Surface reconstruction by multiaxial triangulation

Outlines for reconstructing object surfaces are traditionally drawn from sequential images in parallel planes. The method presented here instead supports complex object topologies by drawing contours from multiaxial image planes. Multiaxial triangulation of an object in a given data volume involves four steps. First, the user generates contours interactively by selecting sample planes inside the data volume, then drawing object contours from the image corresponding to this sample plane. Our algorithm for multiaxial triangulation then processes these contours to verify consistency within and between sample planes. Second, it uses the sample planes containing the contours to partition the data volume into a divided volume. The contours are partitioned against the plane boundaries, and the contour parts (chains) are associated with faces, edges, and vertices in the divided volume. Third, these chains are joined into closed loops in the divided volume. Fourth, the loops are triangulated patchwise to create the surface model