Variational solid modeling for tolerance analysis

A variational model is a computer representation of a variational class and stands for a collection of different instances of the part or assembly modeled in CAD. The different basic approaches to variational modeling are reviewed. A surface-based approach to variational modeling is discussed. The approach is applied to solving the problems of eliminating rigid-body motion, handling incidence and tangency constraints, and modeling form variations. The application of variational modeling to automated tolerance analysis is also discussed.>