Sketch: Top

Sketch

This manual is for sketch, version 0.3 (build 7), Tuesday, March 08, 2016, a program that converts descriptions of simple three-dimensional scenes into line drawings. This version generates PSTricks or PGF/TikZ code suitable for use with the TeX document processing system.

Sketch is free software. You can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 3, or (at your option) any later version.

Sketch is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.

You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with sketch; see the file COPYING.txt. If not, see http://www.gnu.org/copyleft.

• About sketch:		Why sketch exists and what it does.
• Introduction by example:		Most features shown as working code.
• Input language:		Syntax and semantics of `sketch` commands.
• Building a drawing:		How to use `sketch` productively.
• Command line:		Options and their usage.
• Installing sketch:		Building and installing from sources.
• Index of syntax:
• Index:

— The Detailed Node Listing — About sketch
• Reporting bugs:		Let use know what’s wrong!
• Contributions:		How you can help….
Introduction by example
• Hello world:		Simplest possible `sketch` program.
• Drawing options:		Controlling object appearance.
• Drawing a solid:		Drawing an object with 3d appearance.
• Special objects:		Laying TeX over, in, or under drawings.
• Object transforms:		Rotate, translate, scale, and others.
• Repeated objects:		Making transformed copies.
• Swept objects:		Sweeping objects in space to make new shapes.
Swept objects
• Point sweeps:		Swept points make lines and polygons.
• Polyline sweeps:		Swept lines make surfaces.
• Nested sweeps:		Swept sweeps are useful!
• Polygon sweeps:		Swept polygons make solids...
• Polyline sweeps with closure:		and so do closed polyline sweeps.
• Affine arithmetic:		Sketch useful math expression.
• More to learn:		Check out the Mobius strip!
Input language
• Language basics:		Case, space, comments, include files.
• Drawables:		Things that can be drawn.
• Definitions:		Giving things names.
• Global environment:		Affect the entire drawing.
Basics
• Identifiers:		Names for things.
• Key and reserved words:		Names you shouldn’t use.
• Literals:		Constants and constructors.
• Arithmetic:		Rules for expressions.
• Options:		Modifying object appearance.
Literals
• Scalar literals:		Just the numbers.
• Point and vector literals:		3d quantities.
• Transform literals:		Matrix form.
Arithmetic expressions
• Two-operand (binary) forms:		A op B
• Unary forms:		op A (and others)
Options
• PSTricks options:		Options inherited from `PSTricks`.
• TikZ/PGF options:		Options inherited from `TikZ/PGF`.
• Dots in TikZ/PGF:		Sketch uses `TikZ/PGF` circles for dots.
• TikZ/PGF user-defined styles:		Support for `TikZ/PGF` named, user-defined styles.
• Transparency:		See-through polygons.
• Internal options:		Options used by `sketch`.
Point lists
• Drawables:		Things that are drawn.
• Definitions:		Things with names.
Drawables
• Dots:		Draw dots.
• Lines:		Draw polylines.
• Curves:		Draw curves.
• Polygons:		Draw polygons.
• Specials:		Embed raw LaTeX and `PSTricks`.
• Sweeps:		Draw sweeps of dots and polylines.
• Blocks:		Group other drawables.
• Repeats:		Draw transformed copies of objects.
• Puts:		Draw one object transformed.
Sweeps
• Swept points:		Swept points make lines or polygons.
• Swept lines:		Swept lines make open or closed surfaces.
• Swept polygons:		Swept polygons make closed surfaces.
• Swept blocks:		Swept block ≡ block of sweeps.
• Sweep face splitting:		Fixing warped faces with triangles.
Definitions
• Forms of definitions:		Different defs for different purposes.
• Forms of references:		How references denote types.
Global environment
• Global options:		Attributes of the entire drawing.
• Camera:		A final camera transformation of the scene.
• Picture box:		Setting the bounding box and 2d clipping.
• Frame:		Adding a box around the drawing.
• Language:		Setting the output language.
Building a drawing
• Overview:		Building a substantial drawing.
• A technical drawing:		An example with fine placement.
• A hierarchical model:		An example with sweeps and puts.
• Caveats:		Where trouble can occur.
Caveats
• Limits on error detection:		What sketch doesn’t do.
• Clipping:		No clipping at present.
• Hidden surface removal:		Imperfections to fix.
Hidden surface removal and polygon splitting
• Statistics:		Performance numbers on depth sort.
• Bugs and anomalies:		Imperfections in this implementation.

• About sketch:

Why sketch exists and what it does.

• Introduction by example:

Most features shown as working code.

• Input language:

Syntax and semantics of sketch commands.

• Building a drawing:

How to use sketch productively.

• Command line:

Options and their usage.

• Installing sketch:

Building and installing from sources.

• Index of syntax:

• Index:

 — The Detailed Node Listing —

About sketch

• Reporting bugs:

Let use know what’s wrong!

• Contributions:

How you can help….


Introduction by example

• Hello world:

Simplest possible sketch program.

• Drawing options:

Controlling object appearance.

• Drawing a solid:

Drawing an object with 3d appearance.

• Special objects:

Laying TeX over, in, or under drawings.

• Object transforms:

Rotate, translate, scale, and others.

• Repeated objects:

Making transformed copies.

• Swept objects:

Sweeping objects in space to make new shapes.


Swept objects

• Point sweeps:

Swept points make lines and polygons.

• Polyline sweeps:

Swept lines make surfaces.

• Nested sweeps:

Swept sweeps are useful!

• Polygon sweeps:

Swept polygons make solids...

• Polyline sweeps with closure:

and so do closed polyline sweeps.

• Affine arithmetic:

Sketch useful math expression.

• More to learn:

Check out the Mobius strip!


Input language

• Language basics:

Case, space, comments, include files.

• Drawables:

Things that can be drawn.

• Definitions:

Giving things names.

• Global environment:

Affect the entire drawing.


Basics

• Identifiers:

Names for things.

• Key and reserved words:

Names you shouldn’t use.

• Literals:

Constants and constructors.

• Arithmetic:

Rules for expressions.

• Options:

Modifying object appearance.


Literals

• Scalar literals:

Just the numbers.

• Point and vector literals:

3d quantities.

• Transform literals:

Matrix form.


Arithmetic expressions

• Two-operand (binary) forms:

A op B

• Unary forms:

op A (and others)


Options

• PSTricks options:

Options inherited from PSTricks.

• TikZ/PGF options:

Options inherited from TikZ/PGF.

• Dots in TikZ/PGF:

Sketch uses TikZ/PGF circles for dots.

• TikZ/PGF user-defined styles:

Support for TikZ/PGF named, user-defined styles.

• Transparency:

See-through polygons.

• Internal options:

Options used by sketch.


Point lists

• Drawables:

Things that are drawn.

• Definitions:

Things with names.


Drawables

• Dots:

Draw dots.

• Lines:

Draw polylines.

• Curves:

Draw curves.

• Polygons:

Draw polygons.

• Specials:

Embed raw LaTeX and PSTricks.

• Sweeps:

Draw sweeps of dots and polylines.

• Blocks:

Group other drawables.

• Repeats:

Draw transformed copies of objects.

• Puts:

Draw one object transformed.


Sweeps

• Swept points:

Swept points make lines or polygons.

• Swept lines:

Swept lines make open or closed surfaces.

• Swept polygons:

Swept polygons make closed surfaces.

• Swept blocks:

Swept block ≡ block of sweeps.

• Sweep face splitting:

Fixing warped faces with triangles.


Definitions

• Forms of definitions:

Different defs for different purposes.

• Forms of references:

How references denote types.


Global environment

• Global options:

Attributes of the entire drawing.

• Camera:

A final camera transformation of the scene.

• Picture box:

Setting the bounding box and 2d clipping.

• Frame:

Adding a box around the drawing.

• Language:

Setting the output language.


Building a drawing

• Overview:

Building a substantial drawing.

• A technical drawing:

An example with fine placement.

• A hierarchical model:

An example with sweeps and puts.

• Caveats:

Where trouble can occur.


Caveats

• Limits on error detection:

What sketch doesn’t do.

• Clipping:

No clipping at present.

• Hidden surface removal:

Imperfections to fix.


Hidden surface removal and polygon splitting

• Statistics:

Performance numbers on depth sort.

• Bugs and anomalies:

Imperfections in this implementation.

Sketch

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Sketch