From concept to embodiment : challenge and strategy

Facing with the difficulty in information propagation and synthesizing from conceptual to embodiment design, this paper introduces a function-orientated, axiom based conceptual modeling scheme. Default logic reasoning is exploited for recognition and reconstitution of conceptual product geometric and topological information. The proposed product modeling system and reasoning approach testify a methodology of 'structural variation design', which is verified in the implementation of a GPAL (Green Product All Life-cycle) CAD system