Patent ID: 7973789

Claim:
A computer implemented method performed by a computer system programmed to perform the method comprises: opening by the computer system a model of an object, wherein the model comprises a plurality of three-dimensional geometric elements, wherein a three-dimensional geometric element is an element having at least a two-dimensional surface that is positioned at coordinates in a three-dimensional space; determining by the computer system a subset of three-dimensional geometric elements from the plurality of three-dimensional geometric elements of the model; modifying by the computer system properties of one or more of the three-dimensional geometric elements in the subset of three-dimensional geometric elements to form a subset of modified three-dimensional geometric elements; and using by the computer system at least one modified three-dimensional geometric elements from the subset of modified geometric elements to represent at least one three-dimensional geometric element of the model of the object that is not within the subset of three-dimensional geometric elements; determining by the computer system a rendered image in response to the subset of modified three-dimensional geometric elements.