2D Geometric Constraint Solving: An Overview

Geometric constraint solving has applications in many different fields, such as Computer-Aided Design, molecular modelling, tolerance analysis, and geometric theorem proving. Geometric modelling by constraints enables users to describe shapes by relationships called constraints between geometric elements. The aim is to derive automatically these geometric elements and provide thus effort and time saving. Moreover, users can easily modify existing designs. Many resolution methods have been proposed for solving systems of geometric constraints. We classify these methods in three broad categories: algebraic, rule-oriented and graph-constructive solvers.