System and method for projecting b-rep outlines to detect collisions along a translational path

1. A method for detecting collisions in a three-dimension environment represented in a computer, comprising the steps of:

establishing a projection path along a translational path of a first object toward a second object by the computer;

projecting a first object outline from said first object and a second object outline from said second object onto a projection plane by the computer to obtain an intersection of the first object outline and the second object outline on the projection plane;

calculating a collision along said translational path from said intersection of said first object outline and said second object outline on the projection plane by the computer; and

checking for a static collision between said first object and said second object at an end of said translational path by the computer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein one of said first object and second object is a solid model.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein one of said first object and second object is in a boundary represented geometry.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first object is in transit.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said second object is static.

6. A computer-program product tangibly embodied in a machine readable medium to perform method for detecting collisions in a three-dimension environment, comprising:

instructions for establishing a projection path along a translational path of a first object toward a second object;

instructions for projecting a first object outline from said first object and a second object outline from said second object onto a projection plane to obtain an intersection of the first object outline and the second object outline on the projection plane;

instructions for calculating a collision along said translational path from said intersection of said first object outline and said second object outline on the projection plane; and

instructions for checking for a static collision between said first object and said second object at an end of said translational path.

7. The computer-program product of claim 6 , wherein one of said first object and second object is a solid model.

8. The computer-program product of claim 6 , wherein one of said first object and second object is in a boundary represented geometry.

9. The computer-program product of claim 6 , wherein said first object is in transit.

10. The computer-program product of claim 6 , wherein said second object is static.

11. A data processing system having at least a processor and accessible memory to implement a method for detecting collisions in a three dimension environment, comprising:

means for establishing a projection path along a translational path of a first object toward a second object;

means for projecting a first object outline from said first object and a second object outline from said second object onto a projection plane to obtain an intersection of the first object outline and the second object outline on the projection plane;

means for calculating a collision along said translational path from said intersection of said first object outline and said second object outline on the projection plane; and

means for checking for a static collision between said first object and said second object at an end of said translational path.

12. A method for detecting collisions along a translational path, comprising the steps of:

finding a first outline of a first object, and a second outline of a second object, and establishing a projection path along a translational path of a first object toward a second object;

finding intersections-in-view with said first outline and said second outline according to projections of the first outline and second outline on a projection plane;

checking for a static collision between said first object and said second object.