Edge-based identification of DP-features on free-form solids

Numerous applications in mechanical CAD/CAM need robust algorithms for the identification of protrusion and depression features (DP-features) on geometric models with free-form (B-spline) surfaces. This paper reports a partitioning algorithm that first identifies the boundary edges of DP-features and then creates a surface patch to cover the depressions or isolate the protrusions. The novelty of the method lies in the use of tangent continuity between edge segments to identify DP-feature boundaries that cross multiple faces and geometries.