A process for selecting an object in a product life cycle management database containing modeled objects, the process comprising: - providing, on a CAD system, a graphical user interface with a user-controlled pointer; - computing and storing in the product lifecycle database the bounding volumes (21b, 22b, 23b, 24b) of respective objects (21, 22, 23, 24), only one bounding volume (21b, 22b, 23b, 24b) being stored for multi-instantiated objects of the set of objects, the instances of a same reference of an object being stored together with a position matrix; - computing a simplified view of a set of objects (21, 22, 23, 24) of the database wherein (i) the graphical elements of the simplified view are not partitioned according to the individual objects of the set of objects, (ii) the set of objects as represented in the simplified view is not content addressable, and (iii) no individual object composing the set of objects can be selected, the simplified view being computed by using a threshold size or a sag as an entry parameter used for tessellated representations of the objects or by discarding parts contained in other parts or by discarding a user-selectable categories of parts or by using a simplified tessellated representation; - displaying on the graphical user interface the computed simplified view in a given orientation; - determining the location of the pointer in the view; and - searching the database and identifying one object according to the determined location, the search and identification of one object being performed by: -- computing a ray passing through a viewpoint of the view and the determined location of the pointer; -- identifying one or more bounding volume (21b, 22b, 23b, 24b) of a respective object (21, 22, 23, 24) of the set of objects intersecting the computed ray, the identification of one or more intersecting bounding volume being carried out recursively, based on relations stored in the database between the respective objects; -- identifying, amongst the objects corresponding to intersecting bounding volumes, the closest object to the viewpoint; - retrieving from the database an exact representation of said identified object, wherein the exact representation comprises at least an exact tessellated representation or a NURBS representation. - providing, on a CAD system, a graphical user interface with a user-controlled pointer; - computing and storing in the product lifecycle database the bounding volumes (21b, 22b, 23b, 24b) of respective objects (21, 22, 23, 24), only one bounding volume (21b, 22b, 23b, 24b) being stored for multi-instantiated objects of the set of objects, the instances of a same reference of an object being stored together with a position matrix; - computing a simplified view of a set of objects (21, 22, 23, 24) of the database wherein (i) the graphical elements of the simplified view are not partitioned according to the individual objects of the set of objects, (ii) the set of objects as represented in the simplified view is not content addressable, and (iii) no individual object composing the set of objects can be selected, the simplified view being computed by using a threshold size or a sag as an entry parameter used for tessellated representations of the objects or by discarding parts contained in other parts or by discarding a user-selectable categories of parts or by using a simplified tessellated representation; - displaying on the graphical user interface the computed simplified view in a given orientation; - determining the location of the pointer in the view; and - searching the database and identifying one object according to the determined location, the search and identification of one object being performed by: -- computing a ray passing through a viewpoint of the view and the determined location of the pointer; -- identifying one or more bounding volume (21b, 22b, 23b, 24b) of a respective object (21, 22, 23, 24) of the set of objects intersecting the computed ray, the identification of one or more intersecting bounding volume being carried out recursively, based on relations stored in the database between the respective objects; -- identifying, amongst the objects corresponding to intersecting bounding volumes, the closest object to the viewpoint; -- computing a ray passing through a viewpoint of the view and the determined location of the pointer; -- identifying one or more bounding volume (21b, 22b, 23b, 24b) of a respective object (21, 22, 23, 24) of the set of objects intersecting the computed ray, the identification of one or more intersecting bounding volume being carried out recursively, based on relations stored in the database between the respective objects; -- identifying, amongst the objects corresponding to intersecting bounding volumes, the closest object to the viewpoint; - retrieving from the database an exact representation of said identified object, wherein the exact representation comprises at least an exact tessellated representation or a NURBS representation.