Patent Document ID: 20080188969
Application ID: 11670820
Patent Status: 0

Claim One:
1. A computer-implemented method for reusing design data in a computer-aided design model, the method comprising: automatically decomposing a computer-aided design file into a plurality of elements, 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 querying the data storage to locate one of the plurality of elements; retrieving the information from the data storage corresponding to the one of the plurality of elements; presenting the one of the plurality of elements in a user interface; selecting the presented one of the plurality of elements for inclusion in the computer-aided design model; and constructing the computer-aided design model by incorporating the presented and selected one of the plurality of elements in the computer-aided design model.