System and method to determine a simplified representation of a model

1. A method to determine a simplified representation of an assembly model comprising the steps of:

saving a plurality of display states and configuration settings of an assembly model in a design representation in a computer system memory;

translating said design representation, by a computer system, into a simplified representation by use of a visibility solution, including rendering a model having a plurality of parts with at least one color value encoded for an at least one corresponding surface identity, distinguishing a plurality of exterior parts from a plurality of interior parts based on said at least one corresponding surface identity, and identifying a plurality of features in said model not copied into a composite image; and

storing said simplified representation and said design representation in an assembly document by the computer system.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the integrity of the association of at least said simplified representation and said design representation is maintained.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of displaying said plurality of parts from at least one orientation.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of displaying said composite image comprised of said exterior parts and lacking said plurality of features.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of preparing said model to improve accuracy of a rendering operation.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of implementing at least one filtering algorithm to adjust a quality of analysis of said rendering.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of preparing said model to adjust accuracy of a rendering operation wherein said accuracy is adjusted by tessellating said model.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of rendering operates to depict said model as a tessellated version of a geometrical representation of a plurality of surfaces.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said simplified representation of an assembly model is embodied on a computer-readable medium on a computer in conjunction with an application, the simplified representation comprising:

a reduced form of an assembly model derived from a designed form of said assembly model, having a plurality of exterior faces, wherein:

said exterior faces consist of a plurality of components from said design form; and

said reduced form is associatively coupled with said designed form, accessible from a common assembly document.

10. A computer readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that when executed cause a computer to perform a method to determine a simplified representation of an assembly model, comprising:

instructions for saving a plurality of display states and configuration settings of an assembly model in a design representation;

instructions for translating said design representation into a simplified representation by use of a visibility solution, including rendering a model having a plurality of parts with at least one color value encoded for an at least one corresponding surface identity, distinguishing a plurality of exterior parts from a plurality of interior parts based on said at least one corresponding surface identity, and identifying a plurality of features in said model not copied into a composite image; and

instructions for storing said simplified representation and said design representation in an assembly document.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the integrity of the association of at least said simplified representation and said design representation is maintained.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 10 , further comprising the instructions for displaying said plurality of parts from at least one orientation.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 10 , further comprising the instructions for displaying said composite image comprised of said exterior parts and lacking said plurality of features.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 10 , further comprising the instructions for preparing said model to improve accuracy of a rendering operation.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 10 , further comprising the instructions for implementing at least one filtering algorithm to adjust a quality of analysis of said rendering.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 10 , further comprising the instructions for preparing said model to adjust accuracy of a rendering operation wherein said accuracy is adjusted by tessellating said model.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein said instructions for rendering operates to depict said model as a tessellated version of a geometrical representation of a plurality of surfaces.

18. A data processing system comprising a processor and accessible memory, configured to implement a method to determine a simplified representation of an assembly model by performing the steps of:

rendering a model having a plurality of parts with at least one color value encoded for an at least one corresponding surface identity;

distinguishing a plurality of exterior parts from a plurality of interior parts based on said at least one corresponding surface identity; and

identifying a plurality of features in said model not copied into a composite image.