Talk:Parametric feature based modeler

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This description is very Autodesk oriented. It confuses CSG (Constructive Solid Geometry) with parametric-feature based modeling. The concept of parametric feature-based modeling was first introduced on the market by PTC as a a modeling system at a higher abstraction level than the CSG solid modeling approach. The higher the abstraction level the more the system is close to the designer and les close to the mathematical underlying computer model. Almost all the feature-based CAD systems are based on a b-rep (boundary representation) not on a CSG. features are entities/concepts at the user level (such as holes, fillets, hollows, threads, etc.) and are intended to replace the low level geometric operators of the CSG approach (union, difference and intersection of solids).

The PTC approach was so successful that within few years all the CAD systems adopted the parametric feature based approach (even if for marketing reasons they choose different names, such as hybrid system, procedural systems, etc.).

Autodesk came as last one in the transition from solid modeling to feature-based solid modeling. I assume because they where still busy in the transition from 2D to 3D. And AutoCAD never become a real feature based system. The only product in this category from Autodesk is Inventor.