Elementary Surfaces

Ellipsoid, Sphere, Hyperboloid, Cone ...

The simplest surface is the unbound plane. The next complexity are the second degree or quadric surfaces.

Non-degenerate Quadrics

Ellipsoid

x2/a2 + y2/b2 + z2/c2 = 1        (1)

where

a, b, c = intrinsic parameters

Sphere

Sphere, a special ellipsoid, can be expressed as

x2 + y2 + z2 = a2        (2)

where

a = radius

Hyperboloid of one sheet

x2/a2 + y2/b2 - z2/c2 = 1        (3)

where

a, b, c = intrinsic parameters

Hyperboloid of two sheets

x2/a2 + y2/b2 - z2/c2 = -1        (4)

where

a, b, c = intrinsic parameters

Quadric Cone

x2/a2 + y2/b2 - z2/c2 = 0        (5)

where

a, b, c = intrinsic parameters

Elliptic Paraboloid

x2/a2 + y2/b2 - 2 z = 0        (6)

where

a, b = intrinsic parameters

Elliptic Cylinder

x2/a2 + y2/b2 = 1        (7)

where

a, b = intrinsic parameters

Cylinder

x2 + y2 = a2        (8)

where

a, b = intrinsic parameters

Hyperbolic Cylinder

x2/a2 - y2/b2 = 1        (9)

where

a, b = intrinsic parameters

Parabolic Cylinder

y2 - 2 l x = 0        (10)

where

l = intrinsic parameters

Degenerate Quadrics

Parallel Planes

x2 - a2 = 0        (11)

where

a = half the distance between the parallel planes

Intersecting Planes

x2/a2 - y2/b2 = 0        (12)

where

tan-1(b/a) = half the angle between the intersecting planes

Coincident Planes

x2 = 0        (13)

Search the Engineering ToolBox

Engineering ToolBox - SketchUp Edition - Online 3D modeling!

3D Engineering ToolBox - draw and model technical applications

Engineering ToolBox - SketchUp Edition - enabled for use with the amazing, fun and free Google SketchUp

Translate the Engineering ToolBox
About the EngineeringToolbox