Welcome to the homepage of Draw3D

(This page was last updated on 15th August, 2001)

Click here to go to the latest version of Draw3D rather than this old version

New to the site:
12th November, 1999:
-Uploaded 'draw3D.dll' version 3.2, which I forgot to add to all the zips!
2nd November, 1999:
-Uploaded Draw3D version 3.2
-Updated the help for version 3.2
9th June, 1999:
-Can now download the online help to use at home
24th May, 1999:
-Changed my e-mail address. If you have e-mailed me since 15th of May, then please e-mail me again at my new e-mail address (given at bottom of page).
29th April, 1999:
-Added version 3.1, which is even much faster than the previous version! It also includes the Side View, and Vectors List, as well as allowing a picture background.
11th April, 1999:
-Added tutorial on mixing ASM & VB.
-Added ASM source code for Draw3D.
9th April, 1999:
-Added VB source code for Draw3D 3.0

Introduction:

Draw3D is a basic 3D drawing program that allows you to plot 3D points anywhere in space. Once you have your points (called 'vectors') placed, you can attach sides (4-sided polygons) to the vectors, to be wherever those vectors are, even if you modify those vectors. You can rotate them, zoom them, or move them however you wish, and the polygons will still be connected to them.

Version 3 lets you view the 3D object from the 3D view, top view, front view and optional side view. The Top, Front & Side views are all the exact same size, and they are all square views, where as the 3D view is larger, and is rectangle.

How to use Draw3D version 3.1

Draw3D Tutorials

Samples

Downloads

Previous version of Draw3D (v 2.0)

Help index

Assembly language

Version 3.2 includes a few new features:
-up/down, left/right & pageup/pagedown rotate the 3D view around the X, Y & Z axis
-while holding , then up/down and pageup/pagedown change current vector and polygon
-Can view both the (right) Side View and also a list (of all Vectors, Polygons or Groups)
-can rotate around current vector
-can zoom\magnify in any direction by holding Ctrl while zooming with either Left mouse button, Right button or both (or 3rd button)
-can have groups of vectors, by clicking on 'Group current selection' in the Edit menu when you have a selection
-can right-click on Groups List on a group to set its name
-can insert Spheres & Cylinders
-can Open & Save group selections imbedded into '.3D' files
-can Fit Object to view
-can use Ctrl-C & Ctrl-V for Copy & Paste, as well as Ctrl-Insert & Shift-Insert
-Slow drawing modes go back to fast when they are finished
-remembers the 9 most recent files opened
-clips the lines so that they dont have to be cancelled when they are out of the view
-can Select None and Invert Selection
-can redo the current group
-can open the online help from the Help menu
-can automatically open last file on startup
-I decided to get rid of the background bitmap (from v3.1)

Bug Fixes since v3.1 (27th April, 1999):
-When you run 'Remove waste', it doesn't force vector mode
-fixed the resizing of the window when you have a large screen resolution

Known bugs in this version (v3.2):
-'Remove waste' is still not perfect
-'Insert Sphere' creates more vectors than it needs to, and it also stuffs up the colours of the last few polygons
-Visual Basic automatically changes the 128th colour in the palette to a slightly different grey than it should be.

Version 3.1 includes a few new features:
- It uses a much faster sorting algorithm than v3.0, allowing even faster rendering than v3.0! (counting sort instead of quicksort
- It allows picture backgrounds for the 3D View
- You can use the Side View, as well as the Vectors List

Version 3.0 includes many new features, such as:
- It has a limit of over 4 Billion vectors & 4 Billion polygons. (if you have enough memory!!)
- It uses both '.3D' and '.DXF' file formats
- It is extremely fast at rendering polygons. (fastest I have seen)
- It has much less glitches than version 2. (I cant find any!)

For the future: (In my dreams!)

- The DOS version is very limited at the moment. I hope to make it much better.
- Hopefully add full colour support. (currently just 256 colours)
- Maybe even add curves!
- I might allow animations or scripts
- I may eventually modify Draw3D3 to draw polygons the same way as other programs do. This will slow the rendering down, but is much easier to read & modify. After that is done, I will add gouraud shading, z-buffering, and texture-mapping.

If you want me to e-mail you whenever I have updated Draw3D, then e-mail me.

If you have any trouble with Draw3D, or any comments or ideas, you can E-Mail me at the_pope@oldschoolpunk.com

by Shervin Emami

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