Methods and systems for viewing geometry of an object model generated by a CAD tool

A data processing system, comprising:

• a plurality of client computer systems operatively connected to a network;
• a first server computer system operatively connected to the network and having a first CAD tool;
• means for receiving, via a first of the client computer systems, an object model selection associated with the first CAD tool;
• means for providing the first CAD tool with an ICAD application associated with the object model selection;
• means for commanding the first CAD tool to generate an object model using the ICAD application, the object model having at least one element;
• means for displaying, on the first client computer system, a structure identifying the at least one element of the object model;
• means for receiving a request, via the first client computer system, to view a selected one of the at least one element;
• means for commanding the first CAD tool to generate an image file describing geometry of the selected element in response to the request to view the selected element;
• and
• means for displaying the geometry of the selected element on the first client computer system in accordance with the image file.

A data processing system, comprising:

• a plurality of client computer systems operatively connected to a network, each client computer system having an image viewer;
• a first server computer system operatively connected to the network and having a first CAD tool;
• a memory having an image server program operatively connected, via the network, to the image viewer on each of the plurality of client computer systems and to the first CAD tool, the image server program receives, via a first of the client computer systems, an object model selection associated with the first CAD tool, provides the first CAD tool with an ICAD application stored on the network and associated with the object model selection, commands the first CAD tool to generate an object model having at least one element using the ICAD application, provides the image viewer on each of the client computer systems with a structure identifying the at least one element of the object model, receives a request, via the first client computer system, to view a selected one of the at least one element, commands the first CAD tool to generate an image file describing geometry of the selected element in response to the request to view the selected element, and causes the image viewer on each of the client computer systems to display the geometry of the selected element on the client computer system in accordance with the image file;
• and
• a processor to run the image server program.

A computer-readable medium containing instructions that cause a data processing system having an image server program to perform a method, the data processing system having a plurality of client computer systems operatively connected to a network and a server computer system operatively connected to the network and having a CAD tool, the method comprising:

• receiving, via a first of the client computer systems, an object model selection associated with the first CAD tool;
• providing the first CAD tool with an ICAD application associated with the object model selection;
• commanding the first CAD tool to generate an object model using the ICAD application, the object model having at least one element;
• receiving a structure identifying the at least one element of the object model;
• providing the structure to at least the first client computer system;
• receiving a request to view a selected one of the at least one element;
• commanding the first CAD tool to generate an image file describing geometry of the selected element in response to the request to view the selected element;
• and
• providing one of the image files or a representative object model generated from the image file to each of the client computer systems so that each client computer system displays the geometry of the selected element in accordance with the image file.