Patent ID: 7698110

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for constructing a three-dimensional (3D) model of a utility network within a computer-aided design (CAD) program executing on a computing device, the method comprising: receiving a selection of a first network part from a catalog of network parts, wherein each network part in the catalog of network parts comprises a different 3D graphics object and includes associated network part data, wherein the first network part is a composite network part composed from a second and a third network part from the catalog, wherein the composite network part includes the associated network part data for the second and third network parts and composite network part data, and wherein the CAD program is configured to manage the composite network part as a single entity within the 3D model of the utility network based on the composite network part data; creating an instance of the first network part based on the selection of the first network part, wherein the instance of the first network part includes associated instance data based on the network part data associated with the first network part; inserting the instance of the first network part into the 3D model of the utility network; updating the instance data associated with the inserted instance of the first network part based on one or more properties of the 3D model; and wherein the composite network part data associated with the first network part is modified globally within the catalog by the CAD program and wherein the instance data associated with the instance of the first network part in the 3D model is updated based on the modified composite network part data associated with the first network part modified globally within the catalog.