A minimum bounding box algorithm and its application to rapid prototyping

This paper describes a method for determining the minimum bounding box of an arbitrary solid. The method simplifies the complex three-dimensional problem by projecting the solid onto the three principal planes and makes use of the projected contours for analysis. The orientations of the contours are determined by rotating them within a specific angle range. These orientations are then used to approximate the orientation of the solid so that its bounding box volume is minimised.