Geometry & modeling
Design intent
Definition
Design intent is the reasoning built into a model's structure: which dimensions drive others, what stays centered or symmetric, and what should move when something changes. Two models that look identical can behave very differently when edited because of how their intent was captured.
Also known as: modeling intent
Updated
How it is captured#
Design intent lives in choices such as sketch constraints, the dimensions you pick as drivers, symmetry and mirror relationships, equations, and the order of features. A hole pattern dimensioned from a mounting face carries different intent than the same pattern dimensioned from the part's edge.
Neutral exports such as STEP keep the geometry but lose that intent. AI-generated geometry usually has none unless the tool produces structured parametric code or a real feature tree, so the intent has to be added by the person who takes the model forward.
Sources
Related terms
Parametric modeling
Parametric modeling builds a CAD model from dimensions, constraints, and an ordered list of features, so changing a value regenerates the geometry. It is the default approach in SolidWorks, Fusion, Onshape, Creo, NX, and FreeCAD Part Design.
Sketch constraint
A sketch constraint is a rule applied to 2D sketch geometry, such as coincident, parallel, tangent, equal, or a fixed dimension. When a sketch is fully constrained, nothing in it can move freely, which makes later edits predictable.
Feature tree
A feature tree is the ordered list of operations, such as sketches, extrudes, cuts, fillets, and patterns, that builds a parametric CAD model. Editing an early feature replays every feature after it, which makes controlled changes possible and also makes the model depend on each earlier step.