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Nonuniform Rational B-spline
Non-uniform rational basis spline (NURBS) is a mathematical model using basis splines (B-splines) that is commonly used in computer graphics for representing curves and surfaces. It offers great flexibility and precision for handling both analytic (defined by common mathematical formulae) and modeled shapes. It is a type of curve modeling, as opposed to polygonal modeling or digital sculpting. NURBS curves are commonly used in computer-aided design (CAD), manufacturing (CAM), and engineering (CAE). They are part of numerous industry-wide standards, such as IGES, STEP, ACIS, and PHIGS. Tools for creating and editing NURBS surfaces are found in various 3D graphics and animation software packages. They can be efficiently handled by computer programs yet allow for easy human interaction. NURBS surfaces are functions of two parameters mapping to a surface in three-dimensional space. The shape of the surface is determined by control points. In a compact form, NURBS surfaces can ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
3D Animation
Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most animations are made with computer-generated imagery (CGI). Computer animation can be very detailed 3D animation, while 2D computer animation (which may have the look of traditional animation) can be used for stylistic reasons, low bandwidth, or faster real-time renderings. Other common animation methods apply a stop motion technique to two- and three-dimensional objects like paper cutouts, puppets, or clay figures. A cartoon is an animated film, usually a short film, featuring an exaggerated visual style. The style takes inspiration from comic strips, often featuring anthropomorphic animals, superheroes, or the adventures of human protagonists. Especially with animals that form a natural predator/prey relationship (e.g. cats and mice, co ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Freeform Curve
Freeform surface modelling is a technique for engineering freeform surfaces with a CAD or CAID system. The technology has encompassed two main fields. Either creating aesthetic surfaces (class A surfaces) that also perform a function; for example, car bodies and consumer product outer forms, or technical surfaces for components such as gas turbine blades and other fluid dynamic engineering components. CAD software packages use two basic methods for the creation of surfaces. The first begins with construction curves ( splines) from which the 3D surface is then swept (section along guide rail) or meshed (lofted) through. The second method is direct creation of the surface with manipulation of the surface poles/control points. From these initially created surfaces, other surfaces are constructed using either derived methods such as offset or angled extensions from surfaces; or via bridging and blending between groups of surfaces. Surfaces Freeform surface, or freeform sur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Protractor
A protractor is a measuring instrument, typically made of transparent plastic or glass, for measuring angles. Some protractors are simple half-discs or full circles. More advanced protractors, such as the bevel protractor, have one or two swinging arms, which can be used to help measure the angle. Typical Most protractors measure angles in degrees (°). Radian-scale protractors measure angles in radians. Most protractors are divided into 180 equal parts. Some precision protractors further divide degrees into arcminutes. They are used in mechanics, engineering and geometry. Bevel A bevel protractor is a graduated circular protractor with one pivoted arm; used for measuring or marking off angles. Sometimes Vernier scales are attached to give more precise readings. It has wide application in architectural and mechanical drawing, although its use is decreasing with the availability of modern drawing software or CAD. Universal bevel protractors are also used by toolmakers ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Compass (drafting)
A compass, more accurately known as a pair of compasses, is a technical drawing instrument that can be used for inscribing circles or arcs. As dividers, it can also be used as a tool to mark out distances, in particular, on maps. Compasses can be used for mathematics, drafting, navigation and other purposes. Prior to computerization, compasses and other tools for manual drafting were often packaged as a set with interchangeable parts. By the mid-twentieth century, circle templates supplemented the use of compasses. Today those facilities are more often provided by computer-aided design programs, so the physical tools serve mainly a didactic purpose in teaching geometry, technical drawing, etc. Construction and parts Compasses are usually made of metal or plastic, and consist of two "legs" connected by a hinge which can be adjusted to allow changing of the radius of the circle drawn. Typically one leg has a spike at its end for anchoring, and the other leg holds a drawing ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ruler
A ruler, sometimes called a rule, line gauge, or scale, is a device used in geometry and technical drawing, as well as the engineering and construction industries, to measure distances or draw straight lines. Variants Rulers have long been made from different materials and in multiple sizes. Some are wooden. Plastics have also been used since they were invented; they can be molded with length markings instead of being scribed. Metal is used for more durable rulers for use in the workshop; sometimes a metal edge is embedded into a wooden desk ruler to preserve the edge when used for straight-line cutting. in length is useful for a ruler to be kept on a desk to help in drawing. Shorter rulers are convenient for keeping in a pocket. Longer rulers, e.g., , are necessary in some cases. Rigid wooden or plastic yardsticks, 1 yard long, and meter sticks, 1 meter long, are also used. Classically, long measuring rods were used for larger projects, now superseded by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Technical Drawing
Technical drawing, drafting or drawing, is the act and discipline of composing drawings that visually communicate how something functions or is constructed. Technical drawing is essential for communicating ideas in industry and engineering. To make the drawings easier to understand, people use familiar symbols, perspectives, units of measurement, notation systems, visual styles, and page layout. Together, such conventions constitute a visual language and help to ensure that the drawing is unambiguous and relatively easy to understand. Many of the symbols and principles of technical drawing are codified in an international standard called ISO 128. The need for precise communication in the preparation of a functional document distinguishes technical drawing from the expressive drawing of the visual arts. Artistic drawings are subjectively interpreted; their meanings are multiply determined. Technical drawings are understood to have one intended meaning. A drafter, dra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spline (PSF)
Spline may refer to: Mathematics * Spline (mathematics), a mathematical function used for interpolation or smoothing * Smoothing spline, a method of smoothing using a spline function Devices * Spline (mechanical), a mating feature for rotating elements * Flat spline, a device to draw curves * Spline drive, a type of screw drive * Spline cord, a type of thin rubber cord used to secure a window screen to its frame * Spline (or star filler A star filler (also known as cross filler, splines, separators and crossweb fillers) is a type of plastic insert in Cat 5 and Cat 6 cable which separates the individual stranded pair sets from each other while inside of the cable. It increases th ...), a type of plastic cable filler for CAT cable Other * Spline (alien beings), in Stephen Baxter's Xeelee Sequence novels See also * {{disambiguation ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bézier Curve
A Bézier curve ( ) is a parametric curve used in computer graphics and related fields. A set of discrete "control points" defines a smooth, continuous curve by means of a formula. Usually the curve is intended to approximate a real-world shape that otherwise has no mathematical representation or whose representation is unknown or too complicated. The Bézier curve is named after French engineer Pierre Bézier (1910–1999), who used it in the 1960s for designing curves for the bodywork of Renault cars. Other uses include the design of computer fonts and animation. Bézier curves can be combined to form a Bézier spline, or generalized to higher dimensions to form Bézier surfaces. The Bézier triangle is a special case of the latter. In vector graphics, Bézier curves are used to model smooth curves that can be scaled indefinitely. "Paths", as they are commonly referred to in image manipulation programs, are combinations of linked Bézier curves. Paths are not bound by the lim ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Subdivision Surfaces
In the field of 3D computer graphics, a subdivision surface (commonly shortened to SubD surface) is a curved surface represented by the specification of a coarser polygon mesh and produced by a recursive algorithmic method. The curved surface, the underlying ''inner mesh'', can be calculated from the coarse mesh, known as the ''control cage'' or ''outer mesh'', as the functional limit of an iterative process of subdividing each polygonal face into smaller faces that better approximate the final underlying curved surface. Less commonly, a simple algorithm is used to add geometry to a mesh by subdividing the faces into smaller ones without changing the overall shape or volume. Overview A subdivision surface algorithm is recursive in nature. The process starts with a base level polygonal mesh. A refinement scheme is then applied to this mesh. This process takes that mesh and subdivides it, creating new vertices and new faces. The positions of the new vertices in the mesh are com ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
T-Spline (mathematics)
In computer graphics, a T-spline is a mathematical model for defining freeform surfaces. A T-spline surface is a type of surface defined by a network of control points where a row of control points is allowed to terminate without traversing the entire surface. The control net at a terminated row resembles the letter "T". Modeling surfaces with T-splines can reduce the number of control points in comparison to NURBS surfaces and make pieces easier to merge, but increases the book-keeping effort to keep track of the irregular connectivity. T-splines can be converted into NURBS surfaces, by knot insertion, and NURBS can be represented as T-splines without T's or by removing knots. T-splines can therefore, in theory, do everything that NURBS can do. In practice, an enormous amount of programming was required to make NURBS work as well as they do, and creating the equivalent T-spline functionality would require similar effort. To smoothly join at points where more than three sur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Geometric Shape
A shape or figure is a graphical representation of an object or its external boundary, outline, or external surface, as opposed to other properties such as color, texture, or material type. A plane shape or plane figure is constrained to lie on a '' plane'', in contrast to ''solid'' 3D shapes. A two-dimensional shape or two-dimensional figure (also: 2D shape or 2D figure) may lie on a more general curved '' surface'' (a non-Euclidean two-dimensional space). Classification of simple shapes Some simple shapes can be put into broad categories. For instance, polygons are classified according to their number of edges as triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, etc. Each of these is divided into smaller categories; triangles can be equilateral, isosceles, obtuse, acute, scalene, etc. while quadrilaterals can be rectangles, rhombi, trapezoids, squares, etc. Other common shapes are points, lines, planes, and conic sections such as ellipses, circles, and parabolas. Among t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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