Using CADKEY to Solve Intersections of Thin-Walled Surface Models
Abstract
Fundamental construction in descriptive geometry deal with determining the intersection of various elementary solids, such as planes, cylinders, and cones. Systems involving planes, cylinders, and cones are generally produced from sheet metal or other thin materials. When panels of these thin materials are fastened together, complex objects result. Determining the lines of intersection between the basic shapes that create the final product by using manual methods has always been a complex procedure. The process is greatly improved when using computer-aided drafting (or design) (CAD) program such as CADKEY; however, the orthographic results can be misleading. To avoid any problems associated with orthographic views of surface models, software developers should consider integrating within the modeler a means by which the surface model can be display as a solid model, thus eliminating hidden lines that nearly coincide with object lines.