Patent Document ID: 20110047516
Application ID: 12837159
Patent Status: 0

Claim One:
1. A method for modification of a physical process topology shown on a flowsheet rendered by a computer including a plurality of graphical objects that are interconnected to represent at least a portion of operations for said physical process, comprising: detecting a user initiated move action on a selected graphical object from said plurality of graphical objects on said flowsheet within a rendered canvas of a graphical user interface; during said user initiated move action, based a predetermined threshold distance between said selected graphical object and others of said plurality of graphical objects, identifying candidate graphical objects from said others of plurality of graphical objects; provided at least one candidate graphical object is identified during said identifying, visually presenting at least one proposed connection between said selected graphical object and said candidate graphical object in a contrasting visual style to a style for established interconnections between said plurality of graphical objects within said rendered canvas; receiving a user confirmation action within said graphical user interface, wherein said user confirmation action confirms or rejects said proposed connection, and provided said user confirms said proposed connection, visually presenting a new established connection to replace said proposed connection using said style for established interconnections within said rendered canvas between said selected graphical object and said candidate graphical object.