Generalized Distance Metrics in Implicit Surface Modelling

Implicit surfaces are often designed through the definition and addition of offset surfaces. These are typically defined using a skeleton of primitives such as points and lines. A predefined offset from the skeleton determines the surface. Implied in this commonly used technique is the computation of the distance from the skeleton. It is natural to use the Euclidean definition of distance. In this paper we discuss previous and recent work that takes advantage of alternate definitions of distance to achieve shapes that have previously been difficult to attain.