A process for selecting objects in a product life cycle management database containing modeled objects, the process comprising: - providing a graphical user interface on a CAD system; - 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 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; - defining a volume in the displayed view; - searching the database and identifying objects (23f, 24lf) of the view intersecting said defined volume, the search and identification of objects being performed by identifying one or more bounding volume (21b, 22b, 23b, 24b) of respective objects of the set intersecting the defined volume, the identification of one or more intersecting bounding volume (21b, 22b, 23b, 24b) being carried out recursively, based on relations stored in the database between the respective objects; - retrieving from the database the respective exact representations of said identified objects (23f, 24lf), wherein an exact representation comprises at least an exact tessellated representation or a NURBS representation. - providing a graphical user interface on a CAD system; - 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 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; (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 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; - defining a volume in the displayed view; - searching the database and identifying objects (23f, 24lf) of the view intersecting said defined volume, the search and identification of objects being performed by identifying one or more bounding volume (21b, 22b, 23b, 24b) of respective objects of the set intersecting the defined volume, the identification of one or more intersecting bounding volume (21b, 22b, 23b, 24b) being carried out recursively, based on relations stored in the database between the respective objects; - retrieving from the database the respective exact representations of said identified objects (23f, 24lf), wherein an exact representation comprises at least an exact tessellated representation or a NURBS representation.