Abstract
Solid modeling refers to techniques for unambiguous representations of three-dimensional objects. Feature recognition is a sub-discipline focusing on the design and implementation of algorithms for detecting manufacturing information such as holes, slots, etc. in a solid model. Automated feature recognition has been an active research area in solid modeling for many years, and is considered to be a critical component for CAD/CAM integration. This paper gives a technical overview of the state of the art in feature recognition research. Rather than giving an exhaustive survey, we focus on the three currently dominant feature recognition technologies: graph-based algorithms, volumetric decomposition techniques and hint-based geometric reasoning. For each approach, we present a detailed description of the algorithms being employed along with some assessments of the technology. We conclude by outlining important research and development issues.