- Objectives
- Overview
- Coordinates for 3D CAD Modeling
- Geometric Entities
- 4.1 Manually Bisecting a Line or Circular Arc
- 4.2 Drawing Tangents to Two Circles
- 4.3 Drawing an Arc Tangent to a Line or Arc and through a Point
- 4.4 Bisecting an Angle
- 4.5 Drawing a Line through a Point and Parallel to a Line
- 4.6 Drawing a Triangle with Sides Given
- 4.7 Drawing a Right Triangle with Hypotenuse and One Side Given
- 4.8 Laying Out an Angle
- 4.9 Drawing an Equilateral Triangle
- 4.10 Polygons
- 4.11 Drawing a Regular Pentagon
- 4.12 Drawing a Hexagon
- 4.13 Ellipses
- 4.14 Spline Curves
- 4.15 Geometric Relationships
- 4.16 Solid Primitives
- 4.17 Recognizing Symmetry
- 4.18 Extruded Forms
- 4.19 Revolved Forms
- 4.20 Irregular Surfaces
- 4.21 User Coordinate Systems
- 4.22 Transformations
- Key Words
- Chapter Summary
- Skills Summary
- Worksheets
- Review Questions
- Chapter Exercises
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
4.16 Solid Primitives
Many 3D objects can be visualized, sketched, and modeled in a CAD system by combining simple 3D shapes or primitives. They are the building blocks for many solid objects. You should become familiar with these common shapes and their geometry. The same primitives that are useful when sketching objects are also used to create 3D models of those objects.
A common set of primitive solids used to build more complex objects is shown in Figure 4.57. Which of these objects are polyhedra? Which are bounded by single-curved surfaces? Which are bounded by double-curved surfaces? How many vertices do you see on the cone? How many on the wedge? How many edges do you see on the box? Familiarity with the appearance of these primitive shapes when shown in orthographic views can help you in interpreting drawings and in recognizing features that make up objects. Figure 4.58 shows the primitives in two orthographic views. Review the orthographic views and match each to the isometric of the same primitive shown in Figure 4.57.
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4.57 Solid Primitives. The most common solid primitives are (a) box, (b) sphere, (c) cylinder, (d) cone, (e) torus, (f) wedge, and (g) pyramid.
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4.58 Match the top and front views shown here with the primitives shown in Figure 4.57.
Look around and identify some solid primitives that make up the shapes you see. The ability to identify the primitive shapes can help you model features of the objects using a CAD system (see Figure 4.59). Also, knowing how primitive shapes appear in orthographic views can help you sketch these features correctly and read drawings that others have created.
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4.59 Complex Shapes. The 3D solid primitives in this illustration show basic shapes that make up a telephone handset. (Photo copyright Everything/Shutterstock.)
Making Complex Shapes with Boolean Operations
Boolean operations, common to most 3D modelers, allow you to join, subtract, and intersect solids. Boolean operations are named for the English mathematician George Boole, who developed them to describe how sets can be combined. Applied to solid modeling, Boolean operations describe how volumes can be combined to create new solids.
The three Boolean operations, defined in Table 4.1, are
Table 4.1 Boolean Operations
Name |
Definition |
Venn Diagram |
|---|---|---|
Union (join/add) |
The volume in both sets is combined or added. Overlap is eliminated. Order does not matter: A union B is the same as B union A. |
|
Difference (subtract) |
The volume from one set is subtracted or eliminated from the volume in another set. The eliminated set is completely eliminated—even the portion that does not overlap the other volume. The order of the sets selected when using difference does matter (see Figure 4.60). A subtract B is not the same as B subtract A. |
|
Intersection |
The volume common to both sets is retained. Order does not matter: B intersect A is the same as A intersect B. |
|
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4.60 Order Matters in Subtraction. The models here illustrate how A – B differs significantly from B – A.
Union (join/add)
Difference (subtract)
Intersection
Figure 4.61 illustrates the result of the Boolean operations on three pairs of solid models. Look at some everyday objects around you and make a list of the primitive solid shapes and Boolean operations needed to make them.
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4.61 Boolean Operations. The three sets of models at left produce the results shown at right when the two solids are (a) unioned, (b) subtracted, and (c) intersected.
Figure 4.62 shows a bookend and a list of the primitives available in the CAD system used to create it, along with the Boolean operations used to make the part.
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4.62 Shapes in a Bookend. This diagram shows how basic shapes were combined to make a bookend. The box and cylinder at the top were unioned, then the resulting end piece and another box were unioned. To form the cutout in the end piece, another cylinder and box were unioned, then the resulting shape was subtracted from the end piece.