Surface

Visualizing a moveable, parameterized surface; the surface characteristic is provided by a function

Information

This information is part of the Modelica Standard Library maintained by the Modelica Association.

Model Surface defines a moveable, parametrized surface in 3-dim. space that is used for animation. This object is specified by:

The surface frame (orientation object "R" and origin "r_0") in which the data is specified.
A set of two parameters, one in u- and one in v-direction, that defines the control points.
A time-varying position of each control point with respect to the surface frame.

The parameter values (u,v) are given by the ordinal numbers of the corresponding control point in u- or in v-direction, respectively. The surface is then defined by the replaceable function "surfaceCharacteristic" with the interface partialSurfaceCharacteristic that returns the x-, y-, z- coordinate of every control point in form of 3 arrays X, Y, Z, and an optional color array C, if every control point shall have a different color:

Real X[nu,nv], Y[nu,nv], Z[nu,nv], C[nu,nv,3];

An example of a parameterized surface with color coding is shown in the next figure:

Models Torus, VoluminousWheel, PipeWithScalarField, demonstrate how new visualizer objects can be constructed with the Surface model.
The direct usage of the Surface model, as well as of the Torus and the VoluminousWheel models, are demonstrated with example Examples.Elementary.Surfaces.

Parameters (4)

nu	Value: 2 Type: Integer Description: Number of points in u-Dimension
nv	Value: 2 Type: Integer Description: Number of points in v-Dimension
wireframe	Value: false Type: Boolean Description: = true: 3D model will be displayed without faces
multiColoredSurface	Value: false Type: Boolean Description: = true: Color is defined for each surface point

Inputs (5)

R	Default Value: Frames.nullRotation() Type: Orientation Description: Orientation object to rotate the world frame into the surface frame
r_0	Default Value: {0, 0, 0} Type: Position[3] (m) Description: Position vector from origin of world frame to origin of surface frame, resolved in world frame
color	Default Value: {255, 0, 0} Type: Real[3] Description: Color of surface
specularCoefficient	Default Value: 0.7 Type: SpecularCoefficient Description: Reflection of ambient light (= 0: light is completely absorbed)
transparency	Default Value: 0 Type: Real Description: Transparency of shape: 0 (= opaque) ... 1 (= fully transparent)

Outputs (15)

Form	Type: Real
rxvisobj	Type: Real[3] Description: x-axis unit vector of shape, resolved in world frame
ryvisobj	Type: Real[3] Description: y-axis unit vector of shape, resolved in world frame
rvisobj	Type: Position[3] (m) Description: position vector from world frame to shape frame, resolved in world frame
surfaceColor	Type: Real[3]
surfaceNU	Type: Integer
surfaceNV	Type: Integer
surfaceWireframe	Type: Boolean
surfaceMultiColored	Type: Boolean
surfaceSpecularCoefficient	Type: Real
surfaceAlpha	Type: Real
surfaceX	Type: Real[nu,nv]
surfaceY	Type: Real[nu,nv]
surfaceZ	Type: Real[nu,nv]
surfaceC	Type: Real[if multiColoredSurface then nu else 0,if multiColoredSurface then nv else 0,3]

Components (1)

	R	Type: Orientation Description: Orientation object to rotate the world frame into the surface frame

Type: Orientation

Description: Orientation object to rotate the world frame into the surface frame

Used in Examples (1)

Surfaces

Modelica.Mechanics.MultiBody.Examples.Elementary

Demonstrate the visualization of a sine surface, as well as a torus and a wheel constructed from a surface

Used in Components (5)

	World Modelica.Mechanics.MultiBody World coordinate system + gravity field + default animation definition
	Torus Modelica.Mechanics.MultiBody.Visualizers Visualizing a torus
	VoluminousWheel Modelica.Mechanics.MultiBody.Visualizers Visualizing a voluminous wheel
	Rectangle Modelica.Mechanics.MultiBody.Visualizers Visualizing a planar rectangular surface
	PipeWithScalarField Modelica.Mechanics.MultiBody.Visualizers.Advanced Visualizing a pipe with a scalar field