Geometric modeling kernel explained

A geometric modeling kernel is a solid modeling software component used in computer-aided design (CAD) packages.^{[1] [2]} Available modelling kernels include:

• ACIS is developed and licensed by Spatial Corporation of Dassault Systèmes.
• SMLib is developed by Solid Modeling Solutions.^[3]
• Convergence Geometric Modeler^[4] is developed by Dassault Systèmes.
• Parasolid is developed and licensed by Siemens.
• Romulus was a predecessor to Parasolid.
• ShapeManager^[5] is developed by Autodesk and was forked from ACIS in 2001.
• Granite^[6] is developed by Parametric Technology Corporation.
• C3D Modeler is developed by C3D Labs, part of the ASCON Group.^{[7] [8]}
• CGAL is an opensource Computational Geometry Algorithms Library which has support for boolean operations on Polyhedra; but no sweep, revolve or NURBS.
• Open CASCADE is an opensource modeling kernel.
• sgCore is a freeware proprietary modeling kernel distributed as an SDK.^[9]
• K3 kernel^[10] is developed by Center GeoS.
• SOLIDS++^[11] is developed by IntegrityWare, Inc.
• APM Engine^{[12] [13] [14]} is developed by RSDC APM.
• KCM^[15] is developed and licensed by Kubotek Kosmos^[16]
• SvLis Geometric Kernel became opensource and discontinued, for Windows only.
• IRIT modeling environment, for Windows only.^[17]
• GTS^[18] GNU Triangulated Surface Library, for polygon meshes only and not surfaces.
• Russian Geometric Kernel.
• Geometry Kernel,^[19] a multi-platform C++ library with source code accessible for clients, developed and distributed by RDF - Geometry Kernel web site.
• SolveSpace has its own integrated parametric solid geometry kernel with a limited NURBS support.

Kernel market

The kernel market currently is dominated by Parasolid and ACIS, which were introduced in the late 1980s. The latest kernel to enter the market is KCM. ShapeManager has no presence in the kernel licensing market and in 2001 Autodesk clearly stated they were not going into this business.

The world's newest geometric modeling kernel is Russian Geometric Kernel owned by the Russian government, and it is not clear if it is going to be commercially available, despite offering unique features over the other kernels on the market.^{[20] [21] [22] [23]}

Kernel developers

In the table below you can see a representative list of developers that belong to companies developing their own kernel or licensing the kernel from third-party.^[24]

Platforms	Domain	Kernel	Application	Developed by	Country
Windows		Open CASCADE	4MCAD IntelliCAD	4M S.A.	Greece
Windows	MCAD	ACIS / KCM	KeyCreator	Kubotek Kosmos	United States
Windows	MCAD	C3D	KOMPAS-3D	ASCON Group	Russia
Windows		C3D	KOMPAS-Builder	ASCON Group	Russia
Windows		C3D + K3 kernel	K3-Furniture	Center GeoS	Russia
Windows		C3D	Renga Architecture^[25] ^[26]	ASCON Group	Russia
iPad, Windows	MCAD	Parasolid	Shapr3D	Shapr3D zrt.	Hungary
Android	MCAD	C3D	KOMPAS:24	ASCON Group	Russia
Windows		C3D Modeler for Teigha Platform / ACIS	nanoCAD Plus	NanoSoft	Russia
Windows		Parasolid	T-FLEX	Top Systems	Russia
Windows		APM Engine	APM Studio	APM	Russia
Windows		C3D	TECHTRAN	NIP-Informatic	Russia
Windows		C3D	PASSAT	NTP Truboprovod	Russia
Windows, Mac	CAD, CAM	Own Kernel	Rhinoceros 3D	Robert McNeel and Associates	United States
Windows	CAD	C3D	ESPRIT Extra CAD	LO CNITI, Rubius	Russia
Windows		C3D	BAZIS System	BAZIS Center	Russia
Windows		Parasolid	Adams	MSC Software	United States
Windows		switch from ACIS to C3D^[27]	ADEM	ADEM Group	Russia
Windows		Parasolid	ADINA Modeler	ADINA R&D Inc.	United States
Windows	CAD, AEC, GIS	ShapeManager	AutoCAD	Autodesk	United States
Windows	MCAD	ShapeManager	Inventor	Autodesk	United States
Windows, Mac	Solid Modeler & Machiner	ShapeManager	Autodesk Fusion	Autodesk	United States
Windows, Linux, Mac		ACIS	BricsCAD	Bricsys	Belgium
Windows, Mac	CAD, CAM, CAE	Parasolid	Siemens NX	Siemens Digital Industries Software	United States, Germany
Windows		Parasolid	SolidFace	SolidFace	United States, Brazil
Windows	MCAD	Parasolid (previous versions used ACIS)	Solid Edge	Siemens Digital Industries Software	United States, Germany
Windows		Parasolid	SolidWorks	Dassault Systèmes	United States, France
Windows		Parasolid (previous versions used ACIS)	MicroStation	Bentley Systems	United States
Windows, Unix	CAD, CAM, CAE, AEC	Convergence Geometric Modeler	CATIA	Dassault Systèmes	France
Windows	Solid Modeler	GRANITE^[28]	Creo Elements	Parametric Technology Corporation	United States
Windows	CAD	GRANITE	Creo Parametric	Parametric Technology Corporation	United States
SaaS		Parasolid,^[29] FeatureScript	Onshape	Onshape	United States
Windows, SaaS		Parasolid & ACIS	IRONCAD	IRONCAD	United States
Windows	CAD	ACIS	GstarCAD	Suzhou Gstarsoft Co., Ltd	China
Windows, Mac	AEC, BIM	Own Kernel	ArchiCAD	Graphisoft	Hungary
Windows, Linux, Mac	MCAD, AEC	ACIS	ZW3D	ZWSoft	China
Windows		ACIS	Cimatron	3D Systems (Cimatron Ltd.)	Israel
Windows		ACIS^[30]	SpaceClaim	ANSYS Inc	United States
Windows		European Solid Modeller ESM^[31]	HiCAD	ISD Group	German
Mac, Windows	MCAD	ACIS	Cobalt, Xenon, Argon	Ashlar	United States
Windows, Linux	CAD Optimization	Own Kernel^[32]	CAESES	Friendship Systems	Germany
Windows, macOS, Linux,	CAD	Open Cascade, Coin3D,	FreeCAD	FreeCAD
Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android	CAD, AEC, BIM	Geometry Kernel	IFCEngine, STEPEngine	RDF	Bulgaria
Windows	CAD, AEC	Overdrive	ZW3D, ZWCAD	ZWSoft	China
Windows	CAD, Reverse Engineering	ACIS	Zeiss Reverse Engineering	ZEISS Industrial Metrology	Germany
Windows, macOS, Linux	MCAD	Parasolid	Plasticity	Plastic Software, LLC	United States

Notes and References

1. Web site: Tyrka . Katherine . Kernel strategies . Design News . 2001-12-01 . 2006-12-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070927203719/http://www.designnews.com/article/CA155479.html . 2007-09-27 . dead .
2. Book: Shah , Jami . Jami Shah . Parametric and Feature-Based CAD/CAM . John Wiley & Sons, Inc . 2004-06-27 . 0-471-00214-3 . 449 .
3. http://smlib.com/ SMLib
4. Web site: Spatial, ACIS, CGM, and the future of geometric modelers. Yares. Evan. 3D CAD World. 18 May 2013.
5. Web site: Autodesk - Produktivität, Performance und Präzision: Neue Version der Autodesk Inventor-Familie . www.autodesk.de . 12 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120315200548/http://www.autodesk.de/adsk/servlet/item?linkID=411015&id=3774381&siteID=403786 . 15 March 2012 . dead.
6. Web site: GRANITE Interoperability Kernel FAQ . PTC Inc. . 18 May 2013.
7. Web site: Geometric Kernels and Irremovability of Presidents from Office. Levin. David. LEDAS Ltd.. April 15, 2013.
8. Yares. Evan. April 2013. Russian CAD. Design World. WTWH Media, LLC. 8. 4. 1941-7217. 2015-01-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20150130142747/http://www.designworld-digital.com/designworld/april_2013#pg61. 2015-01-30. dead.
9. Web site: Geometros Solid Geometry Engine for C++, C#, Objective-C, Java - sgCore. www.geometros.com. 2019-10-02.
10. Web site: About the developer . Innovation and research center "GeoS" . 9 August 2016.
11. Web site: SOLIDS++ . IntegrityWare, Inc. . 17 August 2016.
12. Web site: APM Studio . Research and Software Development Centre APM . 18 August 2016.
13. Web site: Геометрическое ядро APM Engine . sapr . 18 August 2016.
14. Web site: На ядре . isicad . 18 August 2016.
15. Web site: 3D Software Development with Kubotek Kosmos . Kubotek Kosmos . 26 May 2023.
16. Web site: Kubotek Kosmos Announces the 5.0 Release of its 3D Framework Modeling Kernel . EIN Presswire . 13 April 2023.
17. Web site: The IRIT modeling environment - Home Page. www.cs.technion.ac.il. 2019-10-02.
18. Web site: GTS - The GNU Triangulated Surface Library. gts.sourceforge.net. 2019-10-02.
19. Web site: Geometry Kernel Library Packages . RDF. www.rdf.bg. en.
20. Web site: Russian 3D-kernel RGK: Functionality, Advantages, and Integration . Isicad.net . 2013-05-24 . 2016-07-27.
21. Web site: Does the CAD world need another geometry kernel? . gfxspeak.com . 2013-06-06 . 2016-08-17.
22. Web site: Features of RGK . RGK . 15 August 2016.
23. Web site: Вопрос распараллеливания в разработке ядра геометрического моделирования . Singularis Lab . 15 August 2016 .
24. Web site: Ushakov . Dmitry . Russian National 3D Kernel . LEDAS Ltd. . April 3, 2012.
25. Web site: Renga Architecture . ASCON Group . 2015-03-17 .
26. Web site: Renga Architecture is brand-new AEC software by an MCAD vendor . WorldCAD Access . 2015-03-13 .
27. Web site: Геометрическое ядро C3D станет частью российской CAM-системы ADEM . c3dlabs.com . December 20, 2021.
28. Web site: Creo GRANITE Interoperability Kernel.
29. Web site: How Does Onshape Really Work?.
30. Web site: SpaceClaim General FAQ.
31. Web site: Software für 2D-/3D-CAD und PDM | HiCAD und HELiOS.
32. Web site: CAESES Software › CAESES.