Future computer aided design systems will themselves be designed using tools and methods that are still under development. This book presents the latest progress in research on the tools and methods needed to develop those CAD systems. The topics covered include algorithmic aspects, the product data and development process, future CAD architectures, feature based modeling and automatic feature recognition, complex surface design, and system implementation issues. The book contains contributions by the world's leading experts in the field of CAD technology from both universities and industry. The contributions are based on lectures given at the International Conference and Research Center for Computer Science, Schloss Dagstuhl, Germany.

Over the past decade, with greater emphasis being placed upon shorter lead times, better quality products, reduced product costs, and greater customer satisfaction, the topic of Engineering Design has received increased interest from the industrial and ac ademic communities. Considerable effort has been directed at developing design process methodologies and building computer tools that focus upon relatively narrow aspects of design, but many key problems in Engineering Design research and practice remain unanswered. Resulting from the First International Engineering Design Debate held in Glasgow, UK in late 1996, this volume discusses the main issues concerning the improvement of design productivity. Covering design studies, design development, concurrent engineering and design knowledge and information, it attempts to derive a common understanding of the basic factors, problems and potential solutions involved.

Experts from university and industry are presenting new technologies for solving industrial problems and giving many important and practicable impulses for new research. Topics explored include NURBS, product engineering, object oriented modelling, solid modelling, surface interrogation, feature modelling, variational design, scattered data algorithms, geometry processing, blending methods, smoothing and fairing algorithms, spline conversion. This collection of 24 articles gives a state-of-the-art survey of the relevant problems and issues in geometric modelling.

Classic, comprehensive treatment covers Euclidean displacements; instantaneous kinematics; two-position, three-position, four-and-more position theory; special motions; multiparameter motions; kinematics in other geometries; and special mathematical methods.

Regular issues contain abstracts and reports, or key-note papers.