https://github.com/agoose77/cadmesh

A CAD file interface for GEANT4

https://github.com/agoose77/cadmesh

Repository

A CAD file interface for GEANT4

https://github.com/agoose77/CADMesh/blob/master/

# Notice
This `master` branch is where development occurs. Make sure you checkout `v1.1` if your are trying to compile the latest release, or [download it from here](https://github.com/christopherpoole/CADMesh/releases/tag/v1.1).

CADMesh version 2.0 is under development right now, with a new API that is much easier to use:

```cpp 
    auto mesh = CADMesh::TessellatedMesh::FromPLY("mesh.ply");
    G4VSolid* solid = mesh->GetSolid();
```

---

# Introduction
Importing predefined CAD models into [GEANT4](http://www.geant4.org/geant4/) is not always possible or requires intermediate file format conversion to Geometry Description Markup Language (GDML) using commercial or third party software.
CADMesh is a direct CAD model import interface for GEANT4 leveraging [ASSIMP](http://assimp.sourceforge.net/) for reading the CAD files.
Currently it supports the import of triangular facet surface meshes defined in formats such as STL and PLY. A G4TessellatedSolid is returned and can be included in a standard user detector constructor.
You can find the project page and a git repository [here](https://github.com/christopherpoole/CADMesh).
The old [Google Code page for CADMesh](http://code.google.com/p/cadmesh/) redirects to this page.

![Screen Shot](https://raw.github.com/christopherpoole/CADMesh/master/screenshot.png)

Additional functionality is included for the fast navigation of tessellated solids by automatically creating equivalent tetrahedral meshes thereby making smart voxelisation available for the solid.

# Citing CADMesh
CADMesh is described in a technical paper, available [here](http://www.christopherpoole.net/publications/a-cad-interface-for-geant4.html), and in this repository.
If you would like the cite the article, you may wish use the following bibtex entry:

    @article{poole2012acad,
        author = {Poole, C. M. and Cornelius, I. and Trapp, J. V. and Langton, C. M.},
        title = {{A CAD Interface for GEANT4}},
        journal={Australasian Physical & Engineering Science in Medicine},
        year = 2012,
        month = September,
        doi = {10.1007/s13246-012-0159-8},
        url = {http://www.springerlink.com/content/u563877422284578}
    }

The fast tessellated solid navigation technique included in CADMesh is described [here](http://www.christopherpoole.net/publications/fast-tessellated-solid-navigation-in-geant4.html), the paper is included in this repository as well:

    @article{poole2012fast,
        title={Fast Tessellated Solid Navigation in GEANT4},
        author={Poole, C. and Cornelius, I. and Trapp, J. and Langton, C.M.},
        journal={IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science},
        volume={99},
        pages={1--7},
        year={2012},
        publisher={Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers}
    }


# Example Usage
The following shows basic default usage for cadmesh in a UserDetectorConstruction:

    // User Detector Constructor
    #include "CADMesh.hh"
    ...
    G4ThreeVector offset;
    G4VSolid * cad_solid;
    G4LogicalVolume * cad_logical;
    G4VPhysicalVolume * cad_physical;
    ...
    offset = G4ThreeVector(-30*cm, 0, 0);
    CADMesh * mesh = new CADMesh("../../models/cone.ply", mm, offset, false);

    cad_solid = mesh->TessellatedMesh();
    cad_logical = new G4LogicalVolume(cad_solid, water, "cad_logical", 0, 0, 0);
    cad_physical = new G4PVPlacement(0, G4ThreeVector(), cad_logical,
                                         "cad_physical", world_logical, false, 0);
    ...

    # CMakeLists.txt
    cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.6 FATAL_ERROR)
    project(cadmesh_example)

    # GEANT4 core
    find_package(Geant4 REQUIRED ui_all vis_all)
    include(${Geant4_USE_FILE})
    include_directories(${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/include)

    # CADMesh
    find_package(cadmesh)

    # User code
    file(GLOB sources ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/*.cc)
    file(GLOB headers ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/include/*.hh)

    add_executable(cadmesh_example cadmesh_example.cc ${sources} ${headers})
    target_link_libraries(cadmesh_example ${Geant4_LIBRARIES})
    target_link_libraries(cadmesh_example ${cadmesh_LIBRARIES})

# Dependencies
A working installation of the following libraries or packages is required:
 * [GEANT4](http:/geant4.org/geant4/)
 * [ASSIMP](http://assimp.sourceforge.net/)
 * [TETGEN](http://tetgen.org/)

They are included in the repository as external projects/submodules.

# Installation
Download the latest release of CADMesh from the [Downloads](https://github.com/christopherpoole/CADMesh/releases) section, and extract the archive, or checkout the development branch from the repository.

    # CADMesh latest release
    git clone https://github.com/christopherpoole/CADMesh.git
    git checkout v1.1

    # OR download a release from https://github.com/christopherpoole/CADMesh/releases, and extract the download somewhere.
    
    cd cadmesh/
    
    # Fetch the external dependancies (optional), running
    # cmake will result in this happening anyway.
    # git submodule update --init --recursive

    mkdir build
    cd build

    cmake .. -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX:PATH=
    make
    sudo make install

Here is a basic example usage. The CMakeLists.txt file illustrates how to link against CADMesh (which requires CADMesh to be installed somewhere).

    # Run example (Linux with g++)
    cd examples/basic
    mkdir build
    cd build

    cmake .. -Dcadmesh_DIR:PATH= 
    make

    ./cadmesh_example   
    
    # Still in the build directory:
    ./cadmesh_example ../macros/vis.mac ../../../models/cone.ply
    Idle> exit

    # To use the tetrahedram meshing as well (tetgen needs to know the file type):
    ./cadmesh_example ../macros/vis.mac ../../../models/cone.ply PLY

If you get an error such as this:

    ./build/cadmesh_example: error while loading shared libraries: libcadmesh.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

Make sure the CADMesh library is in your path:

    export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:/lib

or on a Mac:
    
    export DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH=$DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH:/lib

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