Block Cartesian abstraction of a geometric model and its application in hexahedral mesh generation

In this work, a fuzzy logic approach is proposed to transform a geometric model of arbitrary shape to its block Cartesian abstraction. This abstraction is topologically similar to the original model and it contains geometric sub-entities which are all aligned in the Cartesian directions. This is achieved by calculating the modifications made to the face normal vectors as a result of the influences of the adjacent faces. A fuzzy logic inference engine is developed by combining heuristics to emulate the local changes in face normal vectors with respect to the changes in the global space. A three-dimensional field morphing algorithm is used to position the features of this block Cartesian abstraction so that a congruent geometric model can be reconstructed. Such a model is useful for the generation of structured quadrilateral boundary element meshes or structured hexahedral meshes based on grid-based meshing method, mesh mapping or sweeping. This approach is also able to overcome the traditional problem of having poorly shaped elements at the boundary using the grid-based method of mesh generation. As the topology of the block Cartesian abstraction is congruent to the original model, the mesh can be mapped back to the original model by employing an inverse operation of the transformation.     

Adaptive generation of hexahedral element mesh using an improved grid-based method

An improved grid-based algorithm for the adaptive generation of hexahedral finite element mesh is presented in this paper. It is named as the inside-out grid-based method and involves the following four steps. The first step is the generation of an initial grid structure which envelopes the analyzed solid model completely. And the elements size and density maps are constructed based on the surface curvature and local thickness of the solid model. Secondly, the core mesh is generated through removing all the undesired elements using even and odd parity rules. The third step is to magnify the core mesh in an inside-out manner through a surface node projection process using the closest position approach. To match the mesh to the characteristic boundary of the solid model, a minimal Scaled Jacobian criterion is employed. Finally, in order to handle the degenerated elements and improve the quality of the resulting mesh, two comprehensive techniques are employed: the insertion technique and collapsing technique. The present method was applied in the mesh construction of different engineering problems. Scaled Jacobian and Skew metrics are used to evaluate the hexahedral element mesh quality. The application results show that all-hexahedral element meshes which are well-shaped and capture all the geometric features of the original solid models can be generated using the inside-out grid-based method presented in this paper.     

Automatic hexahedral mesh generation for multi-domain composite models using a hybrid projective grid-based method

This paper presents an algorithm to generate an all-hexahedral mesh of a multi-domain solid model using a hybrid grid-based approach. This is based on a projective concept during the boundary adaptation of the initial mesh. In general, the algorithm involves the generation of a grid structure, which is superimposed on the solid model. This grid structure forms an initial mesh consisting of hexahedral elements, which intersect fully or partially with the solid model. This initial mesh is then shrunk in an outside-in manner to the faces of the model through a node projection process using the closest position approach. To match the resulting mesh to the edges of the model, a minimal deformation angle method is used. Finally, to match the vertices with the nodes on the mesh, a minimal warp angle method is employed. To create the mesh of a multi-domain solid model, an outside-in and inside-in hybrid of the grid-based method is used. This hybrid method ensures that the meshes of the different domains are conforming at their common boundary. This paper also describes two methods for resolving cases of degenerate elements: a splitting technique and a wedge insertion technique.     

As-rigid-as-possible mesh deformation and its application in hexahedral mesh generation

This paper presents an efficient and stable as-rigid-as-possible mesh deformation algorithm for planar shape deformation and hexahedral mesh generation. The deformation algorithm aims to preserve two local geometric properties: scale-invariant intrinsic variables and elastic deformation energy, which are together represented in a quadric energy function. To preserve these properties, the position of each vertex is further adjusted by iteratively minimizing this quadric energy function to meet the position constraint of the controlling points. Experimental results show that the deformation algorithm is efficient, and can obtain physically plausible results, which have the same topology structure with the original mesh. Such a mesh deformation method is useful to project the source surface mesh onto the target surfaces in hexahedral mesh generation based on sweep method, and application results show that the proposed method is feasible to mesh projection not only between similar surface contours but also dissimilar surface contours.     

Hexahedral mesh smoothing via local element regularization and global mesh optimization

The quality of finite element meshes is one of the key factors that affect the accuracy and reliability of finite element analysis results. In order to improve the quality of hexahedral meshes, we present a novel hexahedral mesh smoothing algorithm which combines a local regularization for each hexahedral mesh, using dual element based geometric transformation, with a global optimization operator for all hexahedral meshes. The global optimization operator is composed of three main terms, including the volumetric Laplacian operator of hexahedral meshes and the geometric constraints of surface meshes which keep the volumetric details and the surface details, and another is the transformed node displacements condition which maintains the regularity of all elements. The global optimization operator is formulated as a quadratic optimization problem, which is easily solved by solving a sparse linear system. Several experimental results are presented to demonstrate that our method obtains higher quality results than other state-of-the-art approaches.     

一种基于逻辑栅格的网格自动生成算法

针对基于栅格法对表面变动较大的模型进行网格划分适应性差的问题,提出一种基于逻辑栅格的六面体网格自动生成算法。该算法对基于栅格法的思想进行改进,避开一次生成模型初始栅格,将模型离散为一系列截面,对相邻截面采用矢量求交方法形成一对截面的初始栅格,修正初始栅格形成两截面之间的一层网格,形成整体模型。采用改进的栅格法进行复杂地形拱坝坝肩块体网格自动生成,取得较好的效果,结果证明改进的栅格法对复杂地形适应性强,模型表面变动较大时能自动进行网格退化。     

基于坐标变换的图形自适应排列算法

为了解决基于网格技术的图形排列算法在处理可变尺寸图形排列问题上的局限性,基于几何变换思想,建立了有界平面上图形自适应排列的数学模型,并证明了其正确性,进而提出了基于坐标变换的图形自适应排列算法。此算法用图形平移变换方式代替网格划分方法在有界视图上部署图形元素,其时间复杂性为O(N)。最后将所获得的算法应用到面向中央空调节能控制的软PLC系统上,基于9类指令图形、3类测试案例的测试结果表明：本文算法能以较低的CPU占用率实现图形有序排列的效果,具有较高的运行速率与稳定性。     

Automatic mesh generation and modification techniques for mixed quadrilateral and hexahedral element meshes of non-manifold models

A typical geometric model usually consists of both solid sections and thin-walled sections. Through using a suitable dimensional reduction algorithm, the model can be reduced to a non-manifold model consisting of solid portions and two-dimensional portions which represent the mid-surfaces of the thin-walled sections. It is desirable to mesh the solid entities using three-dimensional elements and the surface entities using two-dimensional elements. This paper proposes a robust scheme to automatically generate such a mesh of mixed two-dimensional and three-dimensional elements. It also ensures that the mesh is conforming at the interface of the non-manifold geometries. Different classes of problems are identified and their corresponding solutions are presented.     

基于空间矢量变换的模型约束变形

基于空间矢量线性变换知识,提出了一种新的多边形网格模型变形方法。在三维模型空间选择一点作为约束源,并设置此约束源的影响半径。通过计算约束源与三维模型网格面片顶点之间的距离来确定待变形局部顶点区域。把空间矢量的线性变换应用到网格面片顶点变形所需的向量函数,依此函数直接精确地计算出网格面片顶点的新位置,从而实现模型的变形。通过对算法原理的进一步分析扩展了该变形方法的应用范围。     

A processor-time-minimal systolic array for cubical mesh algorithms

Using a directed acyclic graph (DAG) model of algorithms, the paper focuses on time-minimal multiprocessor schedules that use as few processors as possible. Such a processor-time-minimal scheduling of an algorithm's DAG first is illustrated using a triangular shaped 2-D directed mesh (representing, for example, an algorithm for solving a triangular system of linear equations). Then, algorithms represented by an n×n×n directed mesh are investigated. This cubical directed mesh is fundamental; it represents the standard algorithm for computing matrix product as well as many other algorithms. Completion of the cubical mesh required 3n-2 steps. It is shown that the number of processing elements needed to achieve this time bound is at least [3n^2/4]. A systolic array for the cubical directed mesh is then presented. It completes the mesh using the minimum number of steps and exactly [3n ^2/4] processing elements it is processor-time-minimal. The systolic array's topology is that of a hexagonally shaped, cylindrically connected, 2-D directed mesh     

A two-dimensional paving mesh generator for triangles with controllable aspect ratio and quadrilaterals with high quality

Certain classes of problems result in solution fields of which the characteristic length scales vary with the orientation. Often the orientation of these length scales is related to the orientation of the boundaries. Such solution fields can be captured by the finite element method, using a mesh that is refined in the direction of the short length scales and coarse in the other directions. These meshes contain elements with high aspect ratios in a predefined pattern.The mesh generator presented here can render triangles with high aspect ratios through a paving algorithm. The paving algorithm that is employed applies both triangles and quadrilaterals, combining the advantages of both to render a qualitatively good, oriented triangular mesh, with a concentration of elements in the direction where the internal length scales of the solution field are the shortest.The mesh generator produces triangles with one (almost) orthogonal corner. When low aspect ratio triangles are generated, these are well suited for conversion to quadrilateral elements. Test results indicate that quadrilateral meshes converted from the mesh generator introduced here have a considerably better quality than those converted from several other triangular mesh generators.     

一种DCT变换的三维网格物体盲水印方法

提出了一种基于DCT变换的3D网格物体鲁棒性盲水印方案。首先将3D物体模型转换到仿射不变空间,抽取三维物体重心到顶点的距离生成一个一维的离散信号,将该离散信号进行DCT变换,改变其系数以嵌入水印。然后经过逆DCT变换生成带水印的3D物体模型。在仿射不变空间下,实现了3D物体模型对平移、旋转、比例变换的鲁棒性,采用DCT变换使3D模型具有很强的水印不可见性,而且具有一定的噪声鲁棒性。试验结果也表明该方法不仅对于旋转、平移、比例变换具有很强的鲁棒性,而且具有良好的水印不可见性。     

The geometric element transformation method for mixed mesh smoothing

The geometric element transformation method (GETMe) is a geometry-based smoothing method for mixed and non-mixed meshes. It is based on a simple geometric transformation applicable to elements bounded by polygons with an arbitrary number of nodes. The transformation, if applied iteratively, leads to a regularization of the polygons. Global mesh smoothing is accomplished by averaging the new node positions obtained by local element transformations. Thereby, the choice of transformation parameters as well as averaging weights can be based on the element quality which leads to high quality results. In this paper, a concept of an enhanced transformation approach is presented and a proof for the regularizing effect of the transformation based on eigenpolygons is given. Numerical examples confirm that the GETMe approach leads to superior mesh quality if compared to other geometry-based methods. In terms of quality it can even compete with optimization-based techniques, despite being conceptually significantly simpler.     

An approach to automated decomposition of volumetric mesh

Mesh decomposition is critical for analyzing, understanding, editing and reusing of mesh models. Although there are many methods for mesh decomposition, most utilize only triangular meshes. In this paper, we present an automated method for decomposing a volumetric mesh into semantic components. Our method consists of three parts. First, the outer surface mesh of the volumetric mesh is decomposed into semantic features by applying existing surface mesh segmentation and feature recognition techniques. Then, for each recognized feature, its outer boundary lines are identified, and the corresponding splitter element groups are setup accordingly. The inner volumetric elements of the feature are then obtained based on the established splitter element groups. Finally, each splitter element group is decomposed into two parts using the graph cut algorithm; each group completely belongs to one feature adjacent to the splitter element group. In our graph cut algorithm, the weights of the edges in the dual graph are calculated based on the electric field, which is generated using the vertices of the boundary lines of the features. Experiments on both tetrahedral and hexahedral meshes demonstrate the effectiveness of our method.     

基于特征跟踪和网格路径运动的视频稳像算法

针对手持移动设备拍摄的抖动视频问题,提出了一种基于特征跟踪和网格路径运动的视频稳像算法。通过SIFT算法提取视频帧的特征点,采用KLT算法追踪特征点,利用RANSAC算法估计相邻帧间的仿射变换矩阵,将视频帧划分为均匀的网格,计算视频的运动轨迹,再通过极小化能量函数优化平滑多条网格路径。最后由原相机路径与平滑相机路径的关系,计算相邻帧间的补偿矩阵,利用补偿矩阵对每一帧进行几何变换,从而得到稳定的视频。实验表明,该算法在手持移动设备拍摄的抖动视频中有较好的结果,其中稳像后视频的PSNR平均值相比原抖动视频PSNR值大约提升了11.2 dB。与捆绑相机路径方法相比约提升了2.3 dB。图像间的结构相似性SSIM平均值大约提升了59%,与捆绑相机路径方法相比约提升了3.3%。     

Finite element mesh generation

The capabilities of a geometric modeller are extended towards finite element analysis by a mesh generator which extracts all its geometric and topological information from the model. A coarse mesh is created and subsequently refined to a suitable finite element mesh, which accomodates material properties, loadcase and analysis requirements. The mesh may be optimized by adaptive refinement, ie according to estimates of the discretization errors.A survey of research and development in geometric modelling and finite element analysis is presented, then an implementation of a mesh generator for 3D curvilinear and solid objects is described in detail.     

The receding front method applied to hexahedral mesh generation of exterior domains

Two of the most successful methods to generate unstructured hexahedral meshes are the grid-based methods and the advancing front methods. On the one hand, the grid-based methods generate high-quality hexahedra in the inner part of the domain using an inside–outside approach. On the other hand, advancing front methods generate high-quality hexahedra near the boundary using an outside–inside approach. To combine the advantages of both methodologies, we extend the receding front method: an inside–outside mesh generation approach by means of a reversed advancing front. We apply this approach to generate unstructured hexahedral meshes of exterior domains. To reproduce the shape of the boundaries, we first pre-compute the mesh fronts by combining two solutions of the Eikonal equation on a tetrahedral reference mesh. Then, to generate high-quality elements, we expand the quadrilateral surface mesh of the inner body towards the unmeshed external boundary using the pre-computed fronts as a guide.     

Feature suppression based CAD mesh model simplification

Dynamic simulation and high quality FEA mesh generation need the CAD mesh model to be simplified, that is, suppressing the detailed features on the mesh without any changes to the rest. However, the traditional mesh simplification methods for graphical models can not satisfy the requirements of CAD mesh simplification. In this paper, we develop a feature suppression based CAD mesh model simplification framework. First, the CAD mesh model is segmented by an improved watershed segmentation algorithm, constructing the region-level representation required by feature recognition. Second, the form features needing to be suppressed are extracted using a feature recognition method with user defined feature facility based on the region-level representation, establishing the feature-level representation. Third, every recognized feature is suppressed using the most suitable one of the three methods, i.e. planar Delaunay triangulation, Poisson equation based method, and the method for blend features, thus simplifying the CAD mesh model. Our method provides an effective way to make CAD mesh model simplification meet the requirements of engineering applications. Several experimental results are presented to show the superiority and effectivity of our approach.     

Multilevel mesh simplification

The goal of a multilevel simplification method is to produce different levels of refinement of a mesh, reducing the resolution (total number of faces), while preserving the original topology and a good approximation to the original geometry. A new approach to simplification based on the evolution of surfaces under p-Laplacian flow is presented. Such an evolution provides a natural geometric clustering process where the spatial effect of the p-Laplacian allows for identifying suitable regions that need to be simplified. The concrete scheme is a multiresolution framework composed, at each simplification level, of a spatial clustering diffusion flow to determine the potential candidates for deletion, followed by an incremental decimation process to update the mesh vertex locations in order to decrease the overall resolution. Numerical results show the effectiveness of our strategy in multilevel simplification of different models with different complexities, in particular for models characterized by sharp features and flat parts.