Surface triangulation


Triangulation of a surface means
This article describes the generation of a net of triangles. In literature there are contributions which deal with the optimization of a given net.
Surface triangulations are important for
The triangulation of a parametrically defined surface is simply achieved by triangulating the area of definition. However, the triangles may vary in shape and extension in object space, posing a potential drawback. This can be minimized through adaptive methods that consider step width while triangulating the parameter area.
To triangulate an implicit surface is more difficult.
There exist essentially two methods.
The cutting cube algorithm determines, at the same time, all components of the surface within the surrounding starting cube depending on prescribed limit parameters. An advantage of the marching method is the possibility to prescribe boundaries.
Polygonizing a surface means to generate a polygon mesh.
The triangulation of a surface should not be confused with the triangulation of a discrete prescribed plane set of points. See Delaunay triangulation.

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