Methods and software for requesting a pricing in an electronic marketplace using a user-modifiable spectrum interface

1. A method of providing a graphical user interface (GUI) for interacting with a computer-aided design (CAD) model, the method being executed in a marketplace system and comprising:

activating, by a login control implemented on a computing device, a login graphical user interface (GUI);

receiving, by the login control, identifying information entered by a user in the login GUI;

accessing, by a spectrum viewer, a user profile associated with the user in a user profile and permission database, wherein:

the user profile further comprises an identification of one or more particular spectrum features the user is authorized to access; and

the one or more particular spectrum features include functionality to directly manipulate or alter the CAD model;

displaying to the user a marketplace graphical user interface (GUI);

displaying to the user, in the marketplace GUI, a view window designed and configured to display at least a portion of the CAD model, wherein displaying the view window further includes:

receiving a user selection of the CAD model; and

loading the CAD model from a CAD model database containing a plurality of CAD models, wherein the CAD model is included in the plurality of models;

displaying to the user, in the marketplace GUI, a set of marketplace-tool selectors for allowing the user to select from among a corresponding set of marketplace tools that allow the user to interact with an electronic marketplace, wherein the marketplace GUI allows the user to interact with the electronic marketplace by:

receiving from a user a marketplace tool selection using a marketplace-tool selector of the set of marketplace-tool selectors;

retrieving at least a marketplace tool from marketplace tools database storing a plurality of marketplace tools as executable files as a function of the marketplace tool selection;

loading, by the spectrum viewer, from a spectrum feature database storing the one or more particular spectrum features the user is authorized to access, the one or more particular spectrum features the user is authorized to access;

tracking, by the spectrum viewer, at least a user transaction on the electronic marketplace;

displaying, by the spectrum viewer, an access box, wherein the access box is configured to enable a user's ability to gain access to additional spectrum features, wherein the availability and cost of at least a spectrum feature is modified as a function of the at least a user transaction on the electronic marketplace;

displaying, by the spectrum viewer, using a spectrum graphical user interface (GUI), one or more buttons, each button of the one or more buttons corresponding to a spectrum feature of the one or more particular spectrum features the user is authorized to access;

receiving, at the spectrum GUI, an activation by the user, via a button of the one or more buttons of a selected spectrum feature of the one or more particular spectrum features;

receiving, by the spectrum viewer, via the selected spectrum feature, a modification to the CAD model; and

storing, by the spectrum viewer, the CAD model, including the modification, to the CAD model database.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said displaying to the user the spectrum GUI includes displaying a plurality of CAD-tool selectors for allowing the user to selectively add corresponding CAD tools.

3. A method according to claim 2 , further comprising receiving a user selection of at least one of the plurality of CAD-tool selectors.

4. A method according to claim 3 , further comprising, in response to said receiving the user selection, adding a CAD tool corresponding to the user selection to the marketplace GUI.

5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said displaying the set of marketplace-tool selectors includes displaying a request for pricing selector.

6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said displaying the set of marketplace-tool selectors includes displaying a place-order selector.

7. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising displaying to the user, in the marketplace GUI, a monetary amount the user is charged for selectively adding CAD-tool functionality.

8. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising tracking an amount of business the user transacts on the marketplace.

9. A method according to claim 8 , further comprising changing the availability of selectively adding CAD-tool functionality as a function of the amount of business the user transacts.

10. A method according to claim 7 , further comprising changing the cost of selectively adding CAD-tool functionality as a function of the amount of business the user transacts.