Robust Creation of Implicit Surfaces from Polygonal Meshes

Implicit surfaces are used for a number of tasks in computer graphics, including modeling soft or organic objects, morphing, collision detection, and constructive solid geometry. Although operating on implicit surfaces is usually straightforward, creating them is not. We introduce a practical method for creating implicit surfaces from polygonal models that produces high-quality results for complex surfaces. Whereas much previous work in implicit surfaces has been done with primitives such as "blobbies," we use implicit surfaces based on a variational interpolation technique (the three-dimensional generalization of thin-plate interpolation). Given a polygonal mesh, we convert the data to a volumetric representation to use as a guide for creating the implicit surface iteratively. We begin by seeding the surface with a number of constraint points through which the surface must pass. Iteratively, additional constraints are added; the resulting surfaces are evaluated, and the erro...

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2002
• Where: TVCG
• Authors: Gary D. Yngve, Greg Turk
• Keywords: Constructive Solid Geometry, Surfaces, TVCG 2002, Variational Interpolation Technique