Extraction of generative processes from B-Rep shapes and application to idealization transformations

A construction tree is a set of shape generation processes commonly produced with CAD modelers during a design process of B-Rep objects. However, a construction tree does not bring all the desired properties in many configurations: dimension modifications, idealization processes, etc. Generating a non trivial set of generative processes, possibly forming a construction graph, can significantly improve the adequacy of some of these generative processes to meet user’s application needs. This paper proposes to extract generative processes from a given B-rep shape as a high-level shape description. To evaluate the usefulness of this description, finite element analyses (FEA) and particularly idealizations are the applications selected to evaluate the adequacy of additive generative processes. Non trivial construction trees containing generic extrusion and revolution primitives behave like well established CSG trees. Advantageously, the proposed approach is primitive-based, which ensures that any generative process of the construction graph does preserve the realizability of the corresponding volume. In the context of FEA, connections between idealized primitives of a construction graph can be efficiently performed using their interfaces. Consequently, generative processes of a construction graph become a high-level object structure that can be tailored to idealizations of primitives and robust connections between them. •Generative processes are derived from extrusion primitives identified in the object.•Maximal primitives are identified and removed from the object to simplify its shape.•The object is simplified up to single extrusions to produce a construction graph.•The extracted graph is a non trivial representation of the object with additive process.•Extrusion primitives and interfaces are used to generate an idealized model for FEA.