Mc. Leu et al., Creation of freeform solid models in virtual reality, CIRP ANN-M, 50(1), 2001, pp. 73-76
Citations number
12
Categorie Soggetti
Mechanical Engineering
Journal title
CIRP ANNALS-MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY
Volume
50
Issue
1
Year of publication
2001
Pages
73 - 76
Database
ISI
SICI code
Abstract
A novel method has been developed using a virtual reality (VR) environment
to create solid models with freeform surfaces. The VR environment emulates
the physical environment for creating freeform objects, i.e. the freeform m
odel is created in a virtual environment by shaping a virtual workpiece wit
h a variety of virtual tools. The trajectories of the virtual tools are gen
erated by the designer's hand movements and they are obtained by recording
the position and orientation of the motion tracker mounted on a device held
by the hand. A haptic device can be worn by the designer to provide a feel
of the model creation process. In the mathematical algorithm, the swept vo
lumes of the design tools are computed from the tools' geometric data and t
rajectories. Boolean operations are then performed on the swept volumes of
the virtual tools and the virtual workpiece to create the design model. If
the virtual tools used have the same geometry as the real tools used in num
erically controlled (NC) machining, their trajectories in the model creatio
n process can be postprocessed and used as feasible trajectories in actual
NC machining to fabricate the design model.