Detecting dependencies in geometric constraint systems

Automated approaches for detecting dependencies in structures created with Computer Aided Design software are critical for developing robust solvers and providing informative user feedback. We model a set of geometric constraints with a bi-colored multigraph and give a graph-based pebble game algorithm that allows us to determine combinatorially if there are generic dependencies. We further use the pebble game to yield a decomposition of the graph into factor graphs which may be used to give a user detailed feedback about dependent substructures in a specific realization of a system of CAD constraints with non-generic properties.