Patent ID: 8682464

Claim:
A method for generating three-dimensional image data relating to a product which is composed of multiple interrelated product components and for rendering a three-dimensional scene including a three-dimensional image of the product, comprising: accessing, using one or more processors, a first set of data from a database, the first set of data relating to an electronic bill of materials of the product, wherein the first set of data comprises multiple first database objects contained in said database which each relate to one of the components of the product and which have associations with each other defining a first hierarchical structure in which the first database objects are arranged and which represents the structure of the product; generating, using one or more processors, a second set of data based on the first set of data that relates to a three-dimensional image of the product, wherein the second set of data comprises multiple second database objects at least part of which each correspond to a respective first database object and contain or reference three-dimensional geometry data usable for visualizing the component represented by the respective first database object in the three-dimensional image of the product, wherein the second database objects have associations with each other defining a second hierarchical structure in which the second database objects are arranged and which represents the structure of the three-dimensional scene; enriching, using one or more processors, the second set of data with a third set of data, wherein the third set of data comprises multiple third database objects which have associations with the second database objects and wherein the third database objects contain image information added to the three-dimensional image of the product; persistently storing, using one or more processors, the enriched second set of data in said database; and rendering, using one or more processors, a three-dimensional scene including a three-dimensional image of the product on the basis of the stored enriched second set of data using the three-dimensional geometry data contained in or referenced by the second database objects, the associations between the second database objects with each other and with the third database objects and the image information of the third database objects.