Solid Modeling in CAD/CAM Systems

Solid modeling provides a significant improvement in capability for describing product designs and providing these descriptions to CAD/CAM functions with a minimum of human re-interpretation or re-generation of the geometric data. However, a solid modeler must provide a variety of critical functions if it is to serve as a master design representation and must be embedded in a computer system providing the necessary input, output, and data management interfaces. A strategy for the development of such systems and progress using that strategy at the General Electric Research and Development Center are discussed.