I got my Solidworks certification last fall, and yes it does appear to be the same 3D program. "Flat" isn't really the best descriptor, "non-foreshortened" is closer to the mark. The low-tech approach that we used 30+ years ago, and it produces results almost as good as the Solidworks modeling, is to project the limb image onto a tilted surface, to compensate for the foreshortening. If using a lens with a sufficiently-long focal ratio, the difference in focus along the tilted surface is minimal. It could be done with a slide projector, or an enlarger for a printed copy. I think Patrick showed me this technique, but memory is sketchy on that detail. Thanks for that link, very interesting! --- Canopus56 <canopus56@yahoo.com> wrote:
--- Chuck Hards <chuckhards@yahoo.com> wrote:
Hopefully the IAU will agree with Wood. Catchy name.
Chuck, sometime ago you mentioned that you were studying Solidworks. I don't know if this is the same software, but this LPOD features an amateur astrophotographer using Solidoworks to produce a flat image of the lunar limb:
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