DOWNLOAD Revolution4D V.0.9.5 [13Mb]
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.
The REVOLUTION4D plugin will be released as
freeware for all
Realsoft3D users.
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. Following is a short description of tools and 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.
A 'shape' primitive, loaded from a SolidEDGEv.10 STEP model.
Wireframe is very nice, especially in OpenGL shaded display(suggested!).
You can improve the wireframe detail using property windows, like for r3d primitives.
Please, do not shear or scale this kind of primitive (only translation/rotation are
currenlty allowed).
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).
We tested assemblies up to 20Mb, with 100+ sub objects, and loading was really good
(of course loading will take some seconds, and memory will be eaten easily).
A very complex model: the 'GRANIT' robot, modeled in SolidEDGE and imported in Realsoft!
Loading and saving IGES files
The IGES format is less powerful than STEP, since IGES do not remember topological
connectivity. Revolution can also apply 'sewing' between neighbouring surfaces, after
loading, if desired (File../Load../ , select .iges file, see the loading parameters in window..)
Convert to Shape
Given a Realsoft NURBS surface or line, it will be converted to Revolution4d 'shape'.
Note that in future, also csg primitives will be converted.
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.
The tool asks for a tolerance (the higher, the easier it tolerates small 'gaps' between
neighbouring surfaces).
After two neighbouring surfaces are connected, the shared edge can be used,
for example, to make a fillet or a chamfer, with Revolution tools.
Apply only to Revolution4D's 'shape' primitives.
Two surfaces, obtained with 'Convert to Shape', then sewed, so that fillet was possible.
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).
Interesting detail: Revolution4D introduces a new 'selecting method' for most
of its tools: in fact, when you hoover with the mouse over surfaces to be
selected, they will be highlighted (the same for edges, if edges must be picked).
In case you must pick a surface/edge/shape where the display is very crowded,
simply stop the mouse over the crowded spot for 1 second at least: when you click
on the LMB, a small window with <> buttons will open, to help you to 'cycle' between
the entities under the mouse:
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.
This tool has been tested with complex shapes: it works fast enough if object are not
made of pure nurbs (that is, imported STEP files perform often much faster than imported
IGES files, because STEP can keep canonical surfaces like cylinders etc), otherwise
freeform shells may be cutted slower. However, remember that booleans between
true B-Rep geometric data is much more complex than render-time booleans (like the
booleans in r3d), so it may take even 3+ seconds of computation. The positive
effect is that after this kind of B-rep booleans you get a perfect wireframe.
True B-Rep booleans in R3D! Cut, fuse, common, section. Here, a complex cut is shown.
We tested also critical/pathological configurations (complanar faces, etc,), and
the OpenCASCADE geometric kernel solved most cases.
Last note: remember that you can join/cut only closed shells, that is Revolution
'shapes' which define solids. (btw: anyway a solid can cut an open shell).
Chamfer
This tool can be used to make chamfers on edges belonging to Revolution4D
shapes (edges must connect two surfaces). See figure.
You can use the interactive selector to choose the edge to be chamfered.
By the way: when you select an edge, all the edges which are tangent to this
one will be considered for chamfer (tangent loop).
Chamfers on some edges.. can you see the differences between the two models?
Fillet
This tool can be used to make fillets/roundings on edges belonging to Revolution4D
shapes. Of course, sharp edges only can be rounded by this tool. See figure.
You can use the interactive selector to choose the edge to be chamfered.
NOTE: this algorithm fails if the chamfer size is too big! Enter small values in 'radius'.
setting, and avoid chamfering tangent edges...
By the way: when you select an edge, all the edges which are tangent to this
one will be considered for chamfer (tangent loop).
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-.
Fillets (roundings) on some edges. Original model can be seen in the previous figure.
Thick shell
Select a Revolution4D shape, then use this tool to make a thick shell from
the solid shell (see figure). 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.
Thickening a shell, except the top surface.Thick measure and opened surfaces are user-defined.
Draft
Revolution4D can be used also to make true drafing-quality hidden-line
removal, for plotting CAD-like drafts. Sorry, this feature is not yet available to testers :-)
Make a CAD draft from a 3D model, for PDF or PostScript output.
Extrude, Lathe, etc.
Creation tools, for creating ex-nihilo your revolution 'shapes', are not yet 100% ready,
but you can find 'extrude' and 'lathe' tools for rough testing.
Extrude a profile (r3d nurbs), then apply some fillets and chamfers..
Lathe a profile about world 'Y' axis, for 270 degrees, then do some booleans for holes,
then apply some fillets and chamfers.
