Compressing binary geometry files for structural products

A method of compressing one or more binary geometry files for one or more structural products, the method comprising:

• accessing a binary geometry file that contains a geometric model of a structural product, the structural product being formed of component parts that exist independent of instantiations of the component parts in the structural product, and the geometric model including an assembly of geometric models of instances of the component parts, wherein the structural product includes multiple instances of a component part;
• identifying the component parts of the structural product;
• generating a master binary geometry file for the structural product, the master binary geometry file containing only one geometric model of each component part of the structural product;
• applying the binary geometry file to a coder that generates a corresponding compressed binary geometry file, the coder generating the corresponding compressed binary geometry file by searching the binary geometry file for the geometric models of the instances of the component parts, and substituting a reference to the one geometric model of the component part in the master binary geometry file, for the geometric model of each of the multiple instances of the component part;
• and
• storing the master binary geometry file and the corresponding compressed binary geometry file in persistent storage.

A computer-readable storage medium for compressing one or more binary geometry files for one or more structural products, the computer-readable storage medium being non-transitory and having computer-readable program code stored therein that, in response to execution by processing circuitry, causes an apparatus to at least:

• access a binary geometry file that contains a geometric model of a structural product, the structural product being formed of component parts that exist independent of instantiations of the component parts in the structural product, and the geometric model including an assembly of geometric models of instances of the component parts, wherein the structural product includes multiple instances of a component part;
• identify the component parts of the structural product;
• generate a master binary geometry file for the structural product, the master binary geometry file containing only one geometric model of each component part of the structural product;
• apply the binary geometry file to a coder configured to generate a corresponding compressed binary geometry file, the coder configured to generate the corresponding compressed binary geometry file by searching the binary geometry file for the geometric models of the instances of the component parts, and substituting a reference to the one geometric model of the component part in the master binary geometry file, for the geometric model of each of the multiple instances of the component part;
• and
• store the master binary geometry file and the corresponding compressed binary geometry file in persistent storage.