Patent ID: 8723861

Claim:
A computer implemented method of forming a representation of a shelled object, comprising: receiving a tool body to be added onto a base body; determining one or more surfaces of the tool body that are not shared with the base body; creating a form with offset features, wherein the creating step includes either offsetting the tool body away from the surfaces that are not shared with the base body and toward the base body or offsetting the surfaces of the tool body that are not shared with the base body toward the base body; dividing the form with offset features into a plurality of cells including one or more cells that are bounded by the one or more surfaces of the tool body that are not shared with the base body prior to offset, the one or more surfaces of the tool body that are not shared with the base body after offset and one or more surfaces of the base body, one or more cells that are bounded by the one or more surfaces of the tool body after offset and one or more surfaces of the base body, one or more cells that are defined by a portion of the base body that is not overlapped by the tool body after offset or one or more cells that are defined by a portion of the base body that is overlapped by the tool body after offset; and joining a subset of cells from the plurality of cells to form an assembly, wherein a representation of the assembly is shown on a display of a graphical computing device.