> Is there a simpler way to flatten a tube, besides using a box with tubes on
> either side?
>
>
If "tube" = a cylinder, then:

cylinder{30*x, -30*x, 5 scale <1, 0.5, 1>}
Will give you an elliptic cylinder that is half as high as it is whide.

But, if you want it to have flat faces, then, you need to use an union 
as follow:

union{
	box{<Left, Top, Front><Right, Bottom, Back>}
	cylinder{<Left, (Top+Bottom)/2, Front><Left, (Top+Bottom)/2, Back>, 
(Top+Bottom)/2}
		cylinder{<Right, (Top+Bottom)/2, Front><Right, (Top+Bottom)/2, Back>, 
(Top+Bottom)/2}
}

If that is to be transparent, replace "union" by "merge" to remove the 
internal surfaces.

If you are OK with having hard edges and rounded parts that don't make a 
half circle, then, you can do this:
intersection{
	cylinder{<0, 0, Front><0,0, Back>, Radius}
	box{<-Radius, 1, Front+0.0001><Radius, -1, Back-0.0001>}
}

The box is made very slightly larger to prevent coincident surfaces and 
the artefacts they cause.



Alain

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