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Modeling and simulation have always been highly useful techniques to use when designing, analyzing, or diagnosing an engineered system. Development of an appropriate model, in terms of accuracy, granularity, and complexity, has typically been the burden of the designer, analyst, or troubleshooter. It would naturally be advantageous if a model could be developed automatically, with the user supplying only some final minor refinements. The fact that most modern systems are designed in a computer-aided design (CAD) environment makes this a realistic prospect, because much of the data necessary for the model is already in electronic form. This article outlines a system called the automated knowledge generator (AKG), which embodies techniques that automatically create a model of an engineered system directly from its CAD representation, and describes the extensive testing process followed in order to validate its performance.