Method, system, and program product for re-meshing of a three-dimensional input model using progressive implicit approximating levels

• US 7,443,393 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2006
• Issued: 10/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Shen, Chen S., Boier-Martin, Ioana M.
• Primary Examiner(s): HARRISON, CHANTE E
• Application Number:
  US11/335,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20070165025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 345/423, 345/428, 345/419, 345/420
• US Class Current: 345/420
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/20 Finite element generation, e.g. wire-frame surface description, tesselation

Abstract

A method, system and program product for re-meshing of a three-dimensional (3D)input model using progressive implicit approximating levels are provided. Specifically, an initial quadrilateral mesh for a 3D input model is provided. Then, an implicit approximating field is built for a first approximating level (L) of the 3D input model using an implicit surface modeling technique. An iso-contour of the implicit approximating field is then extracted, and the quadrilateral mesh is fit to the first approximating level (L). The fit between the quadrilateral mesh and the first approximating level (L) is then estimated, and it is determined whether the fit meets a predetermined quality criterion. If not, the quadrilateral mesh is refined using one or more of a sequence of topological operations are performed to improve the fit. The process is then iteratively repeated for subsequent approximation levels until one of the subsequent approximation levels is fit to the 3D input model.

Claims

1. A method for quadrilateral re-meshing of a three-dimensional (3D) input model using progressive implicit approximating levels, comprising:

providing a quadrilateral mesh for the 3D input model;

building an implicit approximating field for a first approximating level (L) of the 3D input model using an implicit surface modeling technique;

extracting an iso-contour of the implicit approximating field;

fitting the quadrilateral mesh to the first approximating level (L);

estimating a fit between the quadrilateral mesh and the first approximating level (L);

determining whether the fit meets a predetermined quality criterion;

iteratively repeating the building, extracting, fitting, estimating, and determining for subsequent approximation levels until a predetermined stopping criterion is reached; and

refining the initial quadrilateral mesh using at least one of a sequence of topological operations to achieve an improved fit after the determining step if the fit fails to meet the predetermined quality criterion;

wherein the quadrilateral mesh is an initial quadrilateral mesh,

and wherein the sequence of topological operations comprises snapping vertices, splitting edges, extruding faces, and bridging faces of the quadrilateral mesh.

2. The method of claim 1, the predetermined stopping criterion comprising at least one of the following:

an interpolating level being reached, or one of the subsequent approximating levels being fit to the 3D input model within a predetermined threshold, the method further comprising outputting the quadrilateral mesh when the predetermined stopping criterion is reached.

3. The method of claim 1, the quadrilateral mesh being provided as a bounding box of the 3D input model.

4. The method of claim 1, the quadrilateral mesh being provided as a polyhedron with quadrilateral faces.

5. The method of claim 1, the implicit surface modeling technique being an implicit Moving Least Squares (iMLS) technique.

6. A method for deploying an application for quadrilateral re-meshing of a three-dimensional 3D input model using progressive implicit approximating levels, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure being operable to;

provide a quadrilateral mesh for the 3D input model;

build an implicit approximating field for a first approximating level (L) of the 3D input model using an implicit surface modeling technique;

extract an iso-contour of the implicit approximating field;

fit the quadrilateral mesh to the first approximating level (L);

estimate a fit between the quadrilateral mesh and the first approximating level (L);

determine whether the fit meets a predetermined quality criterion; and

refine the initial quadrilateral mesh using at least one of a sequence of topological operations to achieve an improved fit after the determining step if the fit fails to meet the predetermined quality criterion;

wherein the quadrilateral mesh is an initial quadrilateral mesh,

and wherein the sequence of topological operations comprises snapping vertices, splitting edges, extruding faces, and bridging faces of the quadrilateral mesh.