[comp.graphics] Solid Modelling Code?

gleicher@CS.CMU.EDU (Michael Gleicher) (02/06/91)

Just a whim but. . . . .

I'd like to play around a bit with some ideas about solid modelers. I was
hoping to experiment a bit before I dove in and started to design one.

Does anyone have some code to implement the basic functions for CSG models?
I'd really like to find something that could take a CSG tree (with the most
basic of primitives) and draw a picture of it (or give me a list of polygons
which I could send down the graphics pipe or convert to postscript).
I'd like to find a C or C++ or Lisp library, though if I could get the source
code to a whole modeller that I could play around inside of, that would be
great too. 

Failing this, I'd appreciate pointers to algorithms which would help me build
the simplest possible (get it up and flying quick) displayer for CSG models. 

(My interest is in user interfaces and the design process, not in solid
 modelling algorithms, so at this early stage, I'd like to avoid the latter as
 much as possible)

Thanks,

	Mike

mcastle@mcs213f.cs.umr.edu (Mike Castle {Nexus}) (02/07/91)

In article <GLEICHER.91Feb6005131@OREO.GRAPHICS.CS.CMU.EDU> gleicher@CS.CMU.EDU (Michael Gleicher) writes:
>Does anyone have some code to implement the basic functions for CSG models?
>I'd really like to find something that could take a CSG tree (with the most
>basic of primitives) and draw a picture of it (or give me a list of polygons
>which I could send down the graphics pipe or convert to postscript).
>I'd like to find a C or C++ or Lisp library, though if I could get the source
>code to a whole modeller that I could play around inside of, that would be
>great too. 

You might like to look at the IRIT package. The source is available on simtel20
and clones in the /msdos/irit directory (apply appropriate dir format).  I 
believe the package started as an X-windows apps (or was at least ported to it
at some time), so you might look in the unix-c directory as well.  The program
is sort of a scientific graphing package. It has 2-d graphs, 3-d wire frames,
hidden line removal, and at least shading, if not true raytracing. Lots of 
neat stuff to look at.   Oh yeah, and CSG too   :->
-- 
Mike Castle (Nexus) S087891@UMRVMA.UMR.EDU (preferred)       | RN ate my 
                mcastle@mcs213k.cs.umr.edu (unix mail-YEACH!)| .newsrc!
Life is like a clock:  You can work constantly, and be right | I am not
all the time, or not work at all, and be right twice a day.  | happy :-<