Subject: Creating three-dimensional entities

CADdirect supports the following types of three-dimensional models:  

•   Wire-frame models, which consist of lines and curves that define the edges of a three-dimensional entity. You can create a wire-frame model by drawing lines, arcs, polylines, and other two-dimensional entities anywhere in three-dimensional space. Wire-frame models have no surfaces; they always appear as outlines. Because you must individually draw and position each entity that makes up a wire-frame model, creating one can be exacting and time-consuming.       

•   Surface models, which consist of both edges and the surfaces between those edges. You can create a surface model by applying elevation and thickness to two-dimensional planar entities or by using specific three-dimensional entity-creation commands. Surface models consist of individual planes forming a faceted, polyg­onal mesh.

•   Facet model meshes, which are smart surface model entities that can be combined into composite meshes and rendered more like solids.

•   3D solids, which are three-dimensional ACIS entities that consist of faces and edges. 3D solids appear to have volume and are easier to work with than wire-frame and surface models. CADdirect supports viewing and limited editing of 3D solids, including moving, rotating and scaling. Additionally, some versions of CADdirect allow you to create and more completely edit 3D solids.

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Applying elevation and thickness

Creating three-dimensional faces

Creating rectangular meshes

Creating polyface meshes

Creating ruled surface meshes

Creating extruded meshes

Creating revolved meshes

Creating edge-defined Coons surface patch meshes

Creating boxes

Creating wedges

Creating cones

Creating pyramids

Creating cylinders

Creating spheres

Creating dishes

Creating domes

Creating tori

Creating pipes

Creating helices

Creating regions

Creating extruded solids or surfaces

Creating revolved solids or surfaces

Creating lofted solids and surfaces

Creating swept solids and surfaces

Creating polysolids

Creating composite three-dimensional entities

Creating three-dimensional entities from extracted curves