I draw a Graphics3D object of two tubes:
Graphics3D[{Tube[{{-0.2, -1, 0}, {-0.2, 1, 0}}, 0.05],
Tube[{{0, 0, -1}, {0, 0, 1}}, 0.05]}, Boxed -> False]
And I get this:
Now I want to have some edge effect of the two tubes, so that more parts of the back tube are excluded by the front tube, with the desired result like this:
Replacing Tube[a_] by {EdgeForm[{White,Thick}],Tube[a]} does not work, is there a simple way to do?
You can add a tube around each of your tubes with a slightly bigger radius, transparent outer color, and white inner color.
t1 = Tube[{{-0.2, -1, 0}, {-0.2, 1, 0}}, 0.05];
t2 = Tube[{{0, 0, -1}, {0, 0, 1}}, 0.05];
Graphics3D[{t1, t2, FaceForm[None, Glow[White]],
MapAt[1.8 # &, #, 2] & /@ {t1, t2}}, Boxed -> False]
t1 by an arrowed tube ``, then the Faceform does not apply to the arrowheads. For example, t1 = {Arrowheads[{0.1}], Arrow[Tube[{{-0.2, -1, 0}, {-0.2, 1, 0}}, 0.05]]}; Graphics3D[{FaceForm[None, Glow[White]], t1}, Boxed -> False] will leave the arrowhead visible. Why it does not apply to arrowhead?
$\endgroup$
FaceForm. Try to play with Cone[], it works well with FaceForm. You can also set it as a custom arrowhead (see documentation).
$\endgroup$
Commented
Nov 4, 2013 at 14:19
ybeltukov's basic idea is certainly the way to go, but I think -- for easier general application -- it is a good idea to capture it into a function. So I would write
ghostTube[t_Tube, factor_?NumericQ] :=
{FaceForm[None, Glow[White]], Tube[t[[1]], factor t[[2]]]}
and apply it like this
Module[{t1, t2},
t1 = Tube[{{-0.2, -1, 0}, {-0.2, 1, 0}}, 0.05];
t2 = Tube[{{0, 0, -1}, {0, 0, 1}}, 0.05];
Graphics3D[{t1, t2, ghostTube[#, 1.5] & /@ {t1, t2}}, Boxed -> False]]
