Generation of a 3D triangular surface mesh from digitized data

Computer modelling and simulation are increasingly used to replace or compliment physical prototypes during product design and development. Computer models, called virtual prototypes, can be used to create realistic images of potential products, complete with colour, texture, and lighting effects. For products which have not yet been computer modelled, a physical prototype can be digitized to acquire the object shape. Before colours and textures can be applied, the scattered digitized data must be approximated with a continuous mathematical surface. This paper presents a method for approximating three dimensional digitized data with a triangular mesh surface. The method requires three steps: data thinning, mesh generation, and mesh optimization.