Patent ID: 7561996

Claim:
A computer-readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions which when executed on a computer perform a method for generating dimensional drawings for a model object comprising a plurality of model elements, the medium comprising instructions for: storing in an element database a plurality of predetermined model elements of the model object and corresponding element names that are standardized for a plurality of computerized models of the model object; selecting using a user interface a plurality of model elements of one of the computerized models, and associating, using the user interface, at least some of the model elements with corresponding element names; sectioning the one of the computerized models using a model sectioning tool to generate at least a portion of the model elements; defining in a dimensioning tool a plurality of predetermined dimension names that are standardized for each of the computerized models and a plurality of dimensioning algorithms associated with corresponding ones of the dimension names; automatically computing, using the dimensioning tool, dimension values of at least one of the model elements of the one of the computerized models using the dimensioning algorithms and the coordinates and dimensions of at least some of the model elements; automatically associating, using the dimensioning tool, the computed dimension values with corresponding ones of the dimension names; and outputting, using a plotting tool, a dimensional drawing showing the dimension values of at least of the model elements of the one of the computerized models detected by the dimensioning tool.