Patent ID: 7688318

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for reusing design data in a computer-aided design model, the method comprising: (a) in a digital processor, automatically decomposing a computer-aided design file into a plurality of elements, each element being a logical data set of design data, wherein automatically decomposing comprises: analyzing the computer-aided design file to identify each of the plurality of elements; and storing in data storage information corresponding to each of the plurality of elements, wherein: the information identifies corresponding ones of the plurality of elements to facilitate reproduction of at least one of the plurality of elements; and the information is one of data indicating a location in the computer-aided design file and data defining at least one of the plurality of elements; and (b) querying the data storage to locate one of the plurality of elements; (c) retrieving the information from the data storage corresponding to the one of the plurality of elements; (d) presenting the one of the plurality of elements in a user interface; (e) responding to user selection of the presented one of the plurality of elements for inclusion in the computer-aided design model; and (f) constructing the computer-aided design model by incorporating the presented and selected one of the plurality of elements in the computer-aided design model wherein the steps of (a), (b), (c), (d), (e) and (f) are performed by a computerized modeling system.