Parametric versus direct modeling in manufacturing process management

Manufacturing process management (MPM) defines “how” a product is to be produced. It is a summary of inputs, which are helpful within the production. One of these inputs is computer-aided design (CAD). CAD is divided to 2D and 3D modeling. There are many free and paid software applications which can be used by designing a product. 3D CAD applications with ability to create both 3D and 2D designs are widely used among the designers. 3D CAD is divided to parametric and explicit (direct) modeling. But which suits the best for product design? This article gives an overview over several aspects of designing 3D models.