Patent ID: 7825940

Claim:
A method, comprising: obtaining, on a computer system, a data structure representing an object, wherein the object is an assembly of a plurality of parts, wherein the data structure comprises a plurality of hierarchically arranged data elements each representing one of the plurality of parts of the assembly, wherein each of the plurality of parts of the assembly is either a single distinct component of the assembly or a sub-assembly of two or more others of the plurality of parts of the assembly, and wherein each data element indicates element coordinate axes for the respective part of the assembly represented by the data element; displaying, on the computer system, a representation of two or more of the plurality of parts of the assembly, wherein at least one of the displayed two or more parts is a sub-assembly of two or more others of the plurality of parts of the assembly; receiving, on the computer system, input selecting one of the displayed parts of the assembly, wherein the selected part is a sub-assembly; in response to said selection of the displayed part of the assembly, displaying, on the computer system, indicators for the element coordinate axes associated with the selected part; receiving, on the computer system, input manipulating at least one of the displayed indicators for the element coordinate axes associated with the selected part; and in response to said input manipulating the at least one of the displayed indicators, performing, on the computer system, at least one of a translation and a rotation of the displayed representation of the selected part of the assembly relative to the element coordinate axes associated with the selected part, wherein at least one other displayed part of the assembly is not affected by said at least one of a translation and a rotation.