Modelling with implicit surfaces that interpolate

We introduce new techniques for modelling with interpolating implicit surfaces. This form of implicit surface was first used for problems of surface reconstruction [24] and shape transformation [30], but the emphasis of our work is on model creation. These implicit surfaces are described by specifying locations in 3D through which the surface should pass, and also identifying locations that are interior or exterior to the surface. A 3D implicit function is created from these constraints using a variational scattered data interpolation approach, and the iso-surface of this function describes a surface. Like other implicit surface descriptions, these surfaces can be used for CSG and interference detection, may be interactively manipulated, are readily approximated by polygonal tilings, and are easy to ray trace. A key strength for model creation is that interpolating implicit surfaces allow the direct specification of both the location of points on the surface and the surface normals. T...

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2002
• Where: TOG
• Authors: Greg Turk, James F. O'Brien
• Keywords: Implicit Surface, Implicit Surface Descriptions, Implicit Surface Representations, TOG 2002