Method and apparatus for design and manufacturing application associative interoperability

1. In at least one electronic device, a method of communicating between a first computer aided design (CAD) application and a second CAD application, comprising:

storing native data and a sub-set of native data, the sub-set of native data derived by a first library of routines;

providing a plug-in comprising a second library of routines having an application program interface (API) and being accessible by the second CAD application; and

the plug-in conveying the sub-set of native data to second CAD application upon the second CAD application calling a second library of executable routines to request the native data and the sub-set of native data using the API, wherein the second CAD application utilizes a third library of executable routines to recreate items based on the native data and a sub-set of native data of the first CAD application.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein storing comprises placing the native data and the sub-set of native data on a recordable medium.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the native data comprises data forming a model of an object in the first CAD application.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first library of executable routines is embedded within the first CAD program.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first library of executable routines is a component accessible by the first CAD program.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating the native data as an object is modeled in the first CAD application.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third library of executable routines is embedded within the second CAD application.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third library of executable routines is a component accessible by the second CAD application.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the first CAD application notifying the second CAD application about updates to the sub-set of native data.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the first CAD application receiving a notification of a modification of the object from the second CAD application.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of the first CAD application and the second CAD application communicating with an analysis application.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of the first CAD application and the second CAD application communicating with a manufacturing application.

13. In at least one electronic device, a method of communicating between a first CAD application and a second CAD application, comprising:

providing a model of an object on the first CAD application having a sub-set of native data derived by a first library of routines;

utilizing a plug-in having a second library of executable routines in the second CAD application to retrieve the sub-set of native data from the first CAD application relating to the model of the object;

wherein the sub-set of native data enables the second CAD application to create a second model of at least a portion of the object on the second CAD application utilizing a third library of executable routines.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein native data and the sub-set of native data are stored on a recordable medium.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising providing native data in the form of data relating to the model of the object in the first CAD application.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first library of executable routines is embedded within the first CAD program.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first library of executable routines is a component accessible by the first CAD program.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein utilizing the plug-in further comprises calling the second library of executable routines to utilize an API to retrieve native data and the sub-set of native data.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein utilizing the plug-in further comprises filtering the native data to extract the sub-set of native data.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein utilizing the plug-in further comprises receiving the sub-set of native data from the first CAD application.

21. The method of claim 13 , wherein utilizing the plug-in further comprises calling the second library of executable routines to utilize an API to retrieve the sub-set of native data.

22. The method of claim 13 , wherein the third library of executable routines is embedded within the second CAD application.

23. The method of claim 13 , wherein the third library of executable routines is a component of the second CAD application.

24. The method of claim 13 , further comprising reading the sub-set of native data utilizing the third library of executable routines to translate the sub-set of native data and create the second model of at least a portion of the object in the second CAD application.

25. The method of claim 13 , further comprising the second CAD application receiving notifications from the first CAD application about updates to the sub-set of native data.

26. The method of claim 13 , wherein the sub-set of native data includes a complete history of the object in a manner enabling the second CAD application to review the history and modify the object.

27. The method of claim 13 , further comprising communicating a modification of the object in the second CAD application to the first CAD application.

28. A system for modeling an object, comprising:

a first CAD application;

a second CAD application;

native data and a sub-set of native data relating to an object modeled on the first CAD application stored in a first memory store, the sub-set of native data derived by a first library of executable routines;

a plug-in having a second library of executable routines and an API accessible by the second CAD application and suitable for accessing and retrieving the sub-set of native data to enable the second CAD application to create a second model of at least a portion of the object modeled on the first CAD application using a third library of executable routines without the first CAD application having to export a file containing the object.

29. The system of claim 28 , wherein the first library of executable routines is one of embedded within the first CAD application and a component accessible by the first CAD application.

30. The system of claim 28 , wherein the third library of executable routines is one of embedded within the second CAD application and a component accessible by the second CAD application.

31. The system of claim 28 , wherein the third library of executable routines is suitable for reading the sub-set of native data utilizing the third library of executable routines to translate the sub-set of native data and create the second model of at least a portion of the object in the second CAD application.

32. In at least one electronic device, a method of communicating between a first CAD application and a second CAD application, comprising:

providing a first library of executable routines accessible by the first CAD application;

generating native data as an object is modeled in the first CAD application;

creating a sub-set of native data utilizing the first library of executable routines;

storing the native data and the sub-set of native data;

providing a second library of executable routines in the form of a plug-in having an application program interface (API) and being accessible by the second CAD application;

calling the second library of executable routines to utilize the API to retrieve the native data, filter the native data to extract the sub-set of native data, and convey the sub-set of native data to the second CAD application; and

calling a third library of executable routines to create model items based on the native data and a sub-set of native data of the first CAD application.

33. The method of claim 32 , wherein the third library of executable routines is accessible by the second CAD application.

34. A computer readable medium containing software suitable for executing a method of communicating between a first computer aided design (CAD) application and a second CAD application, the method comprising:

storing native data and a sub-set of native data, the sub-set of native data derived by a first library of routines;

providing a plug-in having an application program interface (API) and being accessible by the second CAD application; and

the plug-in conveying the sub-set of native data to the second CAD application upon the second CAD application calling the plug-in to request the native data and the sub-set of native data using the API, wherein the second CAD application utilizes a third library of executable routines to recreate items based on the native data and a sub-set of native data of the first CAD application.

35. A computer readable medium containing software suitable for executing a method of communicating between a first CAD application and a second CAD application, the method comprising:

providing a model of an object on the first CAD application having a sub-set of native data derived by a first library of routines;

utilizing a plug-in in the second CAD application to retrieve the sub-set of native data from the first CAD application relating to the model of the object;

wherein the sub-set of native data enables the second CAD application to create a second model of at least a portion of the object on the second CAD application utilizing a third library of executable routines.

36. A computer readable medium containing software suitable for executing a method of communicating between a first CAD application and a second CAD application, the method comprising:

providing a first library of executable routines accessible by the first CAD application;

generating native data as an object is modeled in the first CAD application;

creating a sub-set of native data utilizing the first library of executable routines;

storing the native data and the sub-set of native data;

providing a second library of executable routines in the form of a plug-in having an application program interface (API) and being accessible by the second CAD application;

calling the second library of executable routines to utilize the API to retrieve the native data, filter the native data to extract the sub-set of native data, and convey the sub-set of native data to the second CAD application; and

calling a third library of executable routines to create model items based on the native data and a sub-set of native data of the first CAD application.