Modeling part data for geometric reasoning using data abstraction and object-oriented techniques

By employing data abstraction techniques, semantic data models are developed for representing complicated and diverse types of data required for geometric reasoning in computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) applications. An object-oriented part definition model is constructed based on the semantic data model, which is integrated with a CAD environment to support reasoning. The object-oriented part model is distinguished by characteristics of levels of abstraction, concise representation of a wide range of spatial and functional relationships, flexibility of construction, and modularization