G-X3D(1)

📦
version 7.44.0 · 2 versions
, in nixpkgs unstable

💅 G-X3D(1) — the BRL-CAD manual, bestie edition 🎀

okay so you've got a .g file and you want it to be a whole vibe on the internet. this is the page for that. it's g-x3d from the BRL-CAD manual set, and honestly? she's iconic. ✨

✨ NAME ✨

g-x3d — convert BRL-CAD geometry to an X3D faceted model 🦋

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

g-x3d [-v] [-d _calc_dist_tol_] [-a _abs_tess_tol_] [-r _rel_tess_tol_] [-n _norm_tess_tol_] [-u _units_] [-P _ncpu_] [-x _librt_debug_] [-X _nmg_debug_] [-o _out.x3d_] _model.g_ _object(s)_

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

so here's the whole thing, no cap: g-x3d evaluates the Boolean operations defined by the named regions in a BRL-CAD database (.g) file, tessellates the resulting geometry into NMG faceted form, and writes it as an X3D (Extensible 3D) scene. that's the main character energy right there. 👑

every non-light-source region gets emitted as its own separate X3D Shape with an IndexedFaceSet, and region colors (or the default per-thousand region-id colors) get written out as X3D Material nodes. so your geometry shows up looking correct and dressed cute. 🎀

the output goes to the file you name with -o, or to standard output otherwise. yes, stdout. she streams. 🫶

also worth knowing: g-x3d is a modified version of g-vrml(1) and shares its shader and material handling — so reach for this one when you want an XML-based X3D scene instead of classic VRML. same soul, newer aesthetic. ✨

🔥 OPTIONS 🔥

  • -v — turn on verbose output, which reports region conversion progress on standard error. she'll narrate her journey ngl 📣
  • -d calc_dist_tol — the calculational distance tolerance, in millimeters, used to distinguish neighboring vertices. the default is 0.0005. 💅
  • -a abs_tess_tol — the absolute tessellation tolerance, in millimeters — that's the maximum chord error permitted between an approximating facet and the true surface. heads up: setting this disables the relative tolerance. ⚠️
  • -r rel_tess_tol — the relative tessellation tolerance, expressed as a fraction of the bounding box of each solid. the default is 0.01. 📏
  • -n norm_tess_tol — the surface normal tessellation tolerance, in degrees — the maximum angle between adjacent facet normals. setting this one also disables the relative tolerance. ⚠️
  • -u units — units for coordinates in the resulting X3D file. the default is mm. any units name understood by BRL-CAD is accepted (e.g. mm, cm, m, in, ft). 🌈
  • -P ncpu — number of processors to use during tessellation. the default is 1. give her more cores, she deserves it 💀
  • -x librt_debug — set the librt debug flags to the given hexadecimal value. see raytrace.h for the bit definitions. 🔍
  • -X nmg_debug — set the NMG debug flags to the given hexadecimal value. see nmg.h for the bit definitions. 🔍
  • -o out.x3d — write the X3D output to the named file instead of standard output. 📁
  • -h, -? — print a usage message and exit. the classic escape hatch 🙈

🧚 EXAMPLES 🧚

⭐ Example 1. Convert selected regions to an X3D file

g-x3d -o havoc.x3d -u m -r 0.005 havoc.g havoc

this tessellates the region tree rooted at object havoc in havoc.g using a relative tolerance of 0.005, scales the output to meters, and writes the resulting X3D scene to havoc.x3d for viewing in a web browser or X3D viewer. she ate. 💅🔥

⭐ Example 2. Stream output through a pipeline

g-x3d -P 4 sample.g comp1 comp2 > parts.x3d

this converts two named objects using four processors and redirects the X3D scene to parts.x3d. and because output defaults to standard output, g-x3d can be chained with other tools in a pipeline. pipeline girlie behavior, we love to see it 🫶✨

🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

brlcad(1), g-vrml(1), mged(1)

go read those too, iykyk 💜

👑 AUTHOR 👑

BRL-CAD Team 💖

This software is Copyright (c) 1989-2026 by the United States Government as represented by U.S. Army Research Laboratory.

💀 BUG REPORTS 💀

Reports of bugs or problems should be submitted via electronic mail to devs@brlcad.org

don't be shy, they're genuinely nice about it fr fr 🙈

ok that's the whole page bestie, every flag intact, nothing skipped, mwah 💋

later~ this was the G-X3D(1) page from the BRL-CAD set 🎀 — go be iconic with your faceted models ✨🦋

📦 where this page comes from