Method and apparatus for design and manufacturing application associative interoperability

摘要

A method and apparatus relating to a CAD system that enables communication between a first CAD application and a second CAD application in a manner providing associative interoperability is provided. In one illustrative example, a method is provided in at least one electronic device of communicating between a first CAD application and a second CAD application. The method begins by storing native data and a sub-set of native data. A plug-in is provided having an application program interface API and being accessible by the second CAD application. The plug-in conveys the sub-set of native data to the second CAD application. The system for carrying out the method includes a first CAD application and a second CAD application. Native data and a sub-set of native data relating to an object modeled on the first CAD application are stored in a first memory store. A plug-in is accessible by the second CAD application and is suitable for accessing and retrieving the subset of native data to enable the second CAD application to create a second model of at least a portion of the object modeled on the first CAD application. The first CAD application does not need to export a file containing the object.