Creating 3D geometry - CAD software

Question

I want to create a 3D geometry of the following image.

I could find ways of generating centerlines using image processing tools in Mathematica. But I am not sure how to generate 3D geometry from the skeleton.

Could someone suggest CAD software that can be used to create 3D geometry from centerline image?

Answer 1

There are many different ways to generate 3D geometry from 2-dimensional or planar objects such as those shown in your image, depending on the result that you desire.

For example, given an arbitrary centreline:

You can extrude the centreline perpendicular to the plane of the geometry to yield an extruded 3D solid:

Alternatively, you can first offset the centreline to both sides in the same plane by a given amount:

...and then extrude both offsets perpendicular to the plane, before performing a boolean operation to subtract the central solid from the outer solid, yielding the following result:

But note that you are not limited to an extrusion operation perpendicular to the plane of the centreline, for example, you could alternatively construct an arbitrary closed profile, such as the circle in the following example:

...and then sweep the profile along the centreline to obtain a 3D solid:

Finally, you could even revolve the centreline about an arbitrary axis, by an arbitrary angle, to yield a 3D solid such as the following demonstrates:

All of the above were generated using AutoCAD.

Answer 2

1. Take centerline data points and apply smoothing to remove any wavyness
2. Fit cubic splines about the data
3. Relax the cubic splines by smoothing the 2nd derivatives
4. Import the splines curves into CAD
5. Extrude/Sweep the desired profile (circle, rectangle, .. ) along the curves.
6. Join the ends with spheres for a smooth transition.