Hi, everybody.

My name is David.

I have recently been bumbling around, trying various products to create images of geometric shapes.
One of my hobbies is mathematics and computer programming, and I am presently planning a series of posts on my blog regarding elliptical sections and how they are formed by taking a cutting plane through a cylinder or cone.
I'd like to create some images that describe these mathematical concepts; hence, my recent interest in graphics software.

What I am looking for:
the ability to
(i) create images of 3D models (e.g. - a right cone);
(ii) show a cutting plane through the cone and the section that is produced;
(iii) dimension these images (e.g. - to show the height of the cone, the angle of the cutting plane relative to the horizontal, etc.);
(iv) include Greek characters and mathematical symbols on the images (e.g. - the angle between two lines might be indicated by the Greek character theta);
etc.
Not planning any photo editing or fancy works of art.

Does Inkscape offer these capabilities?

I will do some searches, and go through the tutorials, YouTube tutorials, etc., and play around with it to get a better idea as to what it can do.

Knowing my purpose for Inkscape, can anybody suggest tutorials, links, or resources that might be particularly relevant to me?

Welcome to InkscapeForum!

Inkscape does have the 3D Polyhedron extension. I don't know if it will produce all the shapes you need, but you can have a look at it. Inkscape certainly can be used to do all that you need, but you will have to draw it all. For example, there's no cross section tool which will automatically slice a 3D object for you. Instead, you'd draw a rectangle, and apply perpsective extension (for the cutting plane) and then actually draw the section of a cone (and again apply perspective assuming you're thinking of showing it at an angle). I don't know if Inkscape contains Greek or other mathematical character. Perhaps using Text menu > Glyphs. I'm not very familiar with it, but you could investigate that tool. Or you could just find a font that contains the characters.

You might be better off using a dedicated 3D drawing program, such as Blender.

Inkscape has a function plotter under extensions>render, but i have never gotten anything useful out of it when i've needed the graph of a function. Your mileage may be much better if you have the secret language skills it needs.
If you have a math symbols font installed Inkscape should be able to use it. The simpler symbols should be available on most OS's. The worst case scenario is you will have to cut and paste characters from outside Inkscape.

Hi.

To make professionally looking math examples have a look at POVRAY; http://www.povray.org/

For a complete POVRAY tutorial along your line of work: http://www.f-lohmueller.de/pov_tut/pov__eng.htm#basic
More examples of what can be done:
http://www.f-lohmueller.de/pov_tut/all_ ... es000e.htm
http://www.bugman123.com/Math/index.html
http://facultyfp.salisbury.edu/despickl ... sOther.asp
http://stochastix.wordpress.com/category/art/
http://melusine.eu.org/lab/bgr/povray
http://paulbourke.net/geometry/representation/
http://paulbourke.net/geometry/
http://virtualmathmuseum.org/mathart/Ma ... alArt.html
http://www.dim13.org/2007/07/POV-Ray-experiments
http://paulbourke.net/miscellaneous//povexamples/


Do a google image search on "povray geometry" - will keep you busy for a while!
To render the mathematical equations in povray use a "normal" math editor - do a screen-dump of your equation - and use the image as a heightfield in povray.

Povray Tutorial in PDF format:
http://www2.mathematik.hu-berlin.de/~hg ... ial-a4.pdf

Another option if you are into programming is vpython: http://www.vpython.org/
http://www.visualrelativity.com/vpython/

Do a google image search for "vpython" as well.

Good Luck.

RGDS Ragnar

Hi Ragnar,
I've just spent a good half hour investigating all your references there. That stuff is ALL over my head But I just wanted to say thanks for providing them, because of course using the forum search, they will be there for anyone who may come along later. I very much appreciate it, and I don't even understand most of it! I hope it helps the op too

hi

I am Mike Johnson. I am from California.