Intelligent constraint definitions for assembly part mating

A system for drawing a graphical element comprising:

• (a) a computer system having a memory and a data storage device coupled thereto;
• (b) a drawing program executing on the computer system, the drawing program configured to:
• (i) initiate an option to create a first constraint interface for a first geometric characteristic of a first component;
• (ii) in response to the initiation, display a dialog window for specifying settings for the first constraint interface regardless of whether a second constraint interface is currently displayed, wherein the settings define mating properties for how the first geometric characteristic of the first component mates with the second constraint interface;
• and
• (iii) persist the first constraint interface of the first geometric characteristic with the first component.

An article of manufacture comprising a program storage medium readable by a computer and embodying one or more instructions executable by the computer to perform a method for drawing a graphical element, the method comprising:

• initiating an option to create a first constraint interface for a first geometric characteristic of a first component;
• in response to the initiation, displaying a dialog window for specifying settings for the first constraint interface regardless of whether a second constraint interface is currently displayed, wherein the settings define mating properties for how the first geometric characteristic of the first component mates with the second constraint interface;
• and
• persisting the first constraint interface of the first geometric characteristic with the first component.