The X-Formats family: linking geometry and semantics for product-centric engineering data management

Machine-readable semantic information, including simulation settings, inspection configurations, machine parameters, process outcomes, and logs, is central to digital manufacturing because it enables automation, interoperability, data traceability, and adaptive reconfiguration across the product lifecycle. When anchored to specific geometric entities, such semantics transform product models into authoritative information carriers in which geometry, design intent, process knowledge, and lifecycle feedback remain persistently linked within a machine-readable dataset. This principle underlies Model-Based Definition (MBD), in which the CAD model serves as the single source of truth for realizing the digital thread. However, most engineering file formats either lack expressive machine-readable semantics or encode them in native, format-specific structures that are difficult to adapt, exchange, and reuse. This letter presents a conceptual framework for the eXtended Formats (X-Formats), a lightweight stand-off markup approach that links structured annotations to engineering carriers without modifying the original data. Semantics can be defined independently of the underlying carrier syntax, including STL, STEP, and DXF for CAD; PNG, JPEG, and DICOM for images; MP4 and MOV for videos; and GeoTIFF for geospatial data. These semantics are anchored to carrier-specific entities that can be detected through external entity-extraction mechanisms. X-Formats organize semantics into a three-level hierarchy of properties, layers, and schemas, which supports modular semantic dataset design and rapid customization across domains by adapting only carrier-specific entity types, descriptors, and anchoring rules. This letter introduces the core architectural principles, anchoring strategy, supporting tools, and broader implications of this novel product-centric approach to engineering data management.