2D/3D CAD and Graphic Arts
Are you frustrated with your CAD or graphic arts program? Do you sometimes feel that it is designing your shapes for you? Is it taking you too long to get the exact shape you want? Do you want to make the leap to 3D modeling? If you answer yes to any of these questions, then you need Pilot3D. Pilot3D gives you a very simple way to precisely define the exact curve that you want.
What makes Pilot3D different? It specializes in detailed curve and surface design and gives you many tools for fast, complete, and precise shape control. Pilot3D even gives you coarse and fine-tune shaping commands with the ability to overlay our unique curvature curve that tells you how smooth the curve is.
You see, in most 2D or 3D design programs, curves and polylines (a series of points connected by straight lines) are separate entities. This is done as a convenience for the programmer, not the user. There are many times when the designer needs to combine both of these shapes together or to convert one shape to another. When the designer is creating a 2D or wireframe shape there is often a need to insert and delete points and to change part of a curve back and forth between a curve shape and a polyline shape. Designers do not want to be forced to deal with multiply-connected polyline and curve entities. For example, what if you want to insert a knuckle or hard point in the middle of a curve. Most programs would have you split the curve into two separate curve entities that are joined at that hard point. This process could consist of several steps.
Pilot3D avoids these problems by allowing a "curve" entity to consist of both polyline and curve segments. (Note that this is not done by doubling up on knot values or vertex values.) Each edit point that defines the combined entity includes an indicator that says whether it is a curvefit point or a polyline knuckle point. This means that the user doesn't have to worry about connecting or splitting separate curve or polyline entities. If you want to change an edit point to/from a curvefit point from/to a polyline point, you just have to pick the point with the knuckle (toggle) command. You can even create one of these combo curve-polylines by picking the input positions using the 'c' (curve) or the 'k' (knuckle) keys.
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This combination of polylines and curves is just one "curve" entity in Pilot3D. It was defined all at once, using just one curve input command.
This combination curve/polyline entity might seem like a minor capability, but it can save you a lot of time and aggravation. Many that have used our technique find it is the easiest and fastest way to create 2D and 3D wireframe graphics, including those techniques provided by the top selling graphic arts programs.
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Salmon graphic created in Pilot3D and colored in Corel Draw by Mark Ervice
"... Most importantly, I am convinced more than ever that your program would be the most welcome add-on to traditional drawing programs. I have been using Corel Draw for about 3 months now and have tried trial versions of FreeHand, Canvas, and Illustrator. None of them offer the fine control of shape as does your program, even though they purport to. I am continually amazed at the versatility of your program." ... Mark Ervice