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Parametric Cubic Curve

A parametric cubic curve is defined by a polynomial equation relating a point P(t) on the curve to the parameter t, where 0 <= t <= 1. The curve is defined by its endpoints P(0) and P(1) and the tangent vectors at those endpoints, P'(0) and P'(1). Solving the polynomial equation yields coefficients relating the curve position to the geometric coefficients of the endpoints and tangent vectors. Varying t from 0 to 1 generates points along the curve defined by these blending functions of the geometric coefficients.

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114 views1 page

Parametric Cubic Curve

A parametric cubic curve is defined by a polynomial equation relating a point P(t) on the curve to the parameter t, where 0 <= t <= 1. The curve is defined by its endpoints P(0) and P(1) and the tangent vectors at those endpoints, P'(0) and P'(1). Solving the polynomial equation yields coefficients relating the curve position to the geometric coefficients of the endpoints and tangent vectors. Varying t from 0 to 1 generates points along the curve defined by these blending functions of the geometric coefficients.

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bigyan1
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Parametric Cubic Curve

A parametric cubic curve is defined as P(t) = ai ti


i =1

0<= t <=1 ------ (i)

Where, P(t) is a point on the curve y P(t) Expanding equation (i) yields P(t) = a3t3 + a2t2 + a1t + a0 ------------------------------(ii) This equation is separated into three components of P(t) x x(t) = a3xt3 + a2xt2 + a1xt + a0x y(t) = a3yt3 + a2yt2 + a1yt + a0y z(t) = a3zt3 + a2zt2 + a1zt + a0z ------------------------------(iii) z To be able to solve (iii) the twelve unknown coefficients aij (algebraic coefficients) must be specified From the known end point coordinates of each segment, six of the twelve needed equations are obtained. The other six are found by using tangent vectors at the two ends of each segment The direction of the tangent vectors establishes the slopes(direction cosines) of the curve at the end points P1 P2 tangent at P1

This procedure for defining a cubic curve using end points and tangent vector is one form of hermite interpolation Each cubic curve segment is parameterized from 0 to 1 so that known end points correspond to the limit values of the parametric variable t, that is P(0) and P(1) Substituting t = 0 and t = 1 the relation ship between two end point vectors and the algebraic coefficients are found P(0) = a0 P(1) = a3 + a2 + a1 + a0 To find the tangent vectors equation ii must be differentiated with respect to t P(t) = 3a3t2 + 2a2t + a1 The tangent vectors at the two end points are found by substituting t = 0 and t = 1 in this equation P(0) = a1 P(1) = 3a3 + 2a2 + a1 The algebraic coefficients ai in equation (ii) can now be written explicitly in terms of boundary conditions endpoints and tangent vectors are a0= P(0) a1= P(0) a2= -3 P (0) - 3 P (1) -2 P(0) - P(1) a3= 2 P (0) - 2 P (1) + P(0) + P(1) substituting these values of ai in equation (ii) and rearranging the terms yields P(t) = (2t3 - 3t2 + 1) P(0) + (-2t3 + 3t2) P(1) + (t3 - 2t2 + t) P(0)+ (t3 - t2 ) P(1) The values of P(0), P(1), P(0), P(1) are called geometric coefficients and represent the known vector quantities in the above equation The polynomial coefficients of these vector quantities are commonly known as blending functions By varying parameter t in these blending function from 0 to 1 several points on curve segments can be found

Saroj Shakya, Computer Graphics, Nepal College of Information Technology

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