Blog

The term “generative design” has been used in architecture and civil engineering for more than a decade. It is now gaining currency in the mechanical design (MCAD) world. See for example, https://www.autodesk.com/solutions/generative-design. Generative Design is a term for a class of tools that create or modify design geometry based on non-geometric requirements or constraints on product performance. In this regard, Topology Optimization (TopOpt) is the poster child. In 2005, Dr. Kristina Shea, who is now a professor at ETH in Zurich, wrote: “Integrated performance-driven generative design systems are aimed at creating new design processes that produce spatially novel yet efficient and buildable designs through exploitation of current computing and manufacturing capabilities.” In CIMdata’s view, Generative Design (GD): is the use of algorithmic methods to transform requirements into product geometry and design often includes optimization within constraints is not necessarily based on physics (nor on natural organic processes) So, yes, GD includes not only TopOpt, but also