Model Maker

This is a python library used for creating and visualizing 3d models. Model Maker was designed with small precise model creation in mind, and it is not intended for CAD or 3D art.

TODO

• Composite geometry operations
• Automatically center geometry in the render window
• Generate 3d mesh
• Export/Import neutral mesh files and stl files

Initialize development environment

1. Create a virual environment (optional)

python -m venv ./venv

2. Activate the virtual environment (optional)

source ./venv/bin/activate

3. Install package

pip install .[test]

Running tests

Tests are defined in the tests directory, and they can be run using pytest.

pytest

Overview

Create and render a model

The only primitives in this library are points, 2d faces, and 3d shapes. A list of points defines a 2d face, and a list of faces defines a 3d shape.

import modelmaker as mm

# create a single point
origin = mm.Point(0, 0, 0)

# create a 2d face from a list of tuples, or a group of points
triangle = mm.Face([
	(0, 0, 0),
	(1, 0, 0),
	(0, 1, 0),
])

# create a 3d shape from a group of tuples, or a group of faces
tetrahedron = mm.Shape([
	[
		(0, 0, 0),
		(1, 0, 0),
		(0, 1, 0),
	],
	[
		(0, 0, 0),
		(0, 0, 1),
		(1, 0, 0),
	],
	[
		(0, 0, 0),
		(0, 0, 1),
		(0, 1, 0),
	],
	[
		(0, 0, 1),
		(1, 0, 0),
		(0, 1, 0),
	],
])

# render a group of primitives to the screen, and navigate the scene using the mouse
mm.render([
	origin,
	triangle,
	tetrahedron
])

Transformations

You can extrude faces to make a 3d shape, and you can perform transformations on a point, 2d face, or 3d shape.

import math
import modelmaker as mm

# create a triangle
triangle = mm.Face([
	(0, 0, 0),
	(1, 0, 0),
	(0, 0, 1),
])

# move the triangle to the center
triangle.move_to(0, 0, 0)

# translate the triangle 10 units in the +x direction
triangle.translate(10, 0, 0)

# rotate the triangle pi radians around its y axis
triangle.rotate((0, 1, 0), math.pi / 2)

# scale the triangle by a factor of 2
triangle.scale(2)

# extrude the triangle to create a triangular prism
prism = mm.extrude(triangle, (0, 1, 0))

# render the scene
mm.render([prism])

Composite Geometry (NOT IMPLEMENTED)

For more complex geometry, you can combine pair of 2d faces or a pair of 3d shapes.

import math
import modelmaker as mm

# create a triangle
t1 = mm.Face([
	(0, 0, 0),
	(1, 0, 0),
	(0, 1, 0),
])

# create three other triangles based on t1
t2, t3, t4 = (t1.copy(), t1.copy(), t1.copy())
t2.translate(-0.5, 0, 0)
t3.scale(0.5)
t4.rotate(0.25 * math.pi)

# add t2 to t1
t1.add(t2)

# subtract t3 from t1
t1.subtract(t3)

# intersect t4 with t1
t1.instersect(t4)

# render the scene
mm.render([ t1 ])