elements that have milling depths associated with a layer above the current layer and are closer to the current starting element than an amount at least equal to a radius of a smallest available milling tool, calculating a maximum angular difference, and moving the milling depth for the element subset of the current starting element to a layer above the current layer, responsive to the maximum angular difference being greater than a threshold, to remove a non-manufacturable corner.

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Gainesville, FL, United States of America

Nam Ho Kim