Maintaining a computer-generated design model

摘要

Restructuring a CAD-system generated design model includes receiving at a computer a command to restructure the design model. The command to restructure indicates a desired change in a hierarchical relationship of a first subset of the model's components with respect to other model components. In accordance with the command to restructure, a new hierarchical data structure can be generated. The new hierarchical data structure identifies a new hierarchical relationship between the model components. Other relationships that are changed as a result of the command to restructure are also determined and are automatically preserved subsequent to the generation of the new hierarchical relationship.