Freeform Tools in CAD Systems

From 13th-17th May, 1991 the Centre for Applied Mathematics at the Darmstadt University of Technology and at the University of Kaiserslautern in cooperation with the European Consortium for Mathematics in Industry {ECMIl has organized the Workshop: "Practice of Computer Aided Gemetric Design - What CAD Systems are really capable of". Some of the most im- portant software vendors had been invited to participate in the workshop and to demonstrate their developments in the area of free form surface technology. The following systems were presented: CATIA (IBM/Dassault); EUCLID (Matra); ICEM (CDC); SYRKO (Mercedes-Benzl; STRIM (Cisigraph); UNIGRAPHICS (McDonnel Douglas) and in addition the visualization system WAVEFRONT (mental images) was introduced. The presentations were supposed to focus on the following topics: re- presentation of analytical curves/surfaces; Coons-Eace-Top-Elements; multisurfs; triangular patches; offset surfaces; volume elements; inter- secting algorithms; operations for combination of curves, surfaces and volumes; sweeping elements/fillets; blending methods; parametrization of data; interpolation/approximation of irregular data/NC data; NC control (three axes, five axes milling). - Demonstrations of the systems were also given on work stations. Besides, a qUestionnaire should have given a short overview on the implementations. Beside these presentations of software systems, the participants had the opportunity to hear lectures on developments for interfaces.