Geometric algorithm for point projection and inversion onto Bézier surfaces

This paper presents an accurate and efficient method for the computation of both point projection and inversion onto Bézier surfaces. First, these two problems are formulated in terms of solution of a polynomial equation with u and v variables expressed in the Bernstein basis. Then, based on subdivision of the Bézier surface and the recursive quadtree decomposition, a novel solution method is proposed. The computation of point projection is shown to be equivalent to the geometrically intuitive intersection of a surface with the u-v plane. Finally, by comparing the distances between the test point and the candidate points, the closest point is found. Examples illustrate the feasibility of this method.