1. A computer implemented method of designing a real-world physical object in a computer-aided design (CAD) system, the method comprising: obtaining in memory of a processor of a computer-aided engineering (CAE) system, a first finite element model and a first CAD model that the first finite element model represents, the CAD model representing at least one or more curved surface of a real-world physical object; by the processor, performing a finite element simulation of contact involving the real-world physical object by using both the first finite element model and the first CAD model within the simulation, said performing the finite element simulation including the CAE system determining contact behavior of the one or more curved surface of the real-world physical object, determining one or more variations between the first finite element model and the first CAD model, and using these determined variations in determining the contact behavior of the one or more curved surface of the real-world physical object to correct one or more errors in the contact behavior determined; and modifying the first CAD model in the CAD system based on a result of performing the finite element simulation in the CAE system such that the modified first CAD model more accurately represents real-world contact behavior of the physical object.