Patent ID: 8463581

Claim:
A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving input defining one or more first parametric features arranged in a first order to create a bottom-up component in an assembly; adding the first parametric features to a shared design history according to the first order, and wherein a first parametric feature of the first order defines a respective primary orientation of the bottom-up component in the assembly; receiving input defining one or more second parametric features arranged in a second order to create a top-down component in the assembly; adding the second parametric features to the shared design history according to the second order and following the first parametric features in the shared design history wherein a first parametric feature of the second order defines a respective primary orientation of the top-down component in the assembly, and wherein one or more of the second parametric features reference the bottom-up component in the respective primary orientation of the bottom-up component; receiving input to position the bottom-up component to create a respective secondary orientation of the bottom-up component in the assembly; after receiving the input to position the bottom-up component, receiving input defining one or more third parametric features of the top-down component arranged in a third order wherein at least one of the third features references the bottom-up component in the respective primary orientation of the bottom-up component; adding the third parametric features to the shared design history according to the third order and following the second parametric features in the shared design history; and generating a model by executing the parametric features of the shared design history according to the order of the parametric features in the shared design history; and wherein the method is implemented by one or more processors.