Entity pairing for a multi-user CAx environment

1. A system for collaborating on a component, comprising:

a computing device configured to execute a first multi-user computer-aided technologies (CAx) environment including a synchronization module;

wherein the first multi-user computer-aided technologies (CAx) environment includes a data module configured to access data relating to a component design from at least one database and configured to store a local copy of the component design in the first multi-user computer-aided technologies (CAx) environment; and

wherein the synchronization module is configured to cause a first entity in the component design to update in the first multi-user computer-aided technologies (CAx) environment according to at least one pairing criterion in response to a predetermined time threshold being met, the predetermined time threshold being an elapsed time since the data module last accessed data corresponding to the first entity in the at least one database and/or the local copy, the at least one pairing criterion relating to a second entity in the component design, wherein the first entity and the second entity are separate and distinct geometric features in a single instance of the component design, and the at least one pairing criteria is set prior to creation of the first entity.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first entity and the second entity are generated in response to execution of one or more commands corresponding to a group of feature types.

3. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one pairing criterion relates to geometry of at least one of the first entity and the second entity.

4. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one pairing criterion includes at least one of a size, a location, and an orientation of the first entity relative to the second entity.

5. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first multi-user computer-aided technologies (CAx) environment includes a display module, the display module being configured to display the component design in the first multi-user computer-aided technologies (CAx) environment according to the local copy, and each of the first entity and the second entity is a geometric feature in the local copy of the component design.

6. The system as recited in claim 5 , wherein the display module is configured to set the at least one pairing criterion in response to a user interaction.

7. The system as recited in claim 6 , wherein the user interaction includes selection of geometry of the first entity and selection of geometry of the second entity.

8. The system as recited in claim 6 , wherein the synchronization module is configured to cause the display module to display at least one visual indicator relating to the at least one pairing criterion.

9. The system as recited in claim 8 , wherein the at least one visual indicator relates to a geometry of at least one of the first entity and the second entity.

10. The system as recited in claim 8 , wherein:

the first entity and the second entity are separate and distinct geometric features in the component design that are generated in response to execution of one or more commands corresponding to a group of feature types;

the at least one pairing criterion relates to geometry of at least one of the first entity and the second entity; and

the at least one pairing criterion includes at least one of a size, a location and an orientation of the first entity relative to the second entity such that the at least one of the size, the location and the orientation of the first entity changes according to the at least one pairing criterion when at least one predetermined criterion is met.

11. The system as recited in claim 10 , wherein the at least one pairing criterion includes the size of the first entity relative to the second entity such that the first entity is resized relative to the second entity when the at least one predetermined criterion is met.

12. The system as recited in claim 10 , wherein the at least one pairing criterion includes the orientation of the first entity relative to the second entity such that the first entity is reoriented relative to the second entity when the at least one predetermined criterion is met.

13. The system as recited in claim 5 , wherein the first entity and the second entity correspond to a single part file.

14. The system as recited in claim 13 , wherein the data relating to the first entity is updated in the local copy in response to a user interaction in the first multi-user computer-aided technologies (CAx) environment.

15. A system for collaborating on a component, comprising:

at least one client multi-user computer-aided technologies (CAx) environment including a data module and a display module, the data module configured to store a local copy of data corresponding to a component design from at least one database, the display module configured to display data corresponding to the local copy;

a host server including a processor and a memory storage device, the processor being configured to execute a host multi-user computer-aided technologies (CAx) environment having a synchronization module, the memory storage device being configured to store the at least one database accessible by the host multi-user computer-aided technologies (CAx) environment, and the synchronization module being configured to selectively cause data relating to a first entity in the component design to update in the at least one database according to at least one pairing criterion, the at least one pairing criterion relating to a second entity in the component design, and wherein the first entity and the second entity are separate and distinct geometric features in a single instance of the component design, and the at least one pairing criteria is set prior to creation of the first entity; and

wherein the synchronization module is configured to cause the first entity to update in the at least one client multi-user computer-aided technologies (CAx) environment according to the at least one pairing criterion in response to a predetermined time threshold being met, the predetermined time threshold being an elapsed time since the data module last accessed data corresponding to the first entity in the at least one database and/or the local copy.

16. The system as recited in claim 15 , wherein the at least one pairing criterion includes one or more parameters of the first entity linked to one or more parameters of the second entity.

17. The system as recited in claim 16 , wherein the at least one pairing criterion includes at least one of a size, a location, and an orientation of the first entity relative to the second entity.

18. A method for collaborating on a component design, comprising the steps of:

accessing a component design in a first multi-user computer-aided technologies (CAx) environment from at least one database;

selecting a first entity in the component design;

setting at least one pairing criterion relating to the first entity and relating to a second entity in the component design, including setting the at least one pairing criteria prior to creation of the first entity;

updating the first entity in a local copy of the component design according to the at least one pairing criterion in response to one or more parameters of the second entity being set, and wherein the first entity and the second entity are separate and distinct geometric features in the local copy corresponding to a single instance of the component design, wherein at least one of the first and second entities is generated by a second multi-user computer-aided technologies (CAx) environment prior to the selecting step; and

displaying the first entity in the first multi-user computer-aided technologies (CAx) environment according to the at least one pairing criterion in response to a predetermined time threshold being met, the predetermined time threshold being an elapsed time since the first multi-user computer-aided technologies (CAx) environment last accessed data corresponding to the first entity in the at least one database and/or the local copy.

19. The method as recited in claim 18 , wherein creation of the first entity occurs prior to creation of the second entity.

20. The method as recited in claim 19 , wherein the step of updating the first entity according to the at least one pairing criterion in response to one or more parameters of the second entity being set includes causing a size of the first entity to change relative to the second entity.

21. The method as recited in claim 18 , wherein the step of setting the at least one pairing criterion relating to the first entity and the second entity includes selection of geometry of the first entity and selection of geometry of the second entity.

22. The method as recited in claim 18 , wherein the step of updating the first entity according to the at least one pairing criterion in response to one or more parameters of the second entity being set includes causing a position of the first entity to change.