Method and apparatus for representing 3d thumbnails

A system for generating a rotatable thumbnail representation of a three-dimensional (3D) model of an object stored in a computer-aided design (CAD) file, comprising:

• at least one processor;
• a computer readable medium that is operatively coupled to the processor;
• and
• logic that executes at least in part in the processor from the computer readable medium and that, when executed, causes generation of the rotatable thumbnail representation by at least:
• translating contents of the CAD file into a neutral graphics format;
• converting the translated file content into a succession of views of the object, each successive view presenting a different perspective of the object as it rotates about a common axis;
• converting the successive views to a sequence of thumbnail-sized images;
• associating the sequence with a single thumbnail representation of the CAD file;
• and
• configuring the thumbnail representation to enable a user to preview the CAD file on a graphical user interface by displaying the thumbnail-sized images according to the sequence to simulate rotation of the object about the common axis.