Component specifying and selection apparatus and method using intelligent graphic type selection interface

A method for generating an output identifying components for a system, each of the components having one of a plurality of types, each of the components defined by a plurality of specifications, the method comprising:

• employing a network interface to receive a selection tool into a computer system memory;
• executing the selection tool on a processing device to open a multi-window display that includes a schedule window, a product type select window, and a first product window, and a second product window;
• executing the selection tool to display a menu of a plurality of graphic elements, each of the plurality of graphic elements representative of and corresponding to a product type;
• executing the selection tool to receive a user input selecting a first graphic element from the menu;
• executing the selection tool on the processing device, subsequent to receiving the user input, to update the multi-window display to display the first graphic element in the product type select window;
• executing the selection tool to filter a component database to identify a, first set of components having a component type corresponding to the first graphic element;
• and
• executing the selection tool to display in the product window data a list of components from the first set of components.
• executing the selection tool to obtain a first select input selecting a first component within the product window;
• and
• executing the selection tool to display, responsive to obtaining the first select input, a second list of one or more components linked to the first component.