CAD Based 3D Visualization using three.js

Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computers to aid in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of design for multiple uses. CAD is an important industrial art used in many applications, which includes automotive, shipbuilding, and aerospace industries, industrial and architectural design, and many more.

TA has been working on a web application with a CAD automation engine that gives real-time 2D & 3D CAD geometries compatible with all major CAD systems, incorporating the concept of a Model Server. There have been challenges along the way and this blog will walk you through the various key aspects of the project and how TA added value to the same.

Model Server

Mechanical manufacturers face issues in visualizing their products before the creation of a prototype, to find out how the product looks, or to find out what modifications can be made to the product. To a great extent, this issue can be solved using the 3D environment. They can produce 3D CAD drawings to visualize their products. There are many different tools for this visualization, like, Creo Parametric, Maya, 3D Max Design, Unity, Blender, etc. But the drawbacks in these tools are associated with approaching a CAD Engineer for the modifications to be done. There will be a good amount of time, effort, and money required in this process.

A real-time example of the need of modifying the 3D model is that company A needs a gear model with 64 teeth, but in a review, they prefer to see another model with 42 teeth for comparison. In this case, there will be a need for assistance from a CAD Engineer to see a modified 3D model.

Here, comes the need for a Model Server.

Model Server helps facilitate a platform for dynamic parameter updates. Parameters associated with a model can be modified instantaneously. All that is to be done is, update the parameters with different values, and in less than a minute you get new updated models without any CAD Engineer assistance or extra effort.

Approaches to deal with 3D models

There are 3 geometries of 3D models — Approximate Mesh, Precise Mesh, Constructive Solid Geometry(CSG). Here we are dealing with the approximate mesh models which are a collection of triangles. We are also employing the concept of WebGL, which is a JavaScript-based API that allows developers to put real-time interactive 2D and 3D graphics in the browser. Code implementations for 3D graphics can be written directly in WebGL but it ends up with some issues, like a very high learning curve and the absence of fall back in case of incompatibility. This is where two of the most flexible open-source libraries, Three.js and Babylon.js, were introduced.

To know the used technologies, architecture, and implementation, check here at: CAD Based 3D Visualization using three.js

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