Process for selecting an object in a PLM database and apparatus implementing this process

摘要

The invention is directed to a process, an apparatus and a program for selecting an object in a PLM database containing modeled objects. The user is provided with a graphical user interface with a user-controlled pointer. The process comprises displaying (step 120) in the graphical user interface a view of a set of objects of the database. Said view is a non-associative view, that is, the graphical elements of said view are not partitioned according to the individual objects of the set, from the system standpoint. In this respect, the process may comprise, prior to the step of displaying, aggregating (step 110) representations of respective objects of the set of objects to form the displayed view. The view is thereby rendered more rapidly. Then, upon activation of the pointer by the user, it is determined the location (step 130) of the pointer in the view. Next, the process comprises searching the database and identifying to the user one object (24lf) according to the determined location (steps 140 - 160). Use is for example made of bounding boxes, stored in the PLM database (step 100). Hence, the proposed solution allows a user to rapidly display a view of the set of objects while allowing for selecting an object in the view, for example through movement of a pointer such as a mouse. Such a solution is hence easy and intuitive.