Geometry-based semantic ID for persistent and interoperable reference in feature-based parametric modeling

In current feature-based parametric design systems, the reusability principle is not fully supported as it was expected. Unpredictability and ambiguity of models often happen during design modification within one system as well as among different systems. This reference deficiency significantly reduces the power of feature-based parametric modeling, where geometry re-evaluation generates unexpected shapes. In this paper, a sufficient condition of B-Rep variance based on geometry continuity in parametric complex Euclidean (PC) space is proposed. Shape and relation parameters are differentiated in PC, thus parametric family can be defined. A semantic id scheme based on continuity of geometry is developed to solve the problem of naming persistency and to improve interoperability of CAD feature modeling. Hierarchical namespaces localize entity creation and identification. All geometric and topological entities are referred uniformly based on surface ids, and topology semantics is retained in id itself. q 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.