Wire and column modeling

Wire and Column Modeling. (May 2004) Esan Mandal, B.Arch., Birla Institute of Technology Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Ergun Akleman The goal of this thesis is to introduce new methods to create intricate perforated shapes in a computing environment. Modeling shapes with a large number of holes and handles, while requiring minimal human interaction, is an unsolved research problem in computer graphics. In this thesis, we have developed two methods for interactively modeling such shapes. Both methods developed create perforated shapes by building a framework of tube like elements, such that each edge of a given mesh is replaced by a pipe. The first method calledWire modelingreplaces each edge with a pipethat has a square cross-section. The result looks like a shape that is created by a framework of matchsticks. The second method, calledColumn modelingallows more rounded cross-sections for the pipes. The cross-sections can be any uniform polygon, and the users are able to control the number of the segments in the cross-section. These methods are implemented as an extension to an existing modeling system guaranteeing that the pipesare connected and the resulting shape can be physically constructed. Our methods require an initial input mesh that can either be imported from a commercially available software package, or created directly in this modeling system. The system also allows the users to export the models in obj file format, so that the models can be animated and rendered in other software packages.