Patent ID: 8035638

Claim:
A method of managing computer resources used by a computing device that includes a processor configured to execute a computer-aided design (CAD) application stored in a system memory, the method comprising the steps of: loading a CAD model into the system memory of the computing device, wherein the CAD model includes a plurality of components and represents an assembly; displaying on a display device a representation of the CAD model; receiving a selection from a user to suppress at least one component included in the CAD model, wherein the at least one component includes graphics data, constraints data, and mass properties data that are loaded into the system memory, wherein the constraints data and the mass properties data define relationships between the at least one component and other components included in the CAD model; in response to receiving the selection, unloading by the processor the graphics data of the at least one component from the system memory, but not unloading from the system memory the constraints data and the mass properties data of the at least one component, wherein an amount of free memory associated with the system memory is increased as a result of unloading the graphics data related to the at least one component from the system memory; and displaying on the display device an updated representation of the CAD model based on the unloaded graphics data of the at least one component.