What Is Generative Design?

Generative design is a 3D CAD capability that uses AI to autonomously create optimal designs from a set of system design requirements. With generative design software, engineers can interactively specify their requirements and goals, including preferred materials and manufacturing processes, and the generative engine will automatically produce a manufacture-ready design. As a result, engineers can interact with the technology to create superior designs and drive product innovation more quickly.

Benefits of generative design

Generative design automatically delivers solutions based on your constraints and requirements, including materials and manufacturing processes. Improve engineering productivity and time-to-market with rapid exploration of innovative CAD models. Both experienced and junior engineers will benefit, as generative design will help challenge assumptions and deliver high-quality, lower-cost, manufacturable solutions.

Improved efficiency

Generative design allows users to explore many design alternatives in a short period of time, which can help them create more efficient and innovative designs more quickly.

Enhanced performance

By considering a wide range of factors-such as materials, manufacturing processes, and performance requirements-generative design can help users create designs that are optimized for specific goals. This can result in designs that are stronger, lighter, or more efficient than those designed using traditional methods.

Reduced design time

Generative design can greatly reduce the time it takes to design a product or component by automating the design process and exploring many design alternatives quickly.

Creo generative design

Looking to take your product designs to the next level? Creo generative design optimizes product designs with the power of the cloud. Simultaneously explore numerous innovative design options, with options automatically highlighted. Generative design delivers high-quality, low-cost, manufacturable designs, all within the Creo design environment. Deliver your best designs in less time with Creo generative design.

Industry applications of generative design

Generative design for manufacturers

Find out what manufacturers need to know about generative design. Download this e-book to learn how it can help your team innovate faster.

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Generative design for engineers

Generative design can help both experienced and junior engineers deliver ground-breaking, manufacturable solutions. Download this e-book to learn how generative design can help you deliver your best designs in less time.

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Generative design case studies

Generative design isn’t just a theory. Learn how companies are using generative design to solve real world problems.

Cummins optimizes new product designs

Cummins uses generative design for to drive sustainability

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Jacobs: Generative design in aerospace

Jacobs uses generative design for product light-weighting

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HPE COXA turns to Creo to consolidate design solutions

HPE COXA speeds time to market by embracing design agility with Creo.

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Creo generative design extensions

Our new Generative Topology Optimization extension (GTO) and cloud-based Generative Design Extension (GDX) help you optimize product designs based on your constraints and requirements – including materials and manufacturing processes. With GTO, you can rapidly explore innovative design options to reduce development time and expense, all within the Creo environment. And cloud based GDX allows you to simultaneously create multiple designs using different material and manufacturing scenarios, with top options highlighted for your review. Learn more about how Creo generative design can help you automatically deliver high-quality, lower-cost, manufacturable designs.

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Generative design for traditional manufacturing

Think generative design is only for additive manufacturing? Think again! Generative design can be applied to parts that are machined, cast or forged. You can use generative design to optimize legacy parts, using your existing manufacturing process.

Generative design frequently asked questions

Is generative design AI?

PTC's generative design solution is a software tool that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning techniques to automate the design process. It is designed to help engineers and designers create more efficient and innovative designs by rapidly exploring many design alternatives and selecting the best ones based on specified design goals and constraints. Generative design uses AI algorithms to generate and evaluate multiple design options based on input from the user. It can consider a wide range of factors, including materials, manufacturing processes, and performance requirements, to generate designs that are optimized for specific goals. The user can then review and select the most promising designs for further development.

How do you use generative design in Creo?

Our new Generative Topology Optimization extension (GTO) and cloud-based Generative Design Extension (GDX) help you optimize product designs based on your constraints and requirements. Both GTO and GDX are seamlessly integrated into Creo and can be set up and executed by the design engineer directly from the Creo tool bar.

The Generative Topology Optimization extension is a tool that helps users find the optimal product design to meet specified performance goals, while using the least amount of material possible. This extension can be used to design a structure that is lighter, stronger, and more efficient than those that are designed using traditional methods.

The cloud-based Generative Design Extension, on the other hand, is a tool that helps users simultaneously generate and evaluate multiple design alternatives based on input from the user. This extension can consider a wide range of factors, including materials, manufacturing processes, and performance requirements to generate designs that are optimized for specific goals—including those you may not have considered. The user can then review and select the most promising designs for further development.

What is the difference between generative design and topology optimization?

Generative design and topology optimization are two related but distinct approaches to design. Generative design is a method of using AI algorithms to generate and evaluate multiple design alternatives based on input from the user. This design process can take many factors into account, including performance requirements, manufacturing processes, and materials to generate optimized designs.

On the other hand, topology optimization is a foundational process of finding the optimal shape and layout of a structure or component to meet specified performance goals while using the least amount of material possible. It involves using computer algorithms to iteratively remove material from the design until the optimal configuration is reached. Topology optimization converges on a single solution based only on functional objectives, constraints, and loads and solves for one solution at a time.

What is the difference between generative design and parametric design?

Generative design is a method of using artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to generate and evaluate multiple design alternatives based on input from the user. The user can then review and select the most promising designs for further development. Generative design is a powerful tool in the hands of a design engineer, replacing mundane, time-consuming work with high-value design objectives.

Parametric design, on the other hand, is an approach to 3D CAD in which you capture design intent using features and constraints (or parameters) that can be manually modified to produce unique design outcomes. These variables can include geometric dimensions, material properties, and other design variables. Parametric design can be used to manually explore fresh design alternatives by changing the values of the parameters.

Is generative design only used for additive manufactured products?

Generative design works extremely well with additive manufacturing technologies, as the generative engine is free to explore organic shapes that aren’t limited by manufacturing constraints like draft angles and machine tool paths. However, there are circumstances when traditional, subtractive manufacturing is preferred. In these situations, Creo GTO and GDX extensions can produce truly innovative product design based on machining, extrusion, and casting processes.