Solid Modeling is a modeling that provides a complete representation of an object than a wire frame modeling and surface modeling. In this model, the appearance of an object is displayed in solid design.
The solid model can be made very realistic by adding colors to the images. Solid modeling can be created and modified very quickly when compared to other types of modeling. The below figure shows a 3 dimensional solid model.
Approaches for Solid Modeling:
Solid Modeling has several approaches for representing or creating a solid model. It includes:
- Pure Primitive Instancing,
- Generalized Sweeps,
- Spatial Occupancy Enumeration,
- Cellular Decomposition,
- Boundary Representation (B-Rep),
- Constructive Solid Geometry (CSG), and
- Hybrid Scheme.
Constructive Solid Geometry (CSG), Boudary Representation (B – Rep), and Hybrid Scheme is the list of three approaches that are generally used to create a solid model.
Constructive Solid Geometry (CSG):
Constructive Solid Geometry system is also known as ‘Building Block’ approach. The CSG approach allows the designers to construct a model with the use of graphics primitives like cubes, rectangular blocks, pyramids, cylinders, and spheres. The solid graphic primitives are integrated to construct the solid model using Boolean Operations. Union, Intersection, and Difference are the three different Boolean operators used to construct a solid model.
Boundary Representation (B – Rep):
Boundary Representation (B – Rep) approach allows the designer to draw a boundary or an outline of an object in the CRT screen for displaying various views like left side view, top view, and front view. The boundaries of the views are interlinked with edges, faces and vertices.
Hybrid Scheme:
Hybrid Scheme is the combination of B – Rep and CS G approaches. It rectifies the relative weakness of the both approaches and makes use of their relative benefits. Solid models can be represented either in B – Rep or CSG approach.
Advantages of Solid Modeling:
- Complete modeling.
- Unambiguous.
- Best suitable for calculating mass properties.
- Very much suitable for automated applications.
- Fast creation.
- Gives huge information.
Disadvantages of Solid Modelling:
- Requires large memory.
- Slow manipulation.
External Links:
The below link offers a video for relational solid modeling and this video helps to know more details about the solid modeling:
