Boundary Representation Method (B-Rep) : Boundary Representation Models Are Composed of Two Parts

In solid modelling and computer-aided design, boundary representation —often abbreviated as B-
rep or BREP —is a method for representing shapes using the limits. A solid is represented as a
collection of connected surface elements, the boundary between solid and non-solid.
Solid Modelling Techniques

The various methods for representing the solids are:
1. Boundary representation method (B-rep)
2. Constructive solid geometry (CSG and C-rep)
3. Sweep representation
4. Analytical solid modelling (ASM)
5. Primitive instancing
6. Spatial partitioning representation
a. Cell decomposition
b. Spatial occupancy enumeration
c. Octree encoding
Boundary representation method (B-rep)
The main topological items/primitives of b-rep are:
In solid modelling and computer-aided design, boundary representation often abbreviated as B-rep
or BREP—is a method for representing shapes using the limits.
A solid is represented as a collection of connected surface elements, the boundary between solid
and non-solid.
Boundary representation models are composed of two parts:
Geometry: Topology & Geometry (surfaces, curves and points).
Vertex (V): It is a unique point (an ordered triplet) in space
Edge (E): It is finite, non-self intersecting, directed space curve bounded by two vertices that are
not necessarily distinct
Face (F): It is defined as a finite connected, non-self-intersecting, region of a closed oriented
surface bounded by one or more loops
Loop (L): It is an ordered alternating sequence of vertices and edges
Genus (G): It is the topological name for the number of handles or through holes in an object
Body/Shell(B): It is a set of faces that bound a single connected closed volume. A minimum body
is a point.
Compared to the constructive solid geometry (CSG) representation, which uses only primitive
objects and Boolean operations to combine them, boundary representation is more flexible and has
a much richer operation set. In addition to the Boolean operations, B-rep has extrusion (or
sweeping), chamfer, blending, drafting, shelling, tweaking and other operations which make use of
these.
31/03/2020
CAD Database Structure:
CAD data exchange is a modality of data exchange used to translate data between
different Computer-aided design (CAD) authoring systems or between CAD and other
downstream CAx systems.
Many companies use different CAD systems internally and exchange CAD data with suppliers,
customers and subcontractors. Transfer of data is necessary so that, for example, one organization
can be developing a CAD model, while another performs analysis work on the same model; at the
same time a third organization is responsible for manufacturing the product. The CAD systems
currently available in the market differ not only in their application aims, user interfaces and
performance levels, but also in data structures and data formats therefore accuracy in the data
exchange process is of paramount importance and robust exchange mechanisms are needed.
The exchange process targets primarily the geometric information of the CAD data but it can also
target other aspects such as metadata, knowledge, manufacturing information, tolerances and
assembly structure.
There are three options available for CAD data exchange: direct model translation, neutral file
exchange and third-party translators.
Direct model translation: Direct data translators provide a direct solution which entails
translating the data stored in a product database directly from one CAD system format to another,
usually in one step. There usually exists a neutral database in a direct data translator. The structure
of the neutral database must be general, governed by the minimum required definitions of any of
the modelling data types, and be independent of any vendor format. Major CAD systems, such
as SolidWorks, PTC Creo, Siemens NX and CATIA can directly read and/or write other CAD formats,
simply by using File Open and File Save As options. This option is limited by the fact that most CAD
formats are proprietary therefore direct translators are typically unidirectional, partially functional
and not standardized.
Neutral file exchange:
Neutral file exchange uses an intermediary neutral format to translate data between CAD systems.
This method starts from a pre-processor embedded in the original CAD system, which generates the
neutral file from the originating CAD format. The target CAD system post-processes the neutral file
and converts it into the target native format. Some neutral formats are defined by standards
organisations such as IGES and STEP while others are proprietary but still widely used and are
regarded as quasi industry standards.
Neutral formats:
IGES (Initial Graphics Exchange Specification) – originated in late 1979 and initially published by the
American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in 1980 preceding the large-scale deployment of the
CAD technology in the industry. This file format considers the product definition as a file of entities,
with each entity being represented in an application-independent format. After the initial release
of STEP (ISO 10303) in 1994, interest in further development of IGES declined, and Version 5.3
(1996) was the last published standard.
DXF (Drawing eXchange Format) – developed by Autodesk in 1982 as their data

interoperability solution between AutoCAD and other CAD systems. The DXF is primarily 2D-
based and its format is a tagged data representation of all the information contained in an
AutoCAD drawing file, which means that each data element in the file is preceded by an
integer number that is called a group code indicating the type of following data element. As
most commercial application software developers have chosen to support Autodesk's
native DWG as the format for AutoCAD data interoperability, DXF has become less useful.
VDA-FS (Verband der Automobilindustrie – Flächenschnittstelle) – created by the German
Association of the Automotive Industry in 1982 as an interoperability method for free-form
surfaces. This format differs from other formats in that it only supports the communication of free-
form curve and surface data with associated comments, but no other geometric or non-geometric
entities. Therefore, it is limited to representations by parametric polynomials, but this covers the
great majority of free-form CAD systems. It includes Bézier, B-Spline and Coons tensor product types
of surfaces and corresponding curves.
PDES (Product Data Exchange Specification) – originated in 1988 under the Product Definition Data
Interface (PDDI) study done by McDonnell Aircraft Corporation on behalf of the U.S. Air Force. PDES
was designed to completely define a product for all applications over its expected life cycle, including
geometry, topology, tolerances, relationships, attributes, and features necessary to completely
define a part or assembly of parts. PDES can be viewed as an expansion of IGES where organizational
and technological data have been added. In fact, the later PDES contained IGES. The development of
PDES under the guidance of the IGES organization and in close collaboration with the International
Organization for Standardization (ISO) led to the birth of STEP.
STEP (ISO 10303 – STandard for the Exchange of Product model data) – the work with the ISO 10303
standard was initiated in 1984 and initially published in 1994, with the objective to standardize the
exchange of product data between PLM systems. It is a very comprehensive set of specifications
covering many different product types and many life cycle phases. STEP uses the neutral ISO 10303-
11 format, also known as an EXPRESS schema. EXPRESS defines not only the data types but also
relations and rules applying to them. STEP supports data exchange, data sharing and data archiving.
For data exchange, STEP defines the transitory form of the product data that is to be transferred
between a pair of applications. It supports data sharing by providing access to and operation on a
single copy of the same product data by more than one application, potentially simultaneously. STEP
may also be used to support the development of the archive product data itself. STEP consists of
several hundred documents called parts. Every year new parts are added or new revisions of older
parts are released. This makes STEP the biggest standard within ISO.

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In solid modelling and computer-aided design, boundary representation —often abbreviated as B-

Solid Modelling Techniques

DXF (Drawing eXchange Format) – developed by Autodesk in 1982 as their data

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