Patent ID: 7062341

Claim:
A computer implemented method comprising: translating a first representation of parts or sub-assemblies of a mechanical design assembly into a second, different representation of the parts or sub-assemblies of the mechanical design assembly; and thereafter, translating one or more assembly constraints of the mechanical design assembly, where each assembly constraint defines an association between two or more parts or sub-assemblies of the mechanical design assembly and where translating assembly constraints includes converting a data format of the assembly constraints from a first format of a first design system to a second, different format of a second, different design system; and wherein said translating of one or more assembly constraints comprises identifying geometric entities within said translated representations that are counterpart to geometric entities of said pre-translation representations constrained by said one or more assembly constraints and correspondingly constraining said counterpart geometric entities within said translated representations; and wherein said identifying comprises: identifying said geometric entities within said pre-translated representations constrained by said one or more assembly constraints; selecting a plurality of spatial sampling points for each of said identified geometric entities within said pre-translation representations, and for each of said identified geometric entities within said pre-translation representations, applying the selected spatial sampling points to corresponding geometric entities within said translated representations to identify the counterpart geometric entities.