A shape deformation tool to model character lines in the early design phases

This paper addresses the designers' work and in particular the way they express an object shape through character lines. Based on this concept, a deformation feature is presented. The proposed approach includes curvilinear constraints to match the designer's requirements and techniques for the quality and accuracy of the produced model. This method is applied to B-spline surfaces coupled with a mechanical model of a bar network; geometric constraints are automatically and adaptively added to monitor and control the deformation process. A few examples show the results obtained by this deformation feature with the help of curvature maps, used to analyze the influence of the constraints and the resulting quality.