Reconstructing 3D Objects from 2D Sectional Views of Engineering Drawings Using Volume-Based Method

Sectional views are widely used in engineering practice due to their clear and concise expression. However, it is difficult for computers to understand because of the large numbers of omitted entities and their diversified representations. This paper aims at reconstructing 3D models from 2D sectional views by improving the traditional volume based method. First, we present a two-stage loop searching algorithm to extract desired loops from sectional views. Then, sub-objects are identified by the hint-based feature identification algorithm with an intuitive loop-matching criterion. After that, a model-directed algorithm is proposed to guide the generation of sub-objects which are assembled together to form the final objects. The algorithm can handle full sections, partial sections and offset sections, as well as orthographic views. Multiple sectional views are supported in our algorithm. Moreover, the domain of objects is extended to inclined quadric surfaces and intersecting quadric surfaces with higher order curves. Experiment results show its practicability.