BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The invention generally relates to the field of computer programs and systems and more specifically to the fields of product design and simulation and augmented and virtual reality. The embodiments of the invention may be applied in non-limiting examples such as virtual reality, augmented reality, product design and simulation, collaborative decision making and product lifecycle operation and education and entertainment, e.g., video games and movies.

2. Background and Relevant Art

Applications providing virtual reality (VR) experiences are generally known. Through the VR experience provided by this application, a user is enabled to interact with a simulation model and visualize its results. A user typically experiences the VR experience through a headset mounted device (HMD), such as a helmet mounted display, a pair of wearable glasses, and/or any other types of HMD. Through the HMD, the user may traverse the virtual space (e.g., look-around, walk-around, fly-through). The VR system may provide controllers for the user to manipulate, inspect, measure virtual objects in the VR environment, perform an operation, exercise controls, and/or engage in other types of interactions within the virtual space. The user interactions are typically executed in real-time to enhance the virtual experience. Sound, haptic devices, and other non-visual technologies may also be used to enhance the virtual experience.

A number of existing product design and simulation systems are offered on the market for the design and simulation of systems, parts, or assemblies of parts. Such product and simulation systems typically employ computer aided design (CAD) and/or computer aided engineering (CAE) programs to specify the digital geometric representation and functional characteristics of the product. These systems allow a user to construct, manipulate, and simulate complex three-dimensional models of objects or assemblies of objects. These CAD and CAE systems thus, provide a representation of modeled objects using points, lines, polygons, and surfaces. Lines and surfaces may be represented in various manners, e.g. non-uniform rational basis-splines (NURBS).

The advent of CAD and CAE systems permit a wide range of simulation models of objects. These simulations predict the behavior of the product in various conditions. An example would be the structural response of a building to various forces such as wind and earthquakes. Another common simulation is computational fluid dynamics (CFD) which simulates fluid flow around or through a product such as water through a piping system or an airplane flying through the air. A simulation or CAE model is typically a separate model from the CAD model. A common representation of a simulation model consists of a system of points which are connected to form simple geometric shapes called elements such as a triangle or quadrilateral in two dimensions or a hexahedron or tetrahedron in three dimensions. These elements are combined to form a mesh which constitutes the geometric aspect of the simulation model. These models may be derived from a CAD model and may represent one or more parts or an entire assembly. Simulation models may be programmed in such a way that the model has the properties of the underlying object that it represents. The model is then able to predict behavior of the underlying object in the physical environment. Moreover, CAD and CAE models can be utilized to simulate engineering systems.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention can comprise systems, methods, and apparatus configured to dynamically present visualization of CAD and CAE models through a VR application. In particular, implementations of the present invention can additionally or alternatively comprise a computer system containing a file import component, simulation model data component, a data translator component, a component to provide data computation and visualization, and a user interface component, and or any other components. The data translator probes the original CAE model and produces an optimized data structure for the visualization component. This invention enables users to query and interact with the CAD and CAE models in real-time in a virtual reality.

Additional features and advantages of exemplary implementations of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by the practice of such exemplary implementations. The features and advantages of such implementations may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. These and other features will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the reduction to practice of such exemplary implementations as set forth hereinafter.

