2.1 The pyFormex philosophy

pyFormex is a Python implementation of Formex algebra. Using pyFormex, it is very easy to generate large geometrical models of 3D structures by a sequence of mathematical transformations. It is especially suited for the automated design of spatial structures. But it can also be used for other tasks, like operating on 3D geometry obtained from other sources, or for finite element pre- and postprocessing, or just for creating some nice pictures.

By writing a simple script, a large and complex geometry can be created by copying, translating, rotating, or otherwise transforming geometrical entities. pyFormex will interpret the script and draw what you have created. This is clearly very different from the traditional (mostly interactive) way of creating a geometrical model, like is done in most CAD packages. There are some huge advantages in using pyFormex: