A set of standard modeling commands for the history-based parametric approach

The current version of STEP standard cannot exchange the parametric information of CAD models. Only pure boundary representations that cannot be parametrically edited are transferable [Geometric Modeling: Theory and Practice (1997)]. There are two approaches for the exchange of design intents such as parameters, features, and constraints. The first is an explicit approach based on constraints between predefined parameters and features. The second is a procedural approach based on the sequence of operations issued to construct the models. The authors have previously proposed a macro-parametric approach [International Journal of CAD/CAM 2 (2002) 23], which is a variation of the procedural approach. In this approach, CAD models can be exchanged in the form of macro files, which include the history of modeling commands. To exchange CAD models using the macro-parametric approach, a set of standard modeling commands should be defined. This paper introduces a set of standard commands and explains the process of developing the set. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.