Assignment 2

Submitted by:
Waqas Zafar
2018-uam-1276
BSCS-B Section
5th Semester
Submitted to:
Sir Abdul Razzaq
Computer Graphics
Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture Multan

Q. What is the difference between Solid Modeling and Surface

Modeling?

Solid modeling:
Models can intersect, join and subtract objects from one another to create the desired results as
far as shape and form.
Examples include early sketches, design decisions, space allocation negotiations, detailed design,
drafting, interactive visualization of assemblies, maintenance-process simulation,
usability studies, engineering changes, reusability of design components, analysis of tolerances, 3D mark-
up and product data management, remote collaboration, internet-based catalogs of parts, electronic
interaction with suppliers, analysis (e.g., mechanism analysis or finite elements), process planning and
cutter-path generation for machining, assembly and inspection planning, product documentation, and
marketing.

Surface Modeling: 
Focuses more on the external aspects of an object. It develops an object by stretching a surface over it
with 3D curves created by the designer.
Surface Modeling is the method of showing or presenting solid objects. The process requires you to
convert between different 3D modeling types, such as converting the 3D object to show procedural
surfaces, validate imperfections, and apply smoothness. While more complex than Wireframe Modeling,
Surface Modeling is easier to achieve than Solid Modeling.
In a CAD environment it is possible to fully produce a model using only surface modeling - but most real-
world applications require a combination with solid modeling technique as well. How a designer is able to
interact and manipulate an object in a CAD system is the difference between solid and surface modeling.

Q. List down the curves in computer Graphics, discuss their role

and function in 3D animation?
 Assignment 2
A. We all know about different kinds of curves, such as parabolas, circles, the square root
function, cosines and so forth. Most of those curves can be represented mathematically in several
ways:

o explicit equations
o implicit equations
o parametric equations

Explicit Equations

The explicit equations are the ones we're most familiar with. For example, consider the following
functions:

Y = mx + b
Y = ax2 + bx + c
Y= (r2 - x2)1/2

A mathematical function y = fx can be plotted as a curve. Such a function is the explicit representation of
the curve. The explicit representation is not general, since it cannot represent vertical lines and is also
single-valued. For each value of x, only a single value of y is normally computed by the function.

Implicit Curve

Equations always put everything on one side of the equation, so no variable is distinguished as
the dependent one. For example:

Ax + by + cz -d =0 plane
ax2 + by2 + cz2 - d2 =0 egg

These equations have a nice advantage that, given a point, it's easy to tell whether it's on the
curve or not: just evaluate the function and see if the function is zero. Moreover, each of these
functions divides space in two: the points where the function is negative and the points where it's
positive. Interestingly, the surfaces do as well, so the sign of the function value tells you which
side of the surface you're on. (It can even tell you how close you are.)

The fact that no variable is distinguished helps to handle special cases. In fact, it would be pretty
easy to define a large general polynomial in x, y and z as our representation.

The deadly blow for this representation, though, is that it's hard to generate points on the surface.
Imagine that I give you a value for a, b, c and d and you have to find a value for x, y, and z that
work for the two examples above. Not easy in general. Also, it's hard to do curves (wiggly lines).
 Assignment 2
In general, curves are the intersection of two surfaces, like conic sections (parabola, ellipse, etc.)
being the intersection of a cone and a plane.

Parametric Equations:

With parametric equations, we invent some new variables, parameters, typically s and t. These
variables are then used to define a function for each coordinate:

x ( s ,t )
y (s , t)
z ( s , t)

Parametric functions have the advantage that they're easy to generalize to 3D, as we already saw
with lines.
The parameters tell us where we are on the surface (or curve) rather than where we are in space.
Therefore, we have a conventional domain, namely the unit interval. This means that, like our
line segments, our curves will all go from t=0 to t=1. (They don't have to, but they almost always
do.) Similarly, surfaces are all points where 0≤s,t≤1. Thus, another advantage of parametric
equations is that it's easy to define finite segments and sheets, by limiting the domains of the
parameters.