Comparison of two different approaches of class-A surface creation and quality verification (ICEM Surf vs CATIA )

This paper compares two approaches to Class-A surface creation, a key step in automotive body design ensuring aesthetics and high-quality visible surfaces. The traditional STRAK method, used for decades with tools like ICEM Surf, relies on separate surface modeling where patches are manually created and refined to achieve geometric continuity (G0–G3). Surfaces are then frozen and transferred into CAD systems for component development. In contrast, the modern Generative Engineering Design (GED) approach, implemented in CATIA ICEM, integrates Class-A surfacing directly into CAD. This enables active links between patches and components, allowing automatic updates when modifications occur, thus reducing manual work. While GED offers efficiency and flexibility, its adoption in real industry remains limited due to complexity and entrenched workflows. The paper also highlights learning aspects, surface quality verification using highlight analysis, and concludes that future development must balance efficiency with the uncompromising quality demanded in Class-A surfacing