Model Simplification through refinement

TL;DR

This paper introduces a fast, interactive algorithm for simplifying large polygonal models that guarantees quality results within a time limit, improving on existing methods that are either slow or produce poor quality models.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel, curvature-guided simplification algorithm capable of real-time processing of large models, with the ability to refine previous simplifications.

Findings

Algorithm achieves interactive speeds on large models.

Results maintain high visual quality.

Refinement of previous simplifications is possible.

Abstract

As modeling and visualization applications proliferate, there arises a need to simplify large polygonal models at interactive rates. Unfortunately existing polygon mesh simplification algorithms are not well suited for this task because they are either too slow (requiring the simplified model to be pre-computed) or produce models that are too poor in quality. These shortcomings become particularly acute when models are extremely large. We present an algorithm suitable for simplification of large models at interactive speeds. The algorithm is fast and can guarantee displayable results within a given time limit. Results also have good quality. Inspired by splitting algorithms from vector quantization literature, we simplify models in reverse, beginning with an extremely coarse approximation and refining it. Approximations of surface curvature guide the simplification process. Previously produced simplifications can be further refined by using them as input to the algorithm.