diff --git a/Fwk/AppFwk/cafProjectDataModel/cafPdmUiCore/cafPdmUiObjectHandle.h b/Fwk/AppFwk/cafProjectDataModel/cafPdmUiCore/cafPdmUiObjectHandle.h
index dafde3f076..fdd4960608 100644
--- a/Fwk/AppFwk/cafProjectDataModel/cafPdmUiCore/cafPdmUiObjectHandle.h
+++ b/Fwk/AppFwk/cafProjectDataModel/cafPdmUiCore/cafPdmUiObjectHandle.h
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ protected:
     /// Fill up the uiOrdering object with groups and field references to create the gui structure
     /// If the uiOrdering is empty, it is interpreted as meaning all fields w/o grouping.
     virtual void            defineUiOrdering(QString uiConfigName, PdmUiOrdering& uiOrdering)  {}
+    friend class PdmUiTreeViewModel;
 
     /// Override to customize the tree representations of the object hierarchy.
     /// If the PdmUiTreeOrdering is empty, it is interpreted as meaning all fields containing child objects in order
diff --git a/Fwk/AppFwk/cafUserInterface/cafPdmUiTreeViewModel.cpp b/Fwk/AppFwk/cafUserInterface/cafPdmUiTreeViewModel.cpp
index df931ad556..c1a2f7b32f 100644
--- a/Fwk/AppFwk/cafUserInterface/cafPdmUiTreeViewModel.cpp
+++ b/Fwk/AppFwk/cafUserInterface/cafPdmUiTreeViewModel.cpp
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@
 
 #include "cafPdmUiTreeViewModel.h"
 
+#include "cafPdmChildArrayField.h"
+#include "cafPdmChildField.h"
 #include "cafPdmField.h"
 #include "cafPdmObject.h"
 #include "cafPdmUiTreeItemEditor.h"
@@ -70,28 +72,42 @@ void PdmUiTreeViewModel::setPdmItemRoot(PdmUiItem* rootItem)
         return;
     }
 
-    PdmUiTreeOrdering* newRoot = NULL;
-    PdmUiFieldHandle* field = dynamic_cast<PdmUiFieldHandle*> (rootItem);
+    PdmUiTreeOrdering* invisibleRoot = NULL;
+    if (rootItem)
+    {
+        std::vector<PdmUiItem*> visibleItems;
+        findFirstVisibleUiItemInAllBranches(rootItem, visibleItems, m_uiConfigName);
 
-    if (field)
-    {
-        newRoot = new PdmUiTreeOrdering(field->fieldHandle());
-        PdmUiObjectHandle::expandUiTree(newRoot, m_uiConfigName);
-    }
-    else
-    {
-        PdmUiObjectHandle * obj = dynamic_cast<PdmUiObjectHandle*> (rootItem);
-        if (obj)
+        if (visibleItems.size() > 0)
         {
-            newRoot = obj->uiTreeOrdering(m_uiConfigName);
+            invisibleRoot = new PdmUiTreeOrdering("Invisible Tree Root", "");
+
+            for (size_t i = 0; i < visibleItems.size(); i++)
+            {
+                PdmUiTreeOrdering* nextTreeOrdering = NULL;
+
+                PdmUiFieldHandle* field = dynamic_cast<PdmUiFieldHandle*> (visibleItems[i]);
+                if (field)
+                {
+                    nextTreeOrdering = new PdmUiTreeOrdering(field->fieldHandle());
+                    PdmUiObjectHandle::expandUiTree(nextTreeOrdering, m_uiConfigName);
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    PdmUiObjectHandle * obj = dynamic_cast<PdmUiObjectHandle*> (visibleItems[i]);
+                    if (obj)
+                    {
+                        nextTreeOrdering = obj->uiTreeOrdering(m_uiConfigName);
+                    }
+                }
+
+                assert(nextTreeOrdering);
+                invisibleRoot->appendChild(nextTreeOrdering);
+            }
         }
     }
 
-    assert( newRoot || rootItem == NULL ); // Only fields, objects or NULL is allowed.
-
-    if (newRoot) newRoot->debugDump(0);
-
-    this->resetTree(newRoot);
+    this->resetTree(invisibleRoot);
 }
 
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -689,5 +705,78 @@ QVariant PdmUiTreeViewModel::headerData(int section, Qt::Orientation orientation
     return QVariant();
 }
 
+//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+/// Do a search recursively to find the first visible object of all child branches
+/// If the incoming object is visible, this is the only object returned
+/// defineUiTreeOrdering is used to 
+//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+void PdmUiTreeViewModel::findFirstVisibleUiItemInAllBranches(PdmUiItem* uiItem, std::vector<PdmUiItem*>& visibleItems, const QString& uiConfigName)
+{
+    if (!uiItem) return;
+
+    if (!uiItem->isUiHidden(uiConfigName))
+    {
+        visibleItems.push_back(uiItem);
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        // Check if ui tree ordering is defined in the data model
+        PdmUiObjectHandle* uiObjectHandle = dynamic_cast<PdmUiObjectHandle*> (uiItem);
+        if (uiObjectHandle)
+        {
+            PdmUiTreeOrdering treeOrderingDefinedByApplication("", "");
+            uiObjectHandle->defineUiTreeOrdering(treeOrderingDefinedByApplication, uiConfigName);
+            if (treeOrderingDefinedByApplication.childCount() > 0)
+            {
+                for (int i = 0; i < treeOrderingDefinedByApplication.childCount(); i++)
+                {
+                    // The referenced objects in uiOrdering might be set as hidden
+                    // Do a recursive search from the referenced objects to find first visible ui item
+                    findFirstVisibleUiItemInAllBranches(treeOrderingDefinedByApplication.child(i)->activeItem(), visibleItems, uiConfigName);
+                }
+
+                return;
+            }
+        }
+
+        if (uiItem->isUiChildrenHidden(uiConfigName))
+        {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        PdmUiFieldHandle* field = dynamic_cast<PdmUiFieldHandle*> (uiItem);
+        if (field)
+        {
+            std::vector<caf::PdmObjectHandle*> children;
+            field->fieldHandle()->childObjects(&children);
+            
+            for (size_t i = 0; i < children.size(); i++)
+            {
+                findFirstVisibleUiItemInAllBranches(uiObj(children[i]), visibleItems, uiConfigName);
+            }
+        }
+
+        if (uiObjectHandle)
+        {
+            std::vector<PdmFieldHandle*> fields;
+            uiObjectHandle->owner()->fields(fields);
+            
+            for (size_t i = 0; i < fields.size(); i++)
+            {
+                if (dynamic_cast<PdmChildArrayFieldHandle*>(fields[i]))
+                {
+                    // Always show a container object, even if the container is empty
+                    findFirstVisibleUiItemInAllBranches(fields[i]->uiCapability(), visibleItems, uiConfigName);
+                }
+                else if (fields[i]->hasChildObjects())
+                {
+                    // Show a child object only if an object is present
+                    findFirstVisibleUiItemInAllBranches(fields[i]->uiCapability(), visibleItems, uiConfigName);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 
 } // end namespace caf
diff --git a/Fwk/AppFwk/cafUserInterface/cafPdmUiTreeViewModel.h b/Fwk/AppFwk/cafUserInterface/cafPdmUiTreeViewModel.h
index 5b144361ba..9e1e50731d 100644
--- a/Fwk/AppFwk/cafUserInterface/cafPdmUiTreeViewModel.h
+++ b/Fwk/AppFwk/cafUserInterface/cafPdmUiTreeViewModel.h
@@ -83,6 +83,8 @@ private:
     void                    updateEditorsForSubTree(PdmUiTreeOrdering* root);
     static int              findChildItemIndex(const PdmUiTreeOrdering * parent, const PdmUiItem* pdmItemToFindInChildren);
 
+    static void             findFirstVisibleUiItemInAllBranches(PdmUiItem* uiItem, std::vector<PdmUiItem*>& visibleItems, const QString& uiConfigName);
+
     PdmUiTreeOrdering*      m_treeOrderingRoot;
     QStringList             m_columnHeaders;
     QString                 m_uiConfigName;