3D Picture: Create Cylinder. Wireframe options?

[caleyjag]

Application: I've built a pretty good device that images the contents of a cylindrical container in 3D. I want plot a cylinder around the 3D structures to give context in the resulting images and movies the system generates.

Problem: I'm using the 3D Picture functions. The native Create_Cylinder.vi allows a couple of options. Unfortunately, a solid cylinder would obscure the data. The wireframe option also obscures the data, while the 'Points' option doesn't really look like a complete cylinder to the untrained eye.

I've mocked up what I am looking for in Solidworks in the attached image.

I'm hoping there is a built-in way to do what I am wanting, otherwise it seems I'll have to use camera position and cylinder coordinates to calculate where the perceived edges would be and then draw lines there. 

[550nm]

Hi caleyjag,

I had a similar situation where I wanted the user to see a structure inside a cube, so I made the cube transparent.  Might that work (a transparent cylinder instead of a solid cylinder)? - See the "Sphere Fit.vi" under examples.

Hope it helps!

[paul_cardinale]

Try this

[caleyjag]

Unfortunately that code doesn't really provide the solution I need, but thanks for posting. That seems to be more for an open pipe. Even if I vary the transparency it doesn't really look great for my particular application.

It looks like I am going to need to do my own custom solution, which I'll post here when I'm done.

In the meantime, if anyone comes up with an alternative, I'd love to see it.

[MarcDub]

Transparency does not work and wireframe does not work either. So what is your requirement exactly? Maybe if you say exactly what option you want it would be easier to propose a solution.

Below is a 3D image I extracted from one of our LabVIEW applications that calculates ultrasonic phased array beams within a tube, just to give you another idea of what transparency can do.

[caleyjag]

Hi Mark,

My requirement (wish) is outlined in the attached PNG in my original post - the image generated in SolidWorks on the left.

It is wireframe but instead of all the vertical struts formed by the sidewall polygons, only the extreme edges from the camera's perspective are shown.

I think to do this in LabVIEW I will need to continue development of my own solution that calculates the apparent position of the sidewalls from the camera paramters.

Transparency doesn't really work for my application since it partially occludes the interior contents of the cylinder I am trying to display.