In order to satisfy a development target for a 50% reduction in the man hours expended in the generation of Class A surfaces, the development of the system discussed in this paper focused on three phases of modeling leading to the completion of Class A surfaces.New technologies were developed to innovatively increase work efficiency in each area, and these were realized as CAD functions. This paper will discuss the technologies that helped to realize the functions that have had the greatest effect on performance.First, for the generation of basic surfaces fitted over scanned clay model data, a technology was developed that defines surface behavior and quality as an optimization model based on hints from the stiffness of physical plates. The solution of the optimization model generates high-quality fitting surfaces.Next, the computational algorithms for the generation of the fillet surfaces that represent approximately 10% of the number of Class A surfaces were fundamentally revised, resulting in a simultaneous increase in speed and accuracy.For the final phase of Class A data generation, a target-driven modeling (TDM) function was realized that helps enable designers to make minor adjustments in accordance with their aesthetic judgment. This function has increased the efficiency of finishing work for Class A surfaces, which demands the expression of finely detailed design shapes.
Article of Honda R&D Technical Review Vol.22 No.1 (105 - 120)