A computer-implemented method for querying a database that comprises modeled objects (A, B), each modeled object representing a physical attribute of a respective real object, the database comprising, for each modeled object, a respective simplicial complex (Σ), the respective simplicial complex (Σ) of a modeled object being the image ( σ ( S ( M ( D i ∈ S 2; i = 1, ···, n), P))) of the couple made of a meshing ( M ( D i ∈ S 2; i = 1,···, n)) of the parametric domain ( S 2) of a parametric view function ( S D: P → S ( P, D); D ∈ S 2) and the modeled object, by the composition ( σ ∘ S D) of the parametric view function with a signature function ( σ (·)), the parametric view function being continuous over the parametric domain and over the modeled object space, the signature function ( σ (·)) being continuous over the range of the parametric view function, the method comprising: • providing a query that includes a signature criterion that involves a value of the signature function; and • returning, as results of the query, respective modeled objects of the database, a respective modeled object being returned based on an extent to which the respective modeled object has a respective simplicial complex that respects the signature criterion, the returned respective modeled objects including the respective modeled object for which the respective simplicial complex has the smallest value of a distance to the value of the signature function; wherein each respective meshing ( M ( D i ∈ S 2; i = 1,···,n)) of the parametric domain ( S 2) of the parametric view function (S D) respects a precision criterion ( s: = σ S P U + V U + V R 3 − 1 2 σ S P U + σ S P V R m ≤ ε) in the range ( R m) of the signature function ( σ (·)), wherein the physical attribute is the 3D shape, the modeled objects being 3D modeled objects, and the parametric view function is a 2D silhouette function, the parametric domain ( S 2) being a domain of geometrical view parameters, wherein the domain of geometrical view parameters includes a domain of geometrical view directions, the domain of geometrical view directions being a sphere, each position on the sphere defining a respective geometrical view direction; the precision criterion ( s: = σ S P U + V U + V R 3 − 1 2 σ S P U + σ S P V R m ≤ ε) being a distance between an average of a pair of signature values ( σ ( S ( P, U)), σ ( S ( P, V))) for each of a pair of values ( U, V) in the domain of view geometrical directions and a signature ( σ S P U + V U + V R 3) of an average of said pair of values ( U, V). each modeled object representing a physical attribute of a respective real object, the database comprising, for each modeled object, a respective simplicial complex (Σ), the respective simplicial complex (Σ) of a modeled object being the image ( σ ( S ( M ( D i ∈ S 2; i = 1, ···, n), P))) of the couple made of a meshing ( M ( D i ∈ S 2; i = 1,···, n)) of the parametric domain ( S 2) of a parametric view function ( S D: P → S ( P, D); D ∈ S 2) and the modeled object, by the composition ( σ ∘ S D) of the parametric view function with a signature function ( σ (·)), the parametric view function being continuous over the parametric domain and over the modeled object space, the signature function ( σ (·)) being continuous over the range of the parametric view function, • providing a query that includes a signature criterion that involves a value of the signature function; and • returning, as results of the query, respective modeled objects of the database, a respective modeled object being returned based on an extent to which the respective modeled object has a respective simplicial complex that respects the signature criterion, the returned respective modeled objects including the respective modeled object for which the respective simplicial complex has the smallest value of a distance to the value of the signature function; wherein each respective meshing ( M ( D i ∈ S 2; i = 1,···,n)) of the parametric domain ( S 2) of the parametric view function (S D) respects a precision criterion ( s: = σ S P U + V U + V R 3 − 1 2 σ S P U + σ S P V R m ≤ ε) in the range ( R m) of the signature function ( σ (·)), wherein the physical attribute is the 3D shape, the modeled objects being 3D modeled objects, and the parametric view function is a 2D silhouette function, the parametric domain ( S 2) being a domain of geometrical view parameters, wherein the domain of geometrical view parameters includes a domain of geometrical view directions, the domain of geometrical view directions being a sphere, each position on the sphere defining a respective geometrical view direction; the precision criterion ( s: = σ S P U + V U + V R 3 − 1 2 σ S P U + σ S P V R m ≤ ε) being a distance between an average of a pair of signature values ( σ ( S ( P, U)), σ ( S ( P, V))) for each of a pair of values ( U, V) in the domain of view geometrical directions and a signature ( σ S P U + V U + V R 3) of an average of said pair of values ( U, V).