Curve-skeleton applications

Curve-skeletons are a 1D subset of the medial surface of a 3D object and are useful for many visualization tasks including virtual navigation, reduced-model formulation, visualization improvement, mesh repair, animation, etc. There are many algorithms in the literature describing extraction methodologies for different applications; however, it is unclear how general and robust they are. In this paper, we provide an overview of many curve-skeleton applications and compile a set of desired properties of such representations. We also give a taxonomy of methods and analyze the advantages and drawbacks of each class of algorithms.

1 Introduction

3D models are common in many disciplines ranging from computer aided design, medical imaging, computer graphics, scientific visualization, computational fluid dynamics, and remote sensing. While the 3D representation is invaluable, many applications require alternate “compact” representations of these models. One such representation is a line-like or stick-like 1D representation which is sometimes referred to as a “skeletal representation” or “curve-skeleton” [84]. This is different from the skeletal-surface representation (medial surface). This type of representation captures the essential topology of the underlying object in an easy to understand and very compact form. Examples of applications which use a curve-skeleton include virtual navigation, registration, animation, morphing, scientific analysis, recognition, and retrieval.