Integration of Design by Features and Feature Recognition approaches through a Unified Model

Features are real existing constituencies of product parts that associate engineering significance with shapes. A feature-based representation of product models is an essential prerequisite to the development of a new generation of Computer Aided Design systems. In this paper, we propose a system architecture for feature-based modeling which is founded on the integration of two approaches: feature extraction from existing solid models and design-by-features. This integration is obtained through the definition of a common feature library and a Unified Model, which plays the role of communication link between the geometric model and the feature- based model. This system should enable the user to mix the two modes of definition allowing him to design an object directly with features or to start with a geometric model and to extract a feature model from it.