Graphical user interface for interactive construction of typical cross-section frameworks

A computer-readable storage medium storing a program that when executed by a processor, causes a computer system to perform operations for building a 3D computer model of a longitudinal structure, by performing the steps of:

• providing a catalog of 2D subassemblies, wherein each 2D subassembly is represented as a data component that stores modifiable parameters, and a logic component that generates a parameter-specific geometry of the 2D subassembly for use in a 2D cross-sectional representation of the 3D computer model;
• displaying an image associated with a first 2D subassembly in a first portion of a graphical user interface display;
• displaying the 2D cross-sectional representation of the 3D computer model in a second portion of the graphical user interface display;
• detecting that the image associated with the first 2D subassembly is dragged and dropped from the first portion of the graphical user interface display to the second portion of the graphical user interface display;
• in response to the detecting, executing the logic component associated with the first 2D subassembly to generate the parameter-specific geometry for the first 2D subassembly based on default parameter values associated with the first 2D subassembly;
• and
• the first 2D subassembly based on default parameter values associated with the first 2D subassembly;
• and
• integrating the first 2D subassembly into the 2D cross-section of the 3D computer model based on the parameter-specific geometry.

A computer aided design (CAD) system for building a 3D computer model of a longitudinal structure, comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory storing a design application program;
• a display device;
• a 2D subassembly database, wherein each 2D subassembly in the database includes a data component that stores modifiable parameters, and a logic component that generates a parameter-specific geometry of the 2D subassembly for use in a 2D cross-sectional representation of the 3D computer model;
• and
• a computer model database that stores the parameter-specific geometry of each 2D subassembly in the 3D computer model;
• wherein the design application program when executed by the processor is configured to:
• display, on the display device, an image associated with a first 2D subassembly in a first portion of a graphical user interface associated with the design application program,
• display, on the display device, the 2D cross-sectional representation of the 3D computer model in a second portion of the graphical user interface,
• detect that the image associated with the first 2D subassembly is dragged and dropped from the first portion of the graphical user interface to the second portion of the graphical user interface,
• in response to the detecting, cause the logic component associated with the first 2D subassembly to be executed to generate a first parameter-specific geometry associated with the first 2D subassembly based on default parameter values associated with the first 2D subassembly, and
• cause the first 2D subassembly to be integrated into the 2D cross-section of the 3D computer model based on the first parameter-specific geometry.