A typical computer-aided design (CAD) system employed in engineering contexts uses a geometry-oriented approach to define and represent engineering information. As a result, a designer is required to perform a number of low-level geometric operations in order to produce a final digital model of a desired product. In other words, the designer has to focus on the details of geometry creation rather than the required functionality of the product.
In addition, conventional CAD systems use a rigid history-based modeling approach that creates dependency between the operations performed by the designer when creating a digital model. That is, an earlier operation may influence subsequent operations or, alternatively, a subsequent operation may obliterate the functionality of a prior operation. This order dependent nature of feature operations makes it difficult for the designer to apply any modification to the digital model or correct mistakes occurred early in the design process.
Further, conventional CAD systems do not allow members of a product development team to work together simultaneously, regardless of their location or role, in order to create and finalize product definitions. Instead, current design intent collaborative practices are based on serial collaboration, in which copies of digital product files are passed back and forth among development team members who must wait to get these copies back before they can make or even suggest design refinements.