In this paper we discuss how to reconstruct 3D models from multi-view engineering draws by employing human engineers' approaches. Human's 'divide and conquer' interpretation strategy in visual cognition is simulated, and successfully carried out on the basis of spatial division of 3D object space. At first, a volume-oriented method is utilized to decompose the 3D object space in a set of 3D 'cell-boxes' whose three-view bounding rectangles will isolate its related sub-projections from input projections views, and in every cell-box a cell primitive is implied. Then, a 3D model of each cell primitive is 'locally' generated from its 'sub-projection' views by wire-frame oriented algorithms. The final interpretation result of the overall projection-views is a 'Union' of these cell primitives. To deal with the ambiguity, a visual reasoning engine is implemented on the basis of principles from Gestalt psychology. It will be activated to pick out the most reasonable interpretation, when ambiguities are generated during the reconstruction process. The section views are also incorporated in getting rid of the ambiguity. Moreover, we design a natural and convenient interaction way to encourage the user to be involved in the process while interpreting complex projections. The key steps of this human-like reconstruction approach are presented in detail-2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.