Three-dimensional shape data processing apparatus

• US 6,260,000 B1
• Filed: 11/04/1998
• Issued: 07/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Fukushima, Shigenobu, Karasaki, Toshihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Kamini
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barbee, Manuel L.
• Application Number:
  US09/187,467
• Time in Patent Office: 979 Days
• Field of Search: 702/33, 702/36, 702/94, 702/95, 702/119, 702/123, 702/150-153, 702/155-159, 702/166-168, 702/170, 702/171, 702/172, 33/1.BB, 335/12, 335/51--54, 700/98, 700/118, 700/163, 382/154, 382/285
• US Class Current: 702/155
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/00 Three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects

Abstract

When the user inputs at least four points that designates the path on the surface of a three-dimensional shape represented by three-dimensional shape data, groups of three points in which two points are commonly included in two groups are formed from the input points. Each group of three points defines a plane including the three points. The line of intersection of each plane and the surface of the three-dimensional shape is obtained to calculate lengths of the line of intersection between the adjacent two points of the three points in each of the groups. Two lengths between the two points that are commonly included in two groups along two different lines of intersection are obtained for one length of the path between the two points. As a result, the average of the two lengths is estimated as the length of the path between the two points. The total length of the path is obtained according to the estimated lengths and lengths along lines of intersection.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional shape data processing apparatus that measures a length of a path on a surface of a three-dimensional shape represented by three-dimensional shape data, comprising:

a point acceptance section for accepting input of at least four points that designates the path on the surface of the three-dimensional shape;

a grouping section for grouping the points that have been accepted by the point acceptance section to form groups, each of which includes three accepted points, wherein two accepted points in one group are also included in another group;

a first length obtaining section for obtaining each first length that is a length between two adjacent accepted points of three accepted points in one of the groups along a line of intersection of a plane including the three accepted points and the surface of the three-dimensional shape for each of the groups;

a second length obtaining section for obtaining each second length that is a length between two accepted points commonly included in two of the groups along the path that has been designated by the point acceptance section according to first lengths that have been obtained by the first length obtaining section.

2. A three-dimensional shape data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the second length between two accepted points commonly included in two of the groups is obtained according to two first lengths between the two points.

3. A three-dimensional shape data processing apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a path length calculation section for calculating the length of the path passing all of the accepted points on the surface of the three-dimensional shape.

4. A three-dimensional shape data processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the path length calculation section calculates the length of the path passing the accepted points on the surface of the three-dimensional shape according to each first length and second length that has been obtained by the first length obtaining section and the second length obtaining section, respectively.

5. A three-dimensional shape data processing apparatus that calculates a characteristic amount representing a shape of a surface of a three-dimensional shape represented by three-dimensional shape data, comprising:

a distance information obtaining section for obtaining distance information;

a point obtaining section for obtaining a plurality of points in an area defined by the obtained distance information on the surface of the three-dimensional shape; and

a characteristic amount calculation section for considering the surface of the three-dimensional shape including the obtained plurality of points to be a smoothed curved surface and for calculating the characteristic amount for a shape of the smoothed curved surface;

wherein the distance information obtaining section accepts a distance designated by a user and obtains the distance information.

6. A three-dimensional shape data processing apparatus that calculates a characteristic amount representing a shape of a surface of a three-dimensional shape represented by three-dimensional shape data, comprising:

a distance calculation section for calculating a distance on the basis of data of a plurality of points comprised in the three-dimensional shape data;

a point obtaining section for obtaining a plurality of points in an area defined by the calculated distance on the surface of the three-dimensional shape; and

a characteristic amount calculation section for considering the surface of the three-dimensional shape including the obtained plurality of points to be a smoothed curved surface and for calculating the characteristic amount for a shape of the smoothed curved surface;

wherein the point obtaining section includes;

a target point obtaining section for obtaining a target point on the surface of the three-dimensional shape; and

wherein the area is defined as including the target point.

7. A three-dimensional shape data processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the characteristic amount calculation section calculates the characteristic amount at the target point that has been obtained by the target point obtaining section.

8. A three-dimensional shape data processing apparatus that processes three-dimensional shape data representing a three-dimensional shape, comprising:

a characteristic amount obtaining section for obtaining a characteristic amount that represents a shape of a surface of the three-dimensional shape at a plurality of points on the surface of the three-dimensional shape;

a texture creation section for creating a texture pattern on a texture forming face that corresponds to the surface of the three-dimensional shape according to the obtained characteristic amount at the plurality of points on the surface of the three-dimensional shape; and

a texture mapping section for mapping the created texture pattern on the surface of the three-dimensional shape.

9. A three-dimensional shape data processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the texture forming face is a spherical surface.

10. A three-dimensional shape data processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the texture creation section creates the texture pattern by changing brightness and/or colors according to the obtained characteristic amount.

11. A three-dimensional shape data processing apparatus that supplements a deficit of three-dimensional shape data, comprising:

a section obtaining section for cutting a three-dimensional shape represented by the three-dimensional shape data with a plurality of planes to obtain a plurality of sections, each of which is represented by a piece of sectional data;

a lack extracting section for extracting a lack of each outline for each of the plurality of sections;

a supplement section for supplementing the lack of each outline extracted by the lack extracting section, and for supplementing sectional data corresponding to the lack; and

a restoration section for restoring the three-dimensional shape data using pieces of sectional data including the sectional data that have been supplemented by the supplement section.

12. A three-dimensional shape data processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the section obtaining section includes:

a direction obtaining section for obtaining a direction for the three-dimensional shape; and

a slice section for cutting the three-dimensional shape with a plurality of parallel planes a direction of normals of which is the obtained direction, and for obtaining the plurality of pieces of sectional data.

13. A three-dimensional shape data processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the supplement section includes:

a shape data obtaining section for obtaining shape data of a part of an outline with a lack, the part that has a predetermined length and is adjacent to the lack; and

an outline completion section for completing the lack using the shape data that has been obtained by the shape data obtaining section.

14. A storage medium storing a program that has a computer operate as a three-dimensional shape data processing apparatus that measures a length of a path on a surface of a three-dimensional shape represented by three-dimensional shape data, wherein a process recorded on the program comprises:

a point acceptance step of accepting input of at least four points that designates the path on the surface of the three-dimensional shape;

a grouping step of grouping the points that have been accepted at the point acceptance step to form groups, each of which includes three accepted points, wherein two accepted points in one group are included in another group;

a first length obtaining step of obtaining each first length that is a length between two adjacent accepted points of three accepted points in one of the groups along a line of intersection of a plane including the three accepted points and the surface of the three-dimensional shape for each of the groups;

a second length obtaining step of obtaining each second length that is a length between two accepted points commonly included in two of the groups along the path that has been designated at the point acceptance step according to first lengths that have been obtained at the first length obtaining step.

15. A storage medium according to claim 14, wherein

at the second length obtaining step, a second length between two accepted points commonly included in two of the groups is estimated from two first lengths between the two accepted points when obtaining the second length.

16. A storage medium according to claim 14 further comprising a path length calculation step of calculating the length of the path passing all of the accepted points on the surface of the three-dimensional shape.

17. A storage medium according to claim 16, wherein

at the path length calculation step, the length of the path passing the accepted points on the surface of the three-dimensional shape is calculated according to each first length and second length that has been obtained at the first length obtaining step and the second length obtaining step, respectively.

18. A storage medium storing a program that has a computer operate as a three-dimensional shape data processing apparatus that calculates a characteristic amount representing a shape of a surface of a three-dimensional shape represented by three-dimensional shape data, wherein a process recorded on the program comprises:

a distance information obtaining step of obtaining distance information;

a point obtaining step of obtaining a plurality of points in an area defined by the obtained distance information on the surface of the three-dimensional shape;

a characteristic amount calculation step of considering the surface of the three-dimensional shape including the obtained plurality of points to be a smoothed curved

surface and for calculating the characteristic amount for a shape of the smoothed curved surface;

wherein at the distance information obtaining step, a distance designated by a user is accepted as the distance information.

19. A storage medium storing a program that has a computer operate as a three-dimensional shape data processing apparatus that calculates a characteristic amount representing a shape of a surface of a three-dimensional shape represented by three-dimensional shape data, wherein a process recorded on the program comprises:

a distance calculation step of calculating a distance on the basis of data of a plurality of points comprised in the three-dimensional shape data;

a point obtaining step of obtaining a plurality of points in an area defined by the calculated distance on the surface of the three-dimensional shape; and

a characteristic amount calculation step of considering the surface of the three-dimensional shape including the obtained plurality of points to be a smoothed curved surface and for calculating the characteristic amount for a shape of the smoothed curved surface;

wherein the point obtaining step includes;

a target point obtaining step of obtaining a target point on the surface of the three-dimensional shape; and

wherein the area is defined as including the target point.

20. A storage medium according to claim 19, wherein at the characteristic amount calculation step, the characteristic amount at the target point that has been obtained at the target point obtaining step is calculated.

21. A storage medium storing a program that has a computer operate as a three-dimensional shape data processing apparatus that processes three-dimensional shape data, wherein a process recorded on the program comprises:

a characteristic amount obtaining step of obtaining a characteristic amount that represents a shape of a surface of the three-dimensional shape at a plurality of points on the surface of the three-dimensional shape;

a texture creation step of creating a texture pattern on a texture forming face that corresponds to the surface of the three-dimensional shape according to the obtained characteristic amount at the plurality of points on the surface of the three-dimensional shape; and

a texture mapping step of mapping the created texture pattern on the surface of the three-dimensional shape.

22. A storage medium according to claim 21, wherein at the texture creation step, the texture pattern is created on a spherical surface as the texture forming face.

23. A storage medium according to claim 21, wherein at the texture creation step, the texture pattern is created by changing brightness and/or colors according to the obtained characteristic amount.

24. A storage medium storing a program that has a computer operate as a three-dimensional shape data processing apparatus that supplements a deficit of three-dimensional shape data, wherein a process recorded on the program comprises:

a section obtaining step of cutting a three-dimensional shape represented by the three-dimensional shape data with a plurality of planes to obtain a plurality of sections, each of which is represented by a piece of sectional data;

a lack extracting step of extracting a lack of each outline for each of the plurality of sections;

a supplement step of supplementing the lack of each outline found at the lack extracting step, and of supplementing sectional data corresponding to the lack; and

a restoration step of restoring the three-dimensional shape data using pieces of sectional data including the sectional data that have been supplemented at the supplement step.

25. A storage medium according to claim 24, wherein the section obtaining step includes:

a direction obtaining step of obtaining a direction for the three-dimensional shape; and

a slice step of cutting the three-dimensional shape with a plurality of parallel planes a direction of normals of which is the obtained direction, and for obtaining the plurality of pieces of sectional data.

26. A storage medium according to claim 24, wherein the supplement step includes:

a shape data obtaining step of obtaining shape data of a part of an outline with a lack, the part that has a predetermined length and is adjacent to the lack; and

an outline completion step of completing the lack using the shape data that has been obtained at the shape data obtaining step.