Quadric-Based Polygonal Surface Simplification

Many applications in computer graphics and related fields can benefit from automatic simplification of complex polygonal surface models. Applications are often confronted with either very densely over-sampled surfaces or models too complex for the limited available hardware capacity. An effective algorithm for rapidly producing high-quality approximations of the original model is a valuable tool for managing data complexity. In this dissertation, I present my simplification algorithm, based on iterative vertex pair contraction. This technique provides an effective compromise between the fastest algorithms, which often produce poor quality results, and the highest-quality algorithms, which are generally very slow. For example, a 1000 face approximation of a 100,000 face model can be produced in about 10 seconds on a PentiumPro 200. The algorithm can simplify both the geometry and topology of manifold as well as non-manifold surfaces. In addition to producing single approximations, my algorithm can also be used to generate multiresolution representations such as progressive meshes and vertex hierarchies for view-dependent refinement. The foundation of my simplification algorithm, is the quadric error metric which I have developed. It provides a useful and economical characterization of local surface shape, and I have proven a direct mathematical connection between the quadric metric and surface curvature. A generalized form of this metric can accommodate surfaces with material properties, such as RGB color or texture coordinates. I have also developed a closely related technique for constructing a hierarchy of well-defined surface regions composed of disjoint sets of faces. This algorithm involves applying a dual form of my simplification algorithm to the dual graph of the input surface. The resulting structure is a hierarchy of face clusters which is an effective multiresolution representation for applications such as radiosity.