A decision-support method for information inconsistency resolution in direct modeling of CAD models

TL;DR

This paper introduces a decision-support method for resolving information inconsistencies in direct CAD modeling, enabling more reliable and flexible design modifications by guiding users in selecting valid resolution options.

Contribution

It proposes an innovative approach that automatically reasons about inconsistencies, filters out invalid resolutions, and assists users in choosing valid solutions in direct modeling.

Findings

Effective inconsistency reasoning demonstrated through case studies

Method successfully avoids invalid resolution options

Guides users to valid resolution choices

Abstract

Direct modeling is a very recent CAD paradigm that can provide unprecedented modeling flexibility. It, however, lacks the parametric capability, which is indispensable to modern CAD systems. For direct modeling to have this capability, an additional associativity information layer in the form of geometric constraint systems needs to be incorporated into direct modeling. This is no trivial matter due to the possible inconsistencies between the associativity information and geometry information in a model after direct edits. The major issue of resolving such inconsistencies is that there often exist many resolution options. The challenge lies in avoiding invalid resolution options and prioritizing valid ones. This paper presents an effective method to support the user in making decisions among the resolution options. In particular, the method can provide automatic information inconsistency reasoning, avoid invalid resolution options completely, and guide the choice among valid resolution options. Case studies and comparisons have been conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method.