Cross-sectional design: a tool for computer graphics and computer-aided design courses

Teaching curve and surface design in a computer graphics or a computer-aided design course is a challenge because of the very involved mathematics, the lack of easy-to-use tools, and the differing abilities of students to visualize three-dimensional objects. This paper presents the authors' work in teaching cross-sectional surface design using a pedagogical software tool DesignMentor. With this tool, students have hands-on practice and still learn surface design theory in an intuitive way. A summary of the authors' experiences and future directions is also included.