MORE ENGINEERS AND DESIGNERS ARE USING SOLID MODELING IN THEIR WORK TODAY THAN IN THE PAST. AS THIS TECHNOLOGY HAS BECOME MORE COMMON, ISSUES CONCERNING THE EVALUATION OF COMPETITIVE PRODUCTS HAVE BECOME INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT. A DESCRIPTION OF THE FEATURES TO BE EXPECTED IN A SOLIDS-BASED CAD SYSTEM IS PRESENTED. FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN SELECTING CAD SYSTEMS ARE SUGGESTED, AND TESTS THAT ARE DESIGNED TO EVALUATE THE ROBUSTNESS, SPEED, AND STORAGE REQUIREMENTS OF SOLID MODELERS ARE DEFINED. THESE WILL ENABLE USERS TO MAKE AN INFORMED CHOICE THAT WILL PROVIDE A PRODUCTIVE DESIGN TOOL.