Make-it-Stand-with-Quadrics

How do we ensure a 3D printed object can stand in a desired orientation but still closely approximate the original target shape? This results in a cool shape (and density) optimization problem with a surprisingly simple class of solutions. Exploring how shape and density affect stability will involve learning many fundamentals in geometric processing and optimization!

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Getting Started (For Beginners)

This project includes a graphical tool to create, visualize, and edit 2D shapes (meshes). You do not need to be a Python expert to use it!

1. Install Python

• Download and install Python 3.8 or newer from python.org.
• During installation, check the box that says "Add Python to PATH".

2. Install Dependencies

• Open a terminal (Command Prompt or PowerShell on Windows).
• Navigate to the project folder (where this README is).
• Run:

  pip install -r src/requirements.txt

3. Start the GUI

• In the terminal, run:

  python src/main.py

• The graphical interface will open.

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Features & How to Use the GUI

The GUI is organized into tabs at the top:

Visualize

• Load and view existing shapes from the src/shapes/ folder.
• Show/hide vertex labels, fill the shape, and toggle a grid.

Process

• Apply simple processing (e.g., scale the shape).
• Save the processed shape.

New

• Draw a new shape from scratch:
  • Add Vertices: Click to add points.
  • Add Edges: Click two vertices to connect them.
  • Save Shape: Save your creation to a file.
  • Clear: Start over with a blank canvas.
• See the live count of vertices and edges.

Edit

• Select a vertex by clicking it.
• Drag to move the selected vertex.
• Deselect with the button.
• Save (overwrite) the current shape file.

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File Structure (For Advanced Users)

• src/ — Main source folder
  • main.py — Entry point to launch the GUI
  • viewer/ — All GUI and visualization code
    • shape_gui.py — Main GUI logic
    • tab_visualize.py, tab_process.py, tab_new.py, tab_edit.py — GUI tabs
  • shape2d.py — Shape data structure and I/O
  • shape_processing.py — Shape processing functions
  • shapes/ — Example and saved shape files (JSON)
  • requirements.txt — Python dependencies

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FAQ

• I get an error about missing packages?
  • Make sure you ran pip install -r src/requirements.txt.
• How do I add my own shapes?
  • Save them in the src/shapes/ folder as .json files.
• Can I use this on Mac or Linux?
  • Yes! Just follow the same steps in your terminal.

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Need Help?

If you get stuck, ask for help!