Calculator similar to Desmos but for $3$D

Question

Is there a calculator with functionality similar to Desmos but in $3$ dimensions? I am looking to learn about families of quadric surfaces so I am looking for a $3$D calculator with sliders.

Answer 1

Updated, December 2018: I made the following website with the aim of producing a Desmos-like experience in 3D for my multivariable calculus students.

math3d.org

You can create and animate points, vectors, curves, surfaces (explicit & implicit), and vector fields. After creating a demonstration, you can save it and share.

Here are three scenes that I particularly like:

• Parametric Curves, Velocity and Acceleration
• Volumes of Revolution, Shell Method
• Hyperboloids as a Ruled Surface (+screenshot)

This project is on Github. If you find bugs or have ideas for improvements, please open an issue!

Answer 2

Just about all of the 3D plotters I've seen online fail in a few major areas:

1. Asymptotes. For example, $f(x,y) = \tan(x)$ shouldn't have vertical planes in its graph.
2. Plot boundaries. Functions with restricted domains, i.e. $f(x,y)=\sqrt{1-x^2-y^2}$, should not have jagged triangles where the domain ends (in this case the unit circle on the $xy$ plane).
3. Discontinuities. Related to #1, but also applies to step functions and the like. Discontinuities should not be visible as an abrupt vertical plane.

Awhile ago I attempted to address these issues in Koval's 3D Grapher. Now at the time I wasn't nearly as clever as I really needed to be, so it still struggles with some things (notably $f(x,y)=\tan(x)+\tan(y)$ and other "2D asymptotes"), but in general it does pretty well:

Also supports spherical and cylindrical coordinates and some 1D and 2D parameterized graphs.