Assembly analysis
Collision Detection Component
Add mesh-based collision and proximity checks to CAD applications, with configurable precision and support for positioned assembly components.

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Collision and proximity checks for CAD assemblies
The Collision Detection SDK checks triangle meshes associated with OCCT shapes. It supports positioned components and reports collision locations in terms of points, triangles or faces. Applications include assembly verification, CAD/CAM interaction and inspection-path preparation.
Its acceleration structures use axis-aligned bounding-box trees. Component positioning can change without rebuilding those trees, which is useful when repeatedly checking candidate placements.
Choose the meaning and precision of a check
Define the contact tolerance or proximity threshold required by the application. Mesh deflection affects how closely the representation follows the CAD surfaces and therefore how the result should be interpreted.
A mesh-based collision check is different from an exact BRep Boolean intersection. Establish the required result and accuracy before choosing the operation. Static checks at sampled positions also need to be distinguished from guarantees about an entire motion between those positions.
Geometry coverage and result reporting
The implementation handles non-convex shapes, non-manifold geometry and coplanar triangles. In addition to triangle meshes associated with OCCT shapes, it can be adapted to an application’s own mesh structures.
| Query or output | Application use |
|---|---|
| Contact within a tolerance | Identify shape pairs that touch within the requested threshold |
| Proximity threshold | Flag components whose clearance is below the required distance |
| Collision points, triangles or faces | Highlight the affected region and connect the result to model selection |
| Repeated checks at independent placements | Compare candidate component positions while reusing the AABB trees |
This supports digital mockup review, virtual assembly verification and positioning tasks in CMM or robotic-path applications. The host application can connect the results to its graphical interface, reporting and motion-planning logic. A visual demonstration application is available as part of the component evaluation discussion.
Evaluate an assembly workflow
Test representative part counts, triangle counts, placements and clearances. Record mesh preparation time separately from repeated collision-query time. Include boundary cases such as near contact, coplanar triangles and small details relative to the chosen deflection.
For mesh preparation, see Express Mesh. For bringing CAD assemblies into the application, see the data exchange formats.
Request collision detection evaluation with the required tolerances, model sizes, OCCT release and deployment platform. Custom development services can help integrate reporting and interaction into your application.