Abstract

Surface meshing algorithms require certain relationships among the number of intervals on the curves that bound the surface. Assigning the number of intervals to all of the curves in the model such that all relationships are satisfied is called interval assignment. Volume meshing algorithms also require certain relationships among the numbers of intervals on each of the curves on the volume. These relationships are not always captured by surface meshing requirements. This thesis presents a news technique for automatically identifying volume constraints. In this technique, volume constraints are grouped with surface constraints and are solved simultaneously. A sweepable volume has source, target and linking surfaces. The technique described in this thesis uses graph algorithms to identify independent, parallel sets of linking surfaces, and determine if they correspond to through-holes or blind-holes. For blind-holes, the algorithm generates constraints that prevent the hole from being too deep in interval parameter space and, thus, penetrating opposite target surfaces. For each linking set, the adjoining source and target surfaces are partially ordered by the structure of the linking set. A small set of representative paths for each linking set is found, and the representative paths for all linking sets are gathered and distilled by Gaussian elimination into a small set of constraints.

Degree

College and Department

Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering and Technology; Civil and Environmental Engineering

Rights

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