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Konrad Polthier Processing – Discrete Geometry for Virtual Worlds

Konrad Polthier is professor of mathematics at Freie Universität Berlin and the DFG research center MATHEON, and member of the Berlin Mathematical School.

Geometry Processing – Discrete Geometry for Virtual Worlds

Figure 1 Automatically generated global quadrilateral parametrizations of triangle meshes

Digitizing our 3D world with the same ease, speed tion. Novel acquisition technologies such as 3D and perfection as taking a digital photograph is laser scanning and tracking, computer tomogra- becoming a key necessity in our daily life. phy, and magnetic resonance imaging have Computer aided design, medical analysis, reached a high degree of perfection and provide archeology, animation industry, fashion design, an instant availability of high quality 3D digital and e-commerce are just a few of the many data. Geometry processing researches the whole industrial applications of digital 3D . pipeline including data acquisition, e new research  eld geometry processing is noise removal, reconstruction, structural dedicated to the acquisition, analysis, manipula- segmentation, optimization, or model tion, reconstruction and simulation of digital compression. In this sense, geometry processing geometries. It interacts with discrete and di eren- takes image processing to 3D. tial geometry, and numerical mathematics. Discrete Diff erential Geometry e basic building blocks of digital geometries are points, triangles, Digital 3D Models During the past decade we have tetrahedra and other primitive entities. Mathemat- seen a revolution in 2D image acquisition ically, digital models are o en described as technologies. e advent of digital cameras in the simplicial complexes or cell complexes in the consumer market has completely changed the language of algebraic , or as  nite element photo industry: new image acquisition devices, meshes in the language of numerical mathematics, new image storage formats, new processing or arise as stochastic geometries. e discrete so ware. Beside hardware developments, the main and o en non-di erentiable nature prevents a changes in photography are driven by the advances direct application of classic di erential geometric in processing technology. Novel methods. Discrete di erential geometry is a novel like image compression or  ltering research  eld providing a mathematical frame- techniques such as noise reduction or red eye work that extends classic di erential geometry to removal were among the key advances to make polyhedral meshes and other non-di erentiable digital imaging a consumer product and create . For example, it develops a completely new industry. operators for non-di erentiable simplicial surfaces Now we are stepping from 2D images into the which fully rely on the sole information of the world of 3D geometries, and see a similar revolu- discrete model, i.e. no approximation with smoother shapes is needed. A major goal of discrete geometry is the  nding of new geometric invariants which are kept during geometry processing applications, and thereby reduce approximation errors.

Discrete di erential geometry comes in di erent  avors, from piecewise linear and polynomial techniques with close contact to  nite element techniques, to circle packings, or even point set models with contact to stochastic geometry.

Reverse Engineering Many of the most active and fruitful ongoing research activities in geometry processing are lined up along the reverse engineer- ing pipeline which aims at the automatic digitiza- tion of physical shapes into optimal virtual models. Sampling and digitization, meshing and noise removal, segmentation and feature extrac- covered with dust, but more and more are being Figure 2 Anisotropic smoothing with feature preservation of a noisy tion, mesh compression, numerical simulations, exhibited again. As a continuation of Klein’s vision CAD model based on a discrete shape and manufacturing planning are key research we founded the electronic journal EG-Models operator with smallest support issues. Discrete di erential geometry plays a www.eg-models.de for the publication of digital Images: B. Wannenmacher, F. Kälberer, central role in the discovery and formalization geometry models for research and education. Its M. Nieser, K. Hildebrandt, B. Janzen of the invariants of discrete geometries including submissions are peer-reviewed and listed in dynamic shapes and physical properties. Zentralblatt. A similar database maintained by the aim@shape project at dsw.aimatshape.net Virtual 3D Worlds At least since the recent hype showcases well-known benchmark models for about the online world Second Life, everyone can geometry processing. imagine the potential of immersive 3D worlds. Countries may have virtual embassies, companies MESH – the fi lm Although discrete geometry is a trade virtual products through virtual o ces, and new fascinating research topic – it has been individuals own virtual real-estate – just as in real around for years, and its origins date back to the life. Besides arti cial worlds, numerous activities mathematics in ancient Greece. Plato, who lends aim at 3D digital versions of basically all shapes his name to the  ve regular Platonic solids, seen in our real world. From consumer products considered the world as being entirely built out of to architectural buildings, from humans, animal triangles. In his treatise Timaeus Plato considered and plants to natural landscapes,  nally realistic the  ve regular solids, the cube, the tetrahedron, digitial models of all 3D shapes are needed, the octahedron, the icosahedron and the dode- possibly as dynamic shapes with physical proper- cahedron as the fundamental elements of nature: ties. ese applications and the ever increasing earth,  re, air, water and the universe, quintes- richness of detail generate an enormous challenge sence. He reasoned, when each element can for the development of most e ective data be constructed from triangles then everything in structures, network capacities and algorithms for existence must be based on triangles. We may numerical simulations. smile about Plato’s ideas but when looking at computer graphics and numerical mathematics we Digital Shape Repositories in again see our world as being entirely built out of Figure 3 Scene on Plato’s Timaeus from geometry started long before the advent of triangles and other  nite elements. e interna- video MESH computer technologies. In the 19th century Felix tionally awarded video MESH www.mesh-fi lm.de Klein together with Hermann Amandus Schwarz (joint with Beau Janzen) is an entertaining journey pushed the development of plaster models through discrete geometry from Plato and Euclid of important geometric shapes for educational via Kepler, Newton and Leibniz to modern real- purposes. One of their producers, Martin world applications. Schilling, sold plaster models world wide, from Göttingen, to Tokyo, to Urbana-Champaign (the Challenge e scienti c depth and diversity of largest collection I have seen outside of Germany). problems in geometry processing provide an Klein showcased a collection of mathematical excellent chance for new interdisciplinary models at the World’s Columbian Exposition 1893 mathematical research collaborations and for new in Chicago. Nowadays many plaster models are cooperations with a variety of industrial partners.