|
VRforCAD application combines two systems: Computer-aided design (CAD) system and Virtual Reality system with its special equipments for visualization and manipulation and. The CAD models in DXF and STL formats are imported and visualized in a Canvas3D in active stereoscopic mode. The 3D models can be manipulate (rotate, zoom, translate) and modify its surfaces by pushing, pulling and dragging. At the end, the models can be exported in DXF or STL format to be compatible with CAD system. From the point of view of Virtual Reality equipments, VRforCAD has a module for stereoscopic visualization (which can be extended from HMD to CAVE sistem) and a module for input device (which can be extended from 3D navigation device to haptic device). Also, there is a module (under development) which perform a collaborative work environment. |
|
Block schema of the principle Who is addressed? The application is addresed to: - especially to the designers who need a friendly application to work with CAD models without necessity to know how to work with a dedicated CAD software; - to the engineers who want to use some capabilities (ex. deform the models) in preliminary tasks (just to see how the model can be look) or to use the stereoscopic capability in visualization purpose; - to the researchers of universities who have virtual reality equipments and want to add support for its equipment in this application or to extend the applicability of the application; - and for anyone who like opensource software and is interested in this field of research.
The current features The current features of VRforCAD application are: - Rotate, zoom and translate operations for the 3D models; - Import/Export DXF and STL CAD formats and X3D files (all three are my own Import/Export classes, (at this moment, for X3D just import)), also the models can be kept on its own format *.vfc; The models can be converted between stl, dxf, and vfc formats. - modify material appearance; - modify the properties of the scene lights. There are two directional lights, two points light and an ambient light; - Wireframe visualization; - Stereoscopic view (on this moment just active stereoscopic); - dynamic section; - deform and paint the models; - keep the 3D models on a online Unix server (using a MySQL database), thus the users can access the same database from different location. Also when a user modifies a model from database, the new model doesn't write the old model (is added a new version, all versions being keeping on database to prevent mistakes). - Collaborative Work Environment; Why Java? The cross-platform capability was the first reason to choose Java language for developing the VRforCAD application. The application contains a Canvas3D, a SWING panel with buttons and check boxes on the right, menus on the top and dialogs. The next screenshot show the application running on Win Xp. 
Some dialogs in VRforCAD. Dynamic section With dynamic section feature, the user may cut (in dynamic mode) the shape by six planes (showed in the next two screenshots); also, concomitance sections are allowed.
Dynamic Section in action.
Screeenshot Dynanic Section in VRforCAD. 
Screeenshot Dynanic Section in VRforCAD. Running on linux The next Screenshot shows the application running on OpenSuse 10.2 (jdk5, Java3d 1.5.0) 
VRforCAD in stereoscopic mode running on Linux. The next Screenshot shows the application running on a MacBook with Mac OS X 10.5.3 (jdk6, Java3d 1.5.1) 
For instruction about how to run VRforCAD on Mac OS X see the Download Section. At the end The VRforCAD application makes some steps toward the use of Java3D API to develop more complex Virtual Reality applications. |
© Copyrights 2006-2008 Daniel Cioi - All rights reserved
