Visual Realism:

CAD/CAM software has been recognized as an essential tool in the designing and manufacturing of a product due to its ability to depict the designs and tool paths with friendly visual displays and effects. There is no CAD/CAM package existing without visualization of the design of a product on the computer screen. Visualization embraces both image understanding and image synthesis. Thus, the visualization becomes one of the challenging tasks in computer graphics to generate images that appear realistic. The quest for visual realism began in the early 70s when memory prices dropped low enough to allow raster scan technologies to be cost-effective over the then prevailing calligraphic displays. The need of visual realism is increasing forever in every discipline of science and engineering.

You may appreciate the visual realism applications in enhancing our knowledge and training skills as described below:

1. Robot Simulations: Visualization of movement of their links and joints and end effectors movement etc.

2. CNC programs verification of tool movement along the path prescribed and estimation of cup height and surface finish etc.

3. Discrete Even Simulation: Most of DES packages provide the user to create shop floor environment on the screen to visualize layout of facilities, movement of material handling systems, performance of machines and tools.

4. Scientific Computing: Visualization of results of FEM analysis like iso-stress and iso-strain regions, deformed shapes and stress contours. Temperature and heat flux in heat-transfer analysis. Display and animation of mode shape in vibration analysis.

5. Flight Simulation: Cockpit training for pilots is first being provided with flight simulators, which virtually simulates the surrounding that an actual flight will pass through.