INFO410 & INFO350 S2 2015
Visual Computing
Geometric Modelling 1
Tavita Su’a
INFORMATION
SCIENCE
Lecture Overview
Definition
Sample Application Areas
Geometric Model Techniques
Wireframe Modelling
Surface Modelling
Solid Modelling
Potential Exam questions
INFORMATION SCIENCE INFO410 S2 2015 GEOMETRIC MODELLING 1 (Tavita Su’a) SLIDE 2
Definition
is a branch of applied mathematics and computational geometry that
studies methods and algorithms for the mathematical description of
shapes
It is concerned with the computer compatible and mathematical
representation of the geometry of an object
Requires visual representation and mathematical representation
INFORMATION SCIENCE INFO410 S2 2015 GEOMETRIC MODELLING 1 (Tavita Su’a) SLIDE 3
Definition
Is this object 2D or 3D?
INFORMATION SCIENCE INFO410 S2 2015 GEOMETRIC MODELLING 1 (Tavita Su’a) SLIDE 4
Why is Geometric Modelling needed?
Design Analysis – simulate physical behaviour on the computer
Finite element analysis for stress, vibration, thermal and optimization
Less expensive than building a physical model
Can be used directly in manufacturing, generating tool path for Computer
Numerical Control (CNC)
Can be used for presentations and marketing purposes
INFORMATION SCIENCE INFO410 S2 2015 GEOMETRIC MODELLING 1 (Tavita Su’a) SLIDE 5
Sample Applications Areas
Geographic Information
Computer Graphics CAD
Systems
And Spatial Databases
INFORMATION SCIENCE INFO410 S2 2015 GEOMETRIC MODELLING 1 (Tavita Su’a) SLIDE 6
Sample Applications
Medical Imaging Manufacturing Design Video Games
INFORMATION SCIENCE INFO410 S2 2015 GEOMETRIC MODELLING 1 (Tavita Su’a) SLIDE 7
Geometric Object
Information necessary for defining geometric object can be divided into
two categories:
• Geometric information – definition of the coordinates and
dimensions of an object and its entities
• Topological Information – the connectivity and associativity of the
object entities; it determines the relational information between
object entities
INFORMATION SCIENCE INFO410 S2 2015 GEOMETRIC MODELLING 1 (Tavita Su’a) SLIDE 8
Geometry vs Topology
INFORMATION SCIENCE INFO410 S2 2015 GEOMETRIC MODELLING 1 (Tavita Su’a) SLIDE 9
Geometric Representation Properties
When looking at geometric object representations we should pay attention
If it is:
• Complete – if it allows a point to be classified as being inside, outside
or on the object boundary
• Valid – it is possible to build a physical model on it e.g. it does not
contain free edges or faces
• Unambiguous – it can only be interpreted only in one way
INFORMATION SCIENCE INFO410 S2 2015 GEOMETRIC MODELLING 1 (Tavita Su’a) SLIDE 10
Wireframe Modelling
Developed in 1960s and referred to as a “stick
figure” or “edge representation”
Model consists entirely of points, lines, arcs,
circles, conics and curves
A wireframe object is not recorded as a solid
Simplest and thus the fastest modelling
technique in terms of speed and processing
power
INFORMATION SCIENCE INFO410 S2 2015 GEOMETRIC MODELLING 1 (Tavita Su’a) SLIDE 11
Wireframe Modelling
Ambiguous
or ?
Complex models are
difficult to interpret
INFORMATION SCIENCE INFO410 S2 2015 GEOMETRIC MODELLING 1 (Tavita Su’a) SLIDE 12
Surface Modelling
Developed in the end of the 1960s as the
extension of wireframe modelling.
Defines not only the edges, but also its
surfaces
Objects are defined by their bounding
faces
Surface model represents the skin of an
object, these skins have no thickness or
material type
INFORMATION SCIENCE INFO410 S2 2015 GEOMETRIC MODELLING 1 (Tavita Su’a) SLIDE 13
Surface Modelling
Can be used for both open and closed
surfaces
Renders model for better visualization
Can be used to design and analyse
complex surfaces (free-form)
Surface properties such as roughness and
colour can be assigned
INFORMATION SCIENCE INFO410 S2 2015 GEOMETRIC MODELLING 1 (Tavita Su’a) SLIDE 14
Solid Modelling
Introduced in the 1970s
A complete and unambiguous
representation of a precisely enclosed and
filled volume
Common Approaches:
Boundary Representation (B-Rep)
Constructive Solid Geometry (CSG)
Parametric Modelling
Spatial decomposition representations
Cell decomposition
Voxel representation
INFORMATION SCIENCE INFO410 S2 2015 GEOMETRIC MODELLING 1 (Tavita Su’a) SLIDE 15
Constructive Solid Geometry
Defines a model in terms of
combining basic and generated
solid shapes
Objects represented as a
combination of simpler solid
objects (primitives)
Uses Boolean operations to
construct a model
INFORMATION SCIENCE INFO410 S2 2015 GEOMETRIC MODELLING 1 (Tavita Su’a) SLIDE 16
CSG – Boolean Operations
Union Intersection
Subtract/Cut
INFORMATION SCIENCE INFO410 S2 2015 GEOMETRIC MODELLING 1 (Tavita Su’a) SLIDE 17
CSG Example
To Create this object:
Identify which primitives are required
Identify required Boolean operations
Record operations in a CSG tree
INFORMATION SCIENCE INFO410 S2 2015 GEOMETRIC MODELLING 1 (Tavita Su’a) SLIDE 18
Union
CSG Example
Cut
Cut
INFORMATION SCIENCE INFO410 S2 2015 GEOMETRIC MODELLING 1 (Tavita Su’a) SLIDE 19
CSG Continued
Data structure implies the geometric shape
Eg. Object is not defined by a set of edges or faces but by the
instruction: union primitive1 with primitive2
Procedural data is stored in a CSG tree
Simple and easy to manage
Can grow to be cumbersome for complex shapes
Non-uniqueness of solid models
databases can store different instructions to reconstruct the same
object
INFORMATION SCIENCE INFO410 S2 2015 GEOMETRIC MODELLING 1 (Tavita Su’a) SLIDE 20
Parametric Modelling Concept
Parametric is a term used to describe a dimension’s
ability to change the shape of model geometry if the
dimension value is modified.
Feature-based is a term used to describe the various
components of a model. For example, a part can
consists of various types of features such as holes,
grooves, fillets, and chamfers.
Parametric modelers are featured-based, parametric,
solid modeling design programs: SolidWorks, Pro-
Engineer, Unigraphics (CSG and parametric) etc.
INFORMATION SCIENCE INFO410 S2 2015 GEOMETRIC MODELLING 1 (Tavita Su’a) SLIDE 21
Potential Exam Questions
1. How is a CSG model defined, and how does it differ
from other solid modelling techniques?
2. What is the benefit of constructing a wireframe
model?
3. Why is parametric representation preferred over
implicit and explicit forms of a mathematical definition
in geometric modelling?
INFORMATION SCIENCE INFO410 S2 2015 GEOMETRIC MODELLING 1 (Tavita Su’a) SLIDE 22
Resources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geometric_modeling
http://www.engr.uvic.ca/~mech410/old/2_Lecture_Notes/5_Geometric_Modeling.pdfhttp://www.engr.uvic
.ca/~mech410/old/2_Lecture_Notes/5_Geometric_Modeling.pdf
http://graphics.cs.ucdavis.edu/~joy/GeometricModelingLectures/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IgOapAtauM
http://graphics.cs.ucdavis.edu/~joy/GeometricModelingLectures/
INFORMATION SCIENCE INFO410 S2 2015 GEOMETRIC MODELLING 1 (Tavita Su’a) SLIDE 23
References
http://www.epension.am/__vfs/__system_images/backgrounds/1.jpg
http://www.ewh.ieee.org/soc/es/Aug1996/030/cd/en495w03/subtopic/cad1.htm
http://www2.imm.dtu.dk/projects/MeshMed/gfx/heart_zhang.png
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Polygon_face.jpg
https://suburbanexperiment.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/box.jpg
http://enggcharts.org/category/COMP%20GRAPHIC.jpg
http://www1.eafit.edu.co/cadcamcae/warped_Marching_Cubes.png
http://designer.mech.yzu.edu.tw/articlesystem/article/compressedfile/(2010-11-
25)%20Solid%20modeling%20techniques%20and%20boundary%20representation.files/image008.gif
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e7/Necker_cube.svg/2000px-
Necker_cube.svg.png
http://www.esru.strath.ac.uk/Consultancy/Ex6_besancon/theatre_page/ESP_wire_frame.gif
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/Gaussian_curvature.PNG
http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n2iSagbexsg/maxresdefault.jpg
INFORMATION SCIENCE INFO410 S2 2015 GEOMETRIC MODELLING 1 (Tavita Su’a) SLIDE 24
