A data structure for modelling engineering components and assemblies is described. It is shown how the same structure, slightly extended, can also be used to represent a single component defined as boolean combinations of more primitive shapes. This leads to a unified method of handling both the concise boolean description and the longer explicit description in terms of faces, edges and vertices. The technique permits close control of evaluation from boolean to explicit description, and facilitates saving of partly evaluated results and back tracking.

A geometric model of a shape is extended so as to represent not only its nominal dimensions but also tolerance information and surface specifications. The data structure defining an object is visualised as a pin-jointed, infinitely elastic wire frame covered by elastic membranes. Constraints corresponding to the dimensions of technical drawings are applied to the structure, either by the designer or by an automatic dimensioning algorithm. The validity of the resultant scheme can be checked and then drawn using drawing office conventions. The data structure can handle dimensions fixing various types of curved surface; other types can easily be added by following the same rules. A method of changing the nominal shape of an object is demonstrated. These results provide a systematic account of the ill-defined art of dimensioning and tolerancing, and should make the draughting process more amenable to computation.