CGM (Convergence Geometric Modeler)
CGM (Convergence Geometric Modeler) is Dassault Systèmes' high-end proprietary geometry kernel, originally developed as part of CATIA V5 and licensed externally through Spatial Technology. CGM is the kernel underneath CATIA, the dominant high-end MCAD product (~46% market share at the high end), and powers Dassault's most surface-intensive workloads in automotive, aerospace, and consumer goods design.
Why it matters
CGM is the strategic counter-position to Parasolid: a high-end kernel kept proprietary inside the Dassault stack rather than licensed broadly to competitors. The CGM-vs-Parasolid choice — own it end-to-end vs license it to everyone — is the canonical strategic bet in CAD platform design, and the two kernels' divergent trajectories are the empirical evidence that both bets can work simultaneously.
External References
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Cite this definition
Finocchiaro, Michael. “CGM (Convergence Geometric Modeler).” DemystifyingPLM PLM Glossary, 2026, https://www.demystifyingplm.com/glossary/cgm-convergence-geometric-modeler