A framework for object modeling

Modeling of products (objects) form a critical task in design and manufactu ring. CAD-CAM techniques based on solid/geometric modeling have been develo ped for this purpose. Primarily, these methods capture the shape of the obj ect. However, recent developments in diverse fields demand modeling schemes , which extend beyond the shape to include other relevant attributes of the object. In this paper, this issue is addressed and a new modeling framewor k is proposed. This framework enables the modeling of geometry and several attributes simultaneously in an integrated fashion. (C) 1999 Elsevier Scien ce Ltd. All rights reserved.