For 2D graphics, there exists the function FullGraphics
to turn the stuff Mathematica generates automatically on Graphics
(like axes) into explicit graphics primitives. However that function doesn't work on Graphics3D
objects. So is there some (possibly undocumented) function which does the same for 3 dimensional graphics?
No solution with 3D return, but you can "vectorize" 3D graphics by using the good ole ImportString[ExportString[...]]
trick which results in a (large) 2D Graphics
expression:
g = Plot3D[Sin[x + y^2], {x, -3, 3}, {y, -2, 2}]
vectorized2D = ImportString[ExportString[g, "PDF"], "PDF"][[1]]
This is now a Graphics
expression that you can use to extract certain features:
Cases[vectorized2D, _JoinedCurve, Infinity] // Graphics
but finding the right patterns for the stuff you might want to work with could take some effort. Also you have to live with the fact that some appearances will change more or less dramatically.
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1$\begingroup$ Going through PDF has the effect that (at least in my test, on 8.0.0.0) the numbers are translated into curves as well. I've found that when going through EPS instead, the numbers are kept as text (but then, for some reason the polygons were very wrong). $\endgroup$ – celtschk Feb 21 '12 at 15:15
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$\begingroup$ This sure is something that is changing a lot behind the scenes from version to version. I hope that there will be some kind of useful convergence in versions to come (e.g. an extension of
FilledCurve
to 3D would be very, very useful and much in the spirit of the already existing 2D+3D graphics primitives). $\endgroup$ – Yves Klett Feb 22 '12 at 14:46
Graphics3D[Sphere[], Epilog -> {Circle[]}]
. $\endgroup$ – Szabolcs Jan 30 '12 at 18:17Graphics[]
and get a nice figure, but I'm not sure ... $\endgroup$ – Szabolcs Jan 30 '12 at 18:44Shadow[]
, @Szabolcs; what I have been wondering is how does one get the ticks and boxes from aGraphics3D[]
object. Among other things... $\endgroup$ – J. M.'s ennui♦ Jan 30 '12 at 18:49AxesEdge
, the tick marks will be projected on different sides of the bounding box depending on the orientation of the figure. You would lose that effect when you replace the axes and tick marks with lines. $\endgroup$ – Heike Jan 30 '12 at 19:57