How to install Winplot and to use it to model solids of revolution and known cross section

Installing Winplot (Windows only)

Winplot is a very useful tool that can handle most graphing needs someone may have. Among the most useful features of the app is the ability to graph 3D functions and to graph solids of known cross section and solids of revolution, all of which can be easily rotated using the arrow keys.

To Install Winplot, go to this website and click the top link

Wait for the file to download, and then go to your downloads folder and run wp32z_Winplot.exe.

This will open this dialogue box

In the dialogue box labeled "Unzip to folder", paste the file directory you wish to install the program at (I typically use c:\Program Files\Winplot, but use whatever works best for you). And click the unzip button. You can also hit the browse button to select the folder you want to install it in.

Next, it's important to set a desktop shortcut to the program so you don't have to go through your file directory each time you want to run the program. Go to the folder you unzipped winplot to, select it, and press ctrl+c. Go to your desktop, right click, and select "Paste as shortcut" to create a shortcut to winplot.

You have now fully installed winplot!

Graphing using Winplot

After opening Winplot, close the tip menu that appears, then click window->2-dim.

This will open a 2 dimensional coordinate grid.

Next, go to the Equa tab. This has a number of useful commands: Explicit, Parametric, Implicit, and Polar. Each of these functions allows you to add a graph of this type. The program is capable of handling rotation and cross section problems with all of these functions In each function creation menu, you can specify the color and thickness of the line of the graph, to make it easier to differentiate between the graphs

Creating Objects of Rotation

Go to One->Revolve Surface. In this menu, you can select the function that is to be rotated, the bounds to the rotation, and what line the function is to be rotated about, in the form Ax+By=c. You can then click See surface, and a model of the solid will be displayed, which can be rotated using the arrow keys on the keyboard. To close this menu, click "Close".

The function Y=X rotated about the x axis

Creating Solids based on known cross sections.

Once you have two functions for the two edges of the cross section, go to Two->Sections...

Here you can select the type of cross section to use, the two functions to be used, and the upper and lower bounds in terms of x to use for the cross section. When the settings are the way you want them, click See Solid, which will create another rotatable model. 

Square Cross sections perpendicular to the X axis of Y=x and Y=x^2