Rotateextrudeangle

Rotateextrudeangle refers to the angle parameter used in a rotate_extrude operation to generate a 3D solid by revolving a 2D profile around an axis. In systems like OpenSCAD, rotate_extrude takes a 2D shape in the XY plane and sweeps it around the Z axis. The rotateextrudeangle determines how many degrees of revolution are performed, with 360 degrees producing a full solid of revolution and smaller values creating a partial sweep or segment.

The technique relies on a 2D profile positioned relative to the axis of rotation. The profile is rotated around the axis to form a 3D object, so the choice of angle directly affects the final geometry. A full 360-degree angle yields a complete object such as a vase, bowl, or torus when the profile is offset from the axis. A smaller angle can produce partial shells, rings, or sector-shaped objects.

In practice, the angle parameter is specified as angle = [value] in the rotate_extrude construct. A common example is angle = 360 to create a full solid by revolving a profile around the axis. A value like 180 would generate a half-revolution, resulting in a half-shell or semicircular cross-section when combined with the profile.

Limitations and considerations include ensuring the 2D profile lies in the correct plane and remains simple enough to avoid self-intersections or ambiguities in the resulting geometry. Rotateextrudeangle is a key concept for modeling solids of revolution in parametric 3D CAD and scripting environments. Related concepts include rotate_extrude itself, 2D profiling, and the broader category of solids of revolution.