A 3D Dynamic Geometry Software

Calques 3D C++

Calques 3D Documentation

v2.3.4

What is Calques 3D?

In secondary level schools, spatial geometry teaching is an important goal in mathematics teaching, and a difficult one, mainly because students have intrinsic difficulties in visualising three-dimensional objects. Indeed, students are often unable to see and understand the display of a 3D figure on a 2D device, and then to proceed to form an abstraction of it. Moreover, though 'wire-frame' geometry does not introduce the same difficulties as solid geometry: it can cause other problems since the translucent aspect of objects makes it difficult to visualise their relative position.

Thus, the use of computers to display real-time and interactive images of 3D construction should be helpful for overcoming this problem. This observation led us to explore the field of Dynamic Geometry. In this context, Calques 3D could rely on similar software, both in plane geometry (e.g. Geometer's Sketchpad, Cabri-geometry or Calques 2), and in spatial geometry (e.g. Geospace, Kappa or Cabri 3D).

Calques 3D is a microworld designed for constructing, observing and manipulating geometrical figures. It allows an intuitive and adaptable access to environment features. Intuitive because it is used by students who do not have preparation. Adaptable because it allows the teacher to decide, with respect to his own pedagogy, which primitives and operations will be made available to the student. The aims of Calques 3D are threefold:

  • Observation: allowing one to see and understand the third dimension by changing the spatial system of reference (axes, floor, etc.), choosing perspective ('cavalière', vanishing point, etc.), modifying the observer's point of view; displaying visual feedback on objects, etc.

  • Construction: allowing a dynamic construction of geometrical figures from elementary objects (points, lines, planes, etc.) and construction primitives (intersection, parallel, perpendicular, etc.).

  • Exploration: allowing one to explore and discover geometrical properties of the figure (deforming it by directly dragging base-points, changing observer's point of view, etc.).