System and method for generating a three-dimensional image

1. A method for generating three-dimensional image data relating to a product which is composed of multiple interrelated product components and for rendering a three-dimensional scene including a three-dimensional image of the product, comprising:

accessing, using one or more processors, a first set of data from a database, the first set of data relating to an electronic bill of materials of the product, wherein the first set of data comprises multiple first database objects contained in said database which each relate to one of the components of the product and which have associations with each other defining a first hierarchical structure in which the first database objects are arranged and which represents the structure of the product;

generating, using one or more processors, a second set of data based on the first set of data that relates to a three-dimensional image of the product, wherein the second set of data comprises multiple second database objects at least part of which each correspond to a respective first database object and contain or reference three-dimensional geometry data usable for visualizing the component represented by the respective first database object in the three-dimensional image of the product, wherein the second database objects have associations with each other defining a second hierarchical structure in which the second database objects are arranged and which represents the structure of the three-dimensional scene;

enriching, using one or more processors, the second set of data with a third set of data, wherein the third set of data comprises multiple third database objects which have associations with the second database objects and wherein the third database objects contain image information added to the three-dimensional image of the product;

persistently storing, using one or more processors, the enriched second set of data in said database; and

rendering, using one or more processors, a three-dimensional scene including a three-dimensional image of the product on the basis of the stored enriched second set of data using the three-dimensional geometry data contained in or referenced by the second database objects, the associations between the second database objects with each other and with the third database objects and the image information of the third database objects.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the database is a product data management system database.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first database objects comprise one or more original first database objects and one or more first database object revisions corresponding to the one or more original first database objects.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more second database objects comprise one or more original second database objects and one or more second database object revisions corresponding to the one or more original second database objects.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more second database objects is generated as a modified copy of a corresponding one of the one or more first database objects so that the one or more second database objects relate to a three-dimensional image of the product.

6. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein snapshot is generated that represents a state of the first data structure at a point in time at which the second data structure is generated from the first data structure, and the method further comprises:

detecting changes made to the first set of data; and

applying corresponding changes to the second set of data, wherein the step of detecting changes comprises comparing a state of the first data structure at a later point in time with the state of the first data structure at the point in time at which the second data structure is generated from the first data structure.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the snapshot comprises one or more snapshot objects, each of the one or more snapshot objects associated with a respective one of the one or more second database objects and comprising a reference to a respective one of the one or more first database objects from which the respective one of the one or more second database objects was generated.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein each of the one or more snapshot objects comprises a timestamp indicating a state of the respective one of the one or more first database objects at the time the corresponding one of the one or more second database objects was generated from the respective one of the one or more first database objects.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein each of the one or more snapshot objects has an association with one or more snapshot node objects, the one or more snapshot node objects comprising a reference to a child object within the first data structure that belongs to the respective one of the one or more first database objects referenced by the snapshot object.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third set of data comprises data related to one or more of the following: light sources, shader information, texture information, animations, and surroundings.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second set of data is generated such that an association exists between at least one first database object and at least one second database object that corresponds to the first database object, and wherein the method comprises:

detecting changes made to the first set of data; and

applying corresponding changes to the second set of data, wherein the step of detecting changes comprises that the association between the first database object and the second database object is used to determine the first database object and the second database object which correspond to each other and that the determined first and second database object are compared to each other.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein one or more reference objects are generated, each of the one or more reference objects corresponding to a respective one of the one or more second database objects and referencing a respective one of the one or more first database objects from which the respective one of the one or more second database objects has been generated, and wherein the changes made to the one or more first database objects are detected by comparing at least one of the second database objects with a respective one of the first database objects from which the second database object has been generated.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first, second and third database objects are each configured to be individually accessed by a database management system and wherein the associations between the first, second and third database objects are adapted to enable the database management system to identify a database object when knowing the associated database object.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third set of data comprises one or more of the following:

a Light Source database object including lighting information used for rendering the three-dimensional scene or a three-dimensional object therein by rasterization and/or ray tracing,

a Look database object which is associated with one of the second database objects and which includes shader and/or texture information used to render a three-dimensional object in the three-dimensional scene that is represented by the respective second database object, and

an Animation database object which is associated with one of the second database objects and which includes information relating to a three-dimensional trajectory along which a three-dimensional object represented by the respective second database object is moved in the three-dimensional scene.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third set of data comprises a Surrounding database object which includes information relating to a three-dimensional stage on which a three-dimensional object is presented in the three-dimensional scene.

16. A system for generating three-dimensional image data relating to a product which is composed of multiple interrelated components and for rendering a three-dimensional scene including a three-dimensional image of the product, comprising:

one or more data processing apparatus; and

a computer-readable medium coupled to the one or more data processing apparatus having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more data processing apparatus, cause the one or more data processing apparatus to perform a method comprising:

accessing a first set of data from a database, the first set of data relating to an electronic bill of materials of the product, wherein the first set of data comprises multiple first database objects contained in said database which each relate to one of the components of the product and which have associations with each other defining a first hierarchical structure in which the first database objects are arranged and which represents the structure of the product;

generating a second set of data based on the first set of data that relates to a three-dimensional image of the product, wherein the second set of data comprises multiple second database objects at least part of which each correspond to a respective first database object and which contain or reference three-dimensional geometry data usable for visualizing the component represented by the respective first database object in the three-dimensional image of the product, wherein the second database objects have associations with each other defining a second hierarchical structure in which the second database objects are arranged and which represents the structure of the three-dimensional scene;

enriching the second set of data with a third set of data, the third set of data, wherein the third set of data comprises multiple third database objects which have associations with the second database objects and wherein the third database objects contain image information added to the three-dimensional image of the product;

persistently storing the enriched second set of data in said database; and

rendering a three-dimensional scene including a three-dimensional image of the product on the basis of the stored enriched second set of data using the three-dimensional geometry data contained in or referenced by the second database objects, using the three-dimensional geometry data contained in or referenced by the second database objects, the associations between the second database objects with each other and with the third database objects and the image information of the third database objects.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the database is a product data management system database.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the one or more first database objects comprise one or more original first database objects and one or more first database object revisions corresponding to the one or more original first database objects.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the one or more second database objects comprise one or more original second database objects and one or more second database object revisions corresponding to the one or more original second database objects.

20. The system of claim 16 , wherein each of the one or more second database objects is generated as a modified copy of a corresponding one of the one or more first database objects so that the one or more second database objects relate to a three-dimensional image of the product.

21. The system of claim 16 ,

wherein a snapshot is generated that represents a state of the first data structure at a point in time at which the second data structure is generated from the first data structure, and the method further comprises:

detecting changes made to the first set of data; and

applying corresponding changes to the second set of data, wherein the step of detecting comprises comparing a state of the first data structure at a later point in time with the state of the first data structure at the point in time at which the second data structure is generated from the first data structure.

22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the snapshot comprises one or more snapshot objects, each of the one or more snapshot objects corresponding with a respective one of the one or more second database objects and comprising a reference to a respective one of the one or more first database objects from which the respective one of the one or more second database objects was generated.

23. The system of claim 22 , wherein each of the one or more snapshot objects comprises a timestamp indicating a state of the respective one of the one or more first database objects at the time the corresponding one of the one or more second database objects was generated from the respective one of the one or more first database objects.

24. The system of claim 22 , wherein each of the one or more snapshot objects has an association with one or more snapshot node objects, the one or more snapshot node objects comprising a reference to a child object within the first data structure that belongs to the respective one of the one or more first database objects referenced by the snapshot object.

25. The system of claim 16 , wherein the third set of data comprises data related to one or more of the following: light sources, shader information, texture information, animations, and surroundings.

26. The system of claim 16 , wherein the second set of data is generated such that an association exists between at least one first database object and at least one second database object that corresponds to the first database object, and wherein the method comprises:

detecting changes made to the first set of data; and

applying corresponding changes to the second set of data, wherein the step of detecting changes comprises that the association between the first database object and the second database object is used to determine the first database object and the second database object which correspond to each other and that the determined first and second database object are compared to each other.

27. The system of claim 26 , wherein one or more reference objects are generated, each of the one or more reference objects corresponding to a respective one of the one or more second database objects and referencing a respective one of the one or more first database objects from which the respective one of the one or more second database objects has been generated and wherein the changes made to the one or more first database objects are detected by comparing at least one of the second database objects with the respective one of the first database objects from which the second database object has been generated.

28. The system of claim 16 , wherein the first, second and third database objects are each configured to be individually accessed by a database management system and wherein the associations between the first, second and third database objects are adapted to enable the database management system to identify a database object when knowing the associated database object.

29. The system of claim 16 , wherein the third set of data comprises one or more of the following:

a Light Source database object including lighting information used for rendering the three-dimensional scene or a three-dimensional object therein by rasterization and/or ray tracing,

a Look database object which is associated with one of the second database objects and which includes shader and/or texture information used to render a three-dimensional object in the three-dimensional scene that is represented by the respective second database object, and

an Animation database object which is associated with one of the second database objects and which includes information relating to a three-dimensional trajectory along which a three-dimensional object represented by the respective second database object is moved in the three-dimensional scene.

30. The system of claim 16 , wherein the third set of data comprises a Surrounding database object which includes information relating to a three-dimensional stage on which a three-dimensional object is presented in the three-dimensional scene.

31. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a data processing apparatus, causes the data processing apparatus to perform a method for generating three-dimensional image data relating to a product which is composed of multiple interrelated product components and for rendering a three-dimensional scene including a three-dimensional image of the product, comprising:

accessing a first set of data from a database, the first set of data relating to an electronic bill of materials of the product, wherein the first set of data comprises multiple first database objects contained in said database which each relate to one of the components of the product and which have associations with each other defining a first hierarchical structure in which the first database objects are arranged and which represents the structure of the product;

generating a second set of data based on the first set of data that relates to a three-dimensional image of the product, wherein the second set of data comprises multiple second database objects at least part of which each correspond to a respective first database object and contain or reference three-dimensional geometry data usable for visualizing the component represented by the respective first database object in the three-dimensional image of the product, wherein the second database objects have associations with each other defining a second hierarchical structure in which the second database objects are arranged and which represents the structure of the three-dimensional scene;

enriching the second set of data with a third set of data, wherein the third set of data comprises multiple third database objects which have associations with the second database objects and wherein the third database objects contain image information added to the three-dimensional image of the product;

persistently storing the enriched second set of data in said database; and

rendering a three-dimensional scene including a three-dimensional image of the product on the basis of the stored enriched second set of data using the three-dimensional geometry data contained in or referenced by the second database objects, the associations between the second database objects with each other and with the third database objects and the image information of the third database objects.