METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BRINGING TOGETHER SEPERATELY CREATED INFORMATION BLOCKS INTO A SINGLE INFORMATION BLOCK FOR CREATING MULTIPLE HIERARCHIES

A method for converting a document which contains words and images which is intended to convey information in a traditional, linear format into a document or display in which the words and images are rearranged so that the result is laid out in a pictorial representation which makes it much easier for a person using the document to understand its content. To create the easier to understand pictorial/graphical representation, a document, in its original format, is stored so that it can be accessed by a user using a personal computer or work station. A user accesses the document in its original format, selects portions of the document, and each selected portion is assigned a category for subsequent processing. The categories which may be assigned are selected from among the following: i) structural, ii) functional, iii) procedural, iv) time based, and v) event based. Additional categories may be added as a function of the desired end result and specific sub-parts or diagrams. Once the categories have been assigned to selected portions of the document, a new document is created which displays the information in the original document in a much easier to understand pictorial/graphical representation.