TY - JOUR T1 - Topology simplification for polygonal virtual environments JF - Visualization and Computer Graphics, IEEE Transactions on Y1 - 1998 A1 - El-Sana,J. A1 - Varshney, Amitabh KW - accessibility;intuitive KW - alpha;-shapes;L KW - approach;triangulations;unified KW - cube;L KW - datasets;polygonal KW - distance KW - environments;protuberance KW - framework;computational KW - geometry;topology;virtual KW - hierarchies;polygonal KW - infin; KW - meshes;polygonal KW - metric;genus KW - models;polygonal KW - notion;multiresolution KW - reality; KW - reductions;geometry KW - removal;topology KW - simplification;geometry KW - simplification;topology KW - simplifications;internal KW - simplifying KW - virtual AB - We present a topology simplifying approach that can be used for genus reductions, removal of protuberances, and repair of cracks in polygonal models in a unified framework. Our work is complementary to the existing work on geometry simplification of polygonal datasets and we demonstrate that using topology and geometry simplifications together yields superior multiresolution hierarchies than is possible by using either of them alone. Our approach can also address the important issue of repair of cracks in polygonal models, as well as for rapid identification and removal of protuberances based on internal accessibility in polygonal models. Our approach is based on identifying holes and cracks by extending the concept of alpha;-shapes to polygonal meshes under the L infin; distance metric. We then generate valid triangulations to fill them using the intuitive notion of sweeping an L infin; cube over the identified regions VL - 4 SN - 1077-2626 CP - 2 M3 - 10.1109/2945.694955 ER - TY - CONF T1 - Optimizing triangle strips for fast rendering T2 - Visualization '96. Proceedings. Y1 - 1996 A1 - Evans,F. A1 - Skiena,S. A1 - Varshney, Amitabh KW - buffer KW - data;triangulated KW - disciplines;rendering KW - model KW - models;polygonal KW - optimisation;triangulated KW - partitioning;queuing KW - rendering;graphics KW - sizes;fast KW - strip KW - subsystem;interactive KW - surfaces;data KW - times;scientific KW - triangulated KW - visualisation; KW - visualization;partially KW - visualization;triangle AB - Almost all scientific visualization involving surfaces is currently done via triangles. The speed at which such triangulated surfaces can be displayed is crucial to interactive visualization and is bounded by the rate at which triangulated data can be sent to the graphics subsystem for rendering. Partitioning polygonal models into triangle strips can significantly reduce rendering times over transmitting each triangle individually. We present new and efficient algorithms for constructing triangle strips from partially triangulated models, and experimental results showing these strips are on average 15% better than those from previous codes. Further, we study the impact of larger buffer sizes and various queuing disciplines on the effectiveness of triangle strips. JA - Visualization '96. Proceedings. M3 - 10.1109/VISUAL.1996.568125 ER -