The BRL-CAD Package: An Overview

Abstract

The major components of the Ballistics Research Laboratory Computer-Aided Design (BRL-CAD) Package are reviewed. The BRL-CAD Package is a combinatorial solid geometry based modeling system which includes an interactive model editor, a ray tracing library, a generic framebuffer library, and a large collection of related tools. An object-oriented ray tracing library provides the primary method of model interrogation. A whole family of engineering analysis applications based on the ray tracing paradigm has been built, including traditional renderers and predictive radar models. A generic framebuffer library interface with transparent networking capability provides hardware independent access to any display device from any host. Several categories of software tools for image display, manipulation, and analysis are discussed. Some general user interface issues are mentioned. This paper emphasizes the reasons which led to the system as is exists today, and comments on some of its various strengths and weaknesses.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 2013
Accession Number
ADA585918

Entities

People

  • Phillip C. Dykstra

Organizations

  • United States Army Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Cyber
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Computer Graphics
  • Computer-Aided Design
  • Computers
  • Engineering
  • Geometry
  • Graphics
  • Interrogation
  • Military Research
  • Physical Properties
  • Quadrants
  • Ray Tracing
  • Standards
  • Three Dimensional
  • User Interface

Readers

  • Database Systems and Applications
  • Theoretical Analysis.
  • Wave Propagation and Nonlinear Chaotic Dynamics.