Method for creating single 3D surface model from a point cloud
A single surface representation is created from a cloud of points. Each point in the cloud of points is assigned three-dimensional spatial coordinates. The cloud of points is stored in a memory of a computer. Machine-executable instructions are provided for the computer that operate on the cloud of points. The instructions construct an initial triangle from the cloud of points. The instructions construct a multitude of adjacent triangles forming a single continuous surface representing the object. The triangles comprise planar surfaces having three vertices. The vertices of the adjacent triangles comprise the three points forming the initial triangle and a multitude of other points. Except for the initial two points, the points forming the triangles are each computed as a weighted average of a set of nearby points in the cloud of points that satisfy selection criteria. The resulting vertex also has to satisfy one or more selection criteria. The final weighted average surface representation requires much less data to represent the object surface than the initial point cloud.
1. A method of creating a surface representation of a three-dimensional object from a cloud of points, each point having three-dimensional spatial coordinates, comprising the steps of:
a) storing the cloud of points in a memory of a computer;
b) storing, in the memory of the computer, a list of points comprising the cloud of points;
c) storing, in the memory of the computer, a list of open edges, said open edges comprising a line segment joining two points in which the line segment is not a common edge of two adjacent triangle constructed from the cloud of points; and
d) providing machine executable instructions for said computer that operate on said cloud of points, said instructions:
1) constructing an initial open edge from points in the cloud of points;
2) constructing a triangle forming a portion of said surface representation from the open edge using predetermined rules for generating triangles forming said surface representation;
3) adjusting the list of open edges in view of the construction of said triangle;
4) checking to see if the are open edges that not been tried yet to form a triangle forming a portion of said surface representation, and if so repeating steps 2) and 3);
5) as steps 2), 3) and 4) execute, adjusting the list of points by deleting points in the list of points that are used to generate vertices of triangles in step 2); and
6) repeatedly iterating steps 2), 3), 4) and 5) until all open edges have been attempted to generate triangles in accordance with said predetermined rules for generating triangles and all remaining points in the list of points have been attempted to generate a vertex of a new triangle in accordance within predetermine rules for generating vertices of triangles forming said surface.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cloud of points are obtained from a scan of a three-dimensional object with a scanner.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cloud of points comprises a cumulative registration model comprising a set of frames registered to each other, each frame comprising a set of points representing a portion of the object.