The invention discloses a CAD semantic model search method based on a 
design intent. The method comprises the steps of A, establishing a three-dimensional CAD model 
database and carrying out three-dimensional 
annotation of the 
design intent through utilization of a PMI module of UG according to modeling, analyzing and manufacturing features of each model; B, carrying out classification on the 
annotation information of three-dimensional models according to modeling information, analyzing information and manufacturing information, and establishing a 
design intent semantic tree of each model; C, establishing a field-based body semantic model tree according to a three-dimensional 
semantic tree database; D, establishing a search index according to the body 
semantic tree; E, comparing similarity of a target search word set and semantic tree nodes and returning the same or similar nodes and sub-nodes thereof; and F, calculating corresponding model 
semantic similarity according to the returned nodes, returning the three-dimensional models with high 
semantic similarity and feeding back the three-dimensional models to a user. According to the method, the 
semantic gap problem of the content-based search method is solved, the similarity calculation is carried out by matching target 
search words and 
semantic annotation words, and the recall ratio of search is improved.