The REVOLUTION4D plugin is a tool which can expand the modeling features of the Realsoft3D software, by integrating the functionalities of the OpenCASCADE geometric kernel.
This plugin is mostly intended as a complementary tool for the CHRONO plugin, because it allows the user to manage 3D models of CAD quality -this is especially useful for users which work with mechanism design etc.
In fact, REVOLUTION4D can load complex 3D models generated by hi-end CAD modelers: for instance it can read STEP or IGES files, which can be rendered in Realsoft or animated with CHRONO physical simulation.
However, REVOLUTION4D can be installed separately from CHRONO, and viceversa. For example, REVOLUTION4D alone can be useful enough even for architects, etc.
Currently , this plugin has limited features (mostly, you can use it for loading objects in STEP or IGES files), but some tools for making fillets, shell-thickening and chamfers are already here.
Key Features:
- Shape primitive
Objects loaded or created in Revolution will become a special "shape" objects, a custom Revolution4d primitive which has a special wireframe and rendering method.
- Loading and saving STEP files
After you installed Revolution4d, you are already able to load files in STEP format. This is the most used neutral file format for hi-end CAD systems: most models do not loose informations in this format -and most important, it keeps topological connectivity!-
Also assemblies can be read (they will become multiple 'shape' objects).
- Loading and saving IGES files
The IGES format is less powerful than STEP, since IGES do not remember topological connectivity.
- Convert to Shape
Given a Realsoft NURBS surface or line, it will be converted to Revolution4d 'shape'.
- Sewing surfaces
This tool can be used if you have separate 'shapes', sharing some edges, and you want them to become a single 'shape' with topological connectivity.
This tool uses a complex shape healing method, which can repair wrong models or simply to make a shell or a solid from separate surfaces coming form IGES files.
Apply only to Revolution4D's 'shape' primitives.
- Extract surface or edge
Given some complex shape (for example coming from STEP loading, or from revolution4d boolean operations), you can extract some edge or face (the extracted entities will become other 'shape' primitives).
This is a common feature in CAD modelers, and a very useful feature when dealing with complex 3d scenes.
- Boolean operations
There is a tool which you can use to make boolean operations between Revolution4D shapes. For example, load two STEP shapes, move them so they overlap, and use this tool to make a common solid, etc.
The tool has modes to cut, join, etc. (two Revolution4D 'shapes' must be selected before pressing 'accept'). There is also the 'section' mode, to find just intersection lines.
- Chamfer
This tool can be used to make chamfers on edges belonging to Revolution4D shapes (edges must connect two surfaces).
You can use the interactive selector to choose the edge to be chamfered.
- Fillet
This tool can be used to make fillets/roundings on edges belonging to Revolution4D shapes.
Note that both chamfer and fillet tools perform a very complex task from a mathematical point of view: they are a bit 'touchy' about the quality of the input shapes -sometimes they fail to make fillets/chamfers-.
- Thick shell
Select a Revolution4D shape, then use this tool to make a thick shell from the solid shell. Some faces can be excluded from the thick-shell creation.
This tool is very useful for desing, mold design, etc. It fails easily for large offsets: self-intersections are not yet allowed.
- Draft
Revolution4D can be used also to make true drafing-quality hidden-line removal, for plotting CAD-like drafts.
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