GPU-Accelerated Real-Time Mesh Simplification Using Parallel Half Edge Collapses

Mesh simplification is often used to create an approximation of a model that requires less processing time. We present the results of our approach to simplification, the parallel half edge collapse. Based on the half edge collapse that replaces an edge with one of its endpoints, we have devised a simplification method that allows the execution of half edge collapses on multiple vertex pairs of a mesh in parallel, using a set of per-vertex boundaries to avoid topological inconsistencies or mesh foldovers. This approach enables us to remove up to several thousand vertices of a mesh in parallel, depending on the model and mesh topology. We have developed an implementation that allows to exploit the parallel capabilities of modern graphics processors, enabling us to compute a view-dependent simplification of triangle meshes in real-time.