Archiyou docs

# Modeling techniques

There are a lot of common approaches to modeling and Archiyou offers many of them. Because we categorize them here doesn't mean they are seperated in the practice of modeling. Most of the time you are combining these techniques.

Here are the modeling techniques we distinguish:

  • ✒️ Topological modeling: This is modeling on the most rudimentary level. You are creating a model from the Topological primitives vertices, edges, wires, faces ( and less so with shells and solids). However complex a model becomes; it will always consist of these primitives and be changed as such.

  • 🍱 Constructive Solid Geometry modeling (CSG): This is a very intuitive way to model that serves very well as a introduction to 3D modeling (see for example TinkerCAD). You start by creating geometric primitives like planes, spheres, boxes and cones, then move or rotate them into a configuration and then use one of the operations like union, intersection , subtract or cut to combine or shape them.

  • ✏️ Sketching: Most big CAD programs offer this type of modeling technique. It uses the fact that is so much easier to describe something in 2D than directly in 3D. So Sketching starts with defining a plane to work on (like the standard XY plane or a face of a existing model) and create different kind of 2D edges (lines, arc, splines) or faces (rectangles,circles) on it. These sketched 2D shapes serve as contours, profiles or spines for 3D creating objects with operations like lofts, extrude or revolve/lathe. ⚠️ Most desktop CAD software offer ways to create parametric Sketches by using contraints (parallel, symmetrical) on parts (vertices, *edges) of the sketch. Archiyou does not yet offer this!

  • 📐 [TODO] Advanced surface modeling: Surface modeling is used to create complex and smooth surfaces and solids mostly by combining or changing spline edges.

  • 💣 [TODO] Miscellaneous operations and plugins: Of course the possibilities of modeling are endless, especially if you can code it and share it. A plugin system for these would be great, but is still very much in the planning stages.

  • 🛌 [TODO] Specialized Systems: In the future Archiyou will offer easy ways to create specific things like framework constructions, a bit like the workbenches of FreeCad (opens new window).

So let's continue and start with Topological modeling. Because it might be a bit technical starting with Constructive Solid Geometry modeling could also be a good idea for some users!

← Modeling with topology primitives →