A series of non-peptide angiotensin II receptor antagonists was investigated with the aim of developing a 3D QSAR model using comparative molecular field analysis descriptors and approaches. The main goals of the study were dictated by an interest in methodologies and an understanding of the binding requirements to the AT1 receptor. Consistency with the previously derived activity models was always checked to contemporarily test the validity of the various hypotheses. The specific conformations chosen for the study, the procedures invoked to superimpose all structures, the conditions employed to generate steric and electrostatic field values and the various PCA/PLS runs are discussed in detail. The effect of experimental design techniques to select objects (molecules) and variables (descriptors) with respect to the predictive power of the QSAR models derived was especially analysed.