A Review of the Design Intent Concept in the Context of CAD Model Quality Metrics

From the perspective of Computer Aided Design (CAD), Design Intent is a term commonly defined as a model's anticipated behavior once it undergoes alteration (ex. will a cylindrical hole continue to share concentricity with a boundary arc should the dimensions be modified?). At present, a standardized manner in which to explicitly communicate or deduce a CAD model's design intent does not exist. The design tree (feature tree or history tree) in most parametric modeling applications offers implicit depiction of design intent, but not all descriptive information is adequately conveyed (ex. a sketch concentric constraint is not recorded in the design tree and is only accessible if the requisite sketch is opened and examined). An explicit representation would be immensely more valuable, especially for models with complex geometric features or for those working in a collaborative design environment. This paper reviews current understanding of design intent, with an exploration of its relationship to Design Rationale, in the context of product models and their quality enhancement.