Welcome!

This is the homepage for the Solid Modeling Association (SMA), serving research, development, and user communities in CAD/CAM and in the broader field of Solid Modeling and its applications.

Solid Modeling refers to theories and computations that define and manipulate representations of physical objects, of their properties, and of the associated abstractions, and that support a variety of processes. The representations and computations used in solid modeling are based on sound mathematical and physical principles, innovative and compact data structures, and efficient and reliable algorithms. They support the creation, exchange, visualization, evolution, analyzing, animation, interrogation, annotation, manufacturing and fabrication of the digital models of the objects.

Since its inception in 1991, the ACM Symposium on Solid Modeling and Applications has been the primary venue for disseminating research results in the design, representation, analysis, visualization, manufacturing, fabrication, and use of digital models of real or planned solid objects and of their bounding surfaces. This initial period was primarily focused on the theoretical and algorithmic tools that produce and exploit unambiguous representations of the geometry of such objects.

We continue to seek research contributions that strive to advance the domain, accuracy, and effectiveness of such representations and algorithms. At the same time, modeling solids entails not only modeling their geometric shape, but also their physical properties and behaviors. To emphasize this broader mission, the name of the main SMA international conference was changed to Symposium on Solid and Physical Modeling (abbreviated SPM). SPM is the prime international venue for state-of-the-art research in these areas and is typically executed in cooperation with ACM and in collocation with SIAM GD meetings (every other year).

The SMA was formed to develop and oversee the series of SPM annual meetings and to provide the members of the Solid Modeling community with means to inform each other about their activities and progress and to track and influence the events, funding, and research opportunities in this field. Membership in the SMA is free while active members receive important email messages and announcements, have the right to be actively involved in the SMA technical eForms and gain search access in the database of participating members. SMA is administered by an executive committee of five volunteers.