# US 2017/0287084 A1 · Apparatus and method of managing 2d documents for large-scale capital projects > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0287084 A1 - Document ID: US20170287084A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/089,921 - Filed: 2016-04-04 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2016-04-04 - Assignees: Hexagon Technology Center GmbH - Applicants: Hexagon Technology Center GmbH - Inventors: Gil Ziny - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170287084A1 ## CPC - G06Q 50/08: Construction - G06F 16/288: {Entity relationship models} - G06F 16/93: Document management systems - G06Q 10/06: Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract An apparatus and/or method of managing a large capital project obtains access to 2D capital project documents (“2D documents”) produced using project data generated by a 3D design program. The documents are logically related through a hierarchy that is defined by a plurality of attribute based rules. Next, the method and/or apparatus access a given 2D document. Like others, the given 2D document has a specific given attribute and is in a given hierarchical level. The method and/or apparatus then applies at least one of the attribute based rules to the given attribute of the given 2D document, and determines, as a function of applying that attribute based rule, which different 2D document in the plurality of 2D documents in another hierarchical level to access. The method and/or apparatus accordingly accesses the different 2D document as a function of the application of the noted attribute based rule to given attribute. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of managing a large capital project, the method comprising: obtaining access to a plurality of 2D capital project documents (“2D documents”) that were produced using project data generated by a 3D design program used for the capital project, the 2D documents being stored in a digital storage device and representing a physical aspect of the capital project, the plurality of 2D documents logically related through a hierarchy that at least in part is defined by a plurality of attribute based rules; accessing a given 2D document of the plurality of 2D documents, the given 2D document having a given attribute and being in a given hierarchical level; applying at least one of the attribute based rules to the given attribute of the given 2D document; determining, as a function of applying the at least one attribute based rule, which different 2D document in the plurality of 2D documents in another hierarchical level to access; and accessing the different 2D document as a function of the application of the at least one attribute based rule to given attribute. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as defined by claim 1 wherein the set of attribute based rules dynamically changes the hierarchy of the given document if the at least one associated given attribute changes. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method as defined by claim 2 wherein the attribute based rules are configured so that if the at least one given attribute is a first attribute, then the different document is a first document of the plurality of 2D documents, the attribute based rules further being configured so that if the at least one given attribute is a second attribute that is different from the first attribute, then the different document is a second document of the plurality of 2D documents. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method as defined by claim 1 wherein the plurality of 2D documents includes one or more of schematics, spreadsheets, drawings, reports, and manuals. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method as defined by claim 1 wherein accessing a given 2D document comprises displaying the given 2D document on a display device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method as defined by claim 5 wherein the given 2D document includes shadow indicia outlining at least a portion of indicia of a next level component in a 2D document of another hierarchical level. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method as defined by claim 1 wherein the given 2D document has a plurality of given attributes, applying at least one of the attribute based rules comprises applying the attribute based rules to the plurality of given attributes. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method as defined by claim 1 wherein the given 2D document includes first indicia representing a first given component of the capital project, the given attribute being related to the first given component. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method as defined by claim 1 wherein: the given 2D document includes first indicia representing a first given component of the capital project, the given 2D document further including second indicia representing a second given component of the capital project, the given attribute being related to the first given component or the second given component, the different 2D document being a first different 2D document if the first given component is applied to the rules, the different 2D document being a second different 2D document if the second given component is applied to the rules, the first different 2D document and second different 2D document being not the same 2D document. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method as defined by claim 1 further comprising changing the given attribute of the given 2D document, changing comprising updating an attribute database associated with the plurality of 2D documents and the 3D design program. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method as defined by claim 1 further comprising transforming a physical component represented in one of the 2D documents in the hierarchy after accessing the given 2D document. ### Claim 12 An apparatus for managing a large capital project using project data from a 3D design program to generate a plurality of 2D capital project documents relating to the capital project (“2D documents”) and representing a physical aspect of the capital project, the apparatus comprising: an interface to access the plurality of 2D documents, the plurality of 2D documents being logically related through a hierarchy that at least in part is defined by a plurality of attribute based rules; a viewer operably coupled with the interface, the viewer being configured to access a given 2D document of the plurality of 2D documents, the given 2D document having a given attribute and being in a given hierarchical level; a rules module operatively coupled with the viewer, the rules module being configured to apply at least one of the attribute based rules to the given attribute of the given 2D document, the rules module also being configured to determine, as a function of applying the at least one attribute based rule, which different 2D document in the plurality of 2D documents in another hierarchical level to access, the viewer also being configured to access the different 2D document as a function of the application of the at least one attribute based rule to given attribute. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus as defined by claim 12 further comprising a rule generator to produce the plurality of attribute based rules. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The apparatus as defined by claim 12 wherein the set of attribute based rules dynamically changes the hierarchy of the given document if the at least one associated given attribute changes. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The apparatus as defined by claim 12 wherein the plurality of 2D documents includes one or more of schematics, spreadsheets, drawings, reports, and manuals. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The apparatus as defined by claim 12 wherein the viewer is coupled with a display device, the viewer controlling the display device to display the given 2D document on the display device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The apparatus as defined by claim 16 wherein the viewer displays the given 2D document on the display device so that the 2D document includes shadow indicia outlining at least a portion of indicia of a next level component in a 2D document of another hierarchical level. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The apparatus as defined by claim 12 wherein the rules module is configured to apply the attribute based rules to more than one of the plurality of given attributes. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The apparatus as defined by claim 12 wherein: the given 2D document includes first indicia representing a first given component of the capital project, the given 2D document further including second indicia representing a second given component of the capital project, the given attribute being related to the first given component or the second given component, the different 2D document being a first different 2D document if the first given component is applied to the rules, the different 2D document being a second different 2D document if the second given component is applied to the rules, the first different 2D document and second different 2D document being not the same 2D document. ### Claim 20 A computer program product for use on a computer system for managing a large capital project, the computer program product comprising a tangible, non-transient computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, the computer readable program code comprising: program code for obtaining access to a plurality of 2D capital project documents (“2D documents”) that were produced using project data generated by a 3D design program for the capital project, the plurality of 2D documents being logically related through a hierarchy that at least in part is defined by a plurality of attribute based rules, the plurality of 2D documents representing a physical aspect of the capital project; program code for accessing a given 2D document of the plurality of 2D documents, the given 2D document having a given attribute and being in a given hierarchical level; program code for applying at least one of the attribute based rules to the given attribute of the given 2D document; program code for determining, as a function of applying the at least one attribute based rule, which different 2D document in the plurality of 2D documents in another hierarchical level to access; and program code for accessing the different 2D document as a function of the application of the at least one attribute based rule to given attribute. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The computer program product as defined by claim 20 wherein the set of attribute based rules dynamically changes the hierarchy of the given document if the at least one associated given attribute changes. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The computer program product as defined by claim 21 wherein the attribute based rules are configured so that if the at least one given attribute is a first attribute, then the different document is a first document of the plurality of 2D documents, the attribute based rules further being configured so that if the at least one given attribute is a second attribute that is different from the first attribute, then the different document is a second document of the plurality of 2D documents. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The computer program product as defined by claim 20 wherein the plurality of 2D documents includes one or more of schematics, spreadsheets, drawings, reports, and manuals. ### Claim 24 (depends on 20) The computer program product as defined by claim 20 wherein the program code for accessing a given 2D document comprises program code for displaying the given 2D document on a display device. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The computer program product as defined by claim 24 further comprising program code for causing the given 2D document to include shadow indicia outlining at least a portion of indicia of a next level component in a 2D document of another hierarchical level. ### Claim 26 (depends on 20) The computer program product as defined by claim 20 wherein the given 2D document has a plurality of given attributes, the program code for applying at least one of the attribute based rules comprises program code for applying the attribute based rules to two or more of the plurality of given attributes. ### Claim 27 (depends on 20) The computer program product as defined by claim 20 further comprising program code for changing the given attribute of the given 2D document, the program code for changing comprising program code for updating the given attribute in an attribute database associated with the plurality of 2D documents.