The Inside Story: Revealing the Contents of CAD’s Black Box

It is uncommon for CAD courses to delve into the underlying mathematics behind CAD models, however, a basic understanding of the functions performed by the CAD system are necessary for designers to utilize the software effectively. This paper will discuss several projects completed in a course on geometric modeling for senior/graduate level students in mechanical engineering that focus on developing this understanding. This exposure to the mathematical foundations within the CAD systems is intended to provide insight that will make the students better able to model complex shapes and build more robust solid models.