Prospective analysis for CAD-FEM integration and other product views

The concept of product view and the corresponding required models is a basic constituent of a product development process where shape transformations are repeatedly encountered. Here, topological and geometric issues are identified and major shape modeling principles are studied. As a result, some core concepts of a framework for product view integration are proposed and justified. Notions of mixed shape representation and layered topological representation are briefly outlined as part of the proposed framework. Categories of operators enabling the required shape transformations are also shortly introduced as element of the proposed framework.