Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product provide the ability to define an attribute of a design part in a manufacturing or construction project. Apart set of two or more design parts is obtained. Each of the two or more design parts includes metadata. An external corpus is mined to determine a text set of terms relevant to the metadata. The metadata is mined for a pattern based on the text set to discover a metadata property. An attribute is defined based on the metadata property. A graphical user interface is used to search for design parts utilizing a filter based on the metadata property.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product provide the ability to define an attribute of a design part in a manufacturing or construction project. Apart set of two or more design parts is obtained. Each of the two or more design parts includes metadata. An external corpus is mined to determine a text set of terms relevant to the metadata. The metadata is mined for a pattern based on the text set to discover a metadata property. An attribute is defined based on the metadata property. A graphical user interface is used to search for design parts utilizing a filter based on the metadata property.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture provide the ability to manipulate a graphical representation of a real-world object in a computer drawing application. A semantic behavior is defined for the real-world object. A graphical representation of the real-world object (referred to as a subject object) is obtained. The semantic behavior is assigned to the subject object. The subject object is placed into a drawing. When placed, the subject object automatically, without additional user input, places itself into the drawing based on the semantic behavior.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product provide the ability to locate and display data in a taxonomy. A canonical taxonomy is defined (that is not exposed to a user that is searching for parts) by defining canonical categories and canonical attributes in a hierarchical structure. Mapping taxonomies are defined that define mapping categories that map to both canonical categories and canonical categories plus canonical attributes. Part data is processed based on the mapping taxonomies during which the data is mapped to a canonical category. A search request is specified in a particular mapping taxonomy format and results are returned (and displayed) that include data from multiple different taxonomies.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture provide the ability to manipulate a graphical representation of a real-world object in a computer drawing application. A semantic behavior is defined for the real-world object. A graphical representation of the real-world object (referred to as a subject object) is obtained. The semantic behavior is assigned to the subject object. The subject object is placed into a drawing. When placed, the subject object automatically, without additional user input, places itself into the drawing based on the semantic behavior.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product provide the ability to locate and display data in a taxonomy. A canonical taxonomy is defined (that is not exposed to a user that is searching for parts) by defining canonical categories and canonical attributes in a hierarchical structure. Mapping taxonomies are defined that define mapping categories that map to both canonical categories and canonical categories plus canonical attributes. Part data is processed based on the mapping taxonomies during which the data is mapped to a canonical category. A search request is specified in a particular mapping taxonomy format and results are returned (and displayed) that include data from multiple different taxonomies.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture provide the ability to synchronize project data models across multiple computer applications. A first computer design application in a first client computer obtains files that provide a first application project definition specific to the first computer design application. A first application specific conversion application converts, on the first client computer, the first application project definition into a unified project definition that is utilized by a server application. The unified project definition is transmitted to the server application that stores the definition and synchronizes it with additional computer design applications.