Which term refers to parameters that dictate the overall approach in a model?

The term that refers to parameters dictating the overall approach in a model is design intent. Design intent encompasses the conceptual goals, requirements, and guiding principles that inform how a model is constructed and manipulated within a design process. It shapes the relationships and behaviors of the components within the model, allowing designers to achieve their desired outcomes effectively.

Design intent is critical because it helps in establishing how changes should propagate through the model—ensuring that modifications to one part of the design automatically adjust other related parts in a logical manner, thus maintaining the coherence of the design throughout its lifecycle. By embedding design intent into a model, designers can work efficiently, adapting to new requirements without starting from scratch.

In contrast, model constraints are specific limitations placed on individual elements, often restricting their movements or relations to other components, but do not encompass the broader intent behind the design. Expression variables are numeric and symbolic representations used to create relationships in a model, while functional elements refer to the basic building blocks within a design that serve a particular purpose. These concepts are important, but they do not capture the overarching guidance that design intent provides in modeling.