Research On Rapid Styling Of Auto Body Based On Constrained Morphing

With the increasing diversity and individuation of consumer demand for cars and other complex industrial products, manufacturers have to launch more innovative products as quickly as possible to gain market. While most steps of auto body design process have been digitized, the conceptual styling process typically regarded as the chiefly step of auto body design fails to digitalize and intelligentize. That becomes one of the main factors affecting the development cycle of vehicle. To reuse experience and knowledge under cover in the existing designs intelligently, rapidly and intuitively so as to enhance the innovative design and personalized design abilities is one of the core issues to shorten the development cycle.Research in the field of auto body conceptual design is analyzed. To improve the design efficiency and quality of product, we develop a rapid styling system based on constrained morphing. We preliminarily achieve the goal of reusing the existing form feature line models and design knowledge effectively, furthermore lay the foundation for the realization of the parametric and intelligent auto body styling technique.This study is discussed in the following aspects:(1) Comparative analysis of the styling features’various forms of representation used in the auto body conceptual design stage. Acting as the link between sketch creators and class A surfaces designers, the form feature line is the key foundation in describing and maintaining product style. For four views of each automotive outer shape, a consistent parametric representation of its form feature line cluster is proposed, wherein each form feature line is represented as a cubic Bezier curve. To assist the design of new models taking advantage of existing digital models, a database consisting of form feature line models is collected and created.(2) Aiming to rapid creation of a car body’s parametric model, we convert the training models into a vector space representation, generate a statistical model (morphable model). Basing on the Bayes theorem, we could infer the full shape of model from the given constraints on the morphable model, which implicitly store the patterns and relationships between its form feature lines. On these grounds, a series of fast and intuitive model editing methods are put forward.(3) Study how to use morphable model technique to naturally achieve the object of brand styling features’inheritance. Research and discuss the rapid extraction and reconstruction technique of the form feature line model from renderings (or sketches), basing on the morphable model. Also study the technique to quick edit of renderings driven by the form feature line model.Finally, basing on MFC and OpenGL, the above morphable model algorithm is programmed, and a rapid parametric styling tool DCiP-AutoMorpher/Styling working as a module of Digital Development Platform&Software System for Complicated Industrial Products (DCiP) is introduced. Then, experimental results and the performance of our algorithm are presented.