A METHODOLOGY FOR DIRECT MANIPULATION OF POLYGON MESHES

Abstract

While many modelling techniques used in computer graphics produce polygon meshes, few methods have been reported for modifying such meshes interactively. This paper describes how to manipulate polygon meshes directly in a controlled, general, and powerful manner. The scheme is based on a primitive operation which moves one vertex without altering the topology of the mesh. Extending this operation allows the geometry of arbitrary regions to be modified according to generalized "decay functions" that control the shape. The technique has been implemented and tested, and examples are given which show that a rich class of models can be generated. The method has many desirable properties and compares favourably with other modeling techniques.