3D Printing – production of a solid representation of a CAD model by depositing layers of material representing slices of the model

AEC – Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry

ALM – Application Lifecycle Management

Associativity – hierarchical relationships or links between features or models – a change in one element will cause a change in any associated elements

CAD – Computer Aided Design

CAM – Computer Aided Manufacture

CV – control vector – see splines control polygon

Design Intent – the characteristics or personality of a product captured through the model parameters

Developable Surface (see also Ruled Surfaces) – a 3D form which can be flattened without adding or subtracting surface area, without stretching. These include planar, cylindrical, and conical shapes

Edge Chain – multiple edges as a single, continuous selection.  Tangent or non tangent chain, generally selected whilst holding Shift

FEA – Finite Element Analysis – calculating the effects of loads on a model

Hull – vectors that connect CVs in a spline control polygon

IoT – Internet of Things – see also M2M, SLM, SCM and ALM

M2M – Machine to Machine

Mass properties – parameters which describe a solid entity – volume, density, material, etc

Normal – three dimensionally perpendicular – 90 degrees in all direction to the point ocontact on the parent surface

NURBS – Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline

Parameters – a value, a number, a variable

Parametric CAD – 3D modelling controlled by parameters rather than freeform placement

PDM – Product data management

PLM – Product Lifecycle Management

Ruled Surfaces (see also – at any point on the 3D surface a section can be created which is a straight line

SCM – Supply Chain Management

Section – planar, 2D set of curves which form a single or multiple closed loops which do not intersect

SLM – Service Lifecycle Management

Solid Model – a closed volume which can be assigned mass properties

Surface Model – model comprised of ‘skins’ with no thickness

Tablet – digital input device – desktop or screen – using a stylus or fingers to manipulate the digital file

Tangent – where two curves, edges or surfaces meet they are travelling in the same direction giving a smooth connection

Tangential – see tangent