3d objects morphing employing skeletons indicating symmetric differences

Abstract

The present invention provides a unified, automated approach to 3D object interpolation and 3D morphing based on a geometric descriptor known as the skeleton. The skeleton of an object consists of the closure of the set of points minimally equidistant from two points on the object's boundary. An 'intermediate 3D object' between a pair of two other 3D objects is obtained as the (trimmed) skeleton of the symmetric difference of the pair of objects. By applying this process recursively, any desired number of intermediate 3D objects between a first and a last object may be obtained to produce a discrete 3D morph. A discrete morph can be thought of as an animation starting from the initial object and ending with the final object after a given number of the intermediate objects. Alternatively, the skeleton is used to identify corresponding points on the surfaces of the objects. Interpolation between the location of the corresponding points is then used to determine a continuum of intermediate 3D objects.