Ligno3D Designer (L3DD) is the brainchild of Dr
Roderick Ryburn, founder and principal of Ligno3D Systems. In his
spare time Rod has worked wood nearly all of his life - he made most of the
furniture in his home. His first exotic 3D objects were cardboard
models of regular solids and crystals he made as a boy. Later,
with a power saw mounted upside down in his workbench, he made a pentagonal
dodecahedron out of 5-ply. At the time a cardboard model was used
to determine the interfacial angles.
 Rod's
experience in the geosciences has given him an interest in interactive
3D visualization and the skills needed to develop Ligno3D Designer.
For example, the symmetry elements built into L3DD are
mostly borrowed from the
science of crystallography. Early in his career Rod worked as a
geologist in places like New Zealand, Antarctica, New Guinea, Indonesia and Australia. He later specialized in geoscience computing and database
design
with
Geoscience Australia.
Since 'retiring', Rod has found the time to write L3DD using Microsoft Visual C++ and OpenGL 3D graphics.
The main thrust of Ligno3D Designer is to make it as easy as possible to
design complex polyhedral objects, and to obtain the precise dimensions and
angles needed to build them. This is a task not easily done in
most mainstream CAD programs — which
generally cost much more and have a much steeper learning curves than
L3DD. Nor is it a task readily accomplished by architectural or
cabinet design software. L3DD is focused on solving general
polyhedra.
Initially targeted at woodworkers and cabinet makers,
L3DD also has potential markets in architecture, industrial design,
graphic arts, sculpture, advertising, shop fitting, engineering, tents
and balloons, topology, crystallography and mathematics education.
Ligno3D Systems is keen to hear from anyone with ideas for enhancing the
program or widening its market (see Contact).
Always in mind is the possibility of driving CNC
multi-axis routers, but they would need at least two more degrees of
freedom than simple profile cutters. Their cost is still beyond the reach
of most home craftspeople. Smooth spline
surfaces may be added to future versions of L3DD.
The age of the backyard digital sculptor may yet dawn! |
Rod Ryburn, woodworker, Canberra 2003
Felicity and the 'Cubby House'
 |
