Building 3D Shapes from Parts

The research described in this thesis has focused on the composition of novel 3D shapes (e.g., depth maps and triangulated meshes) by reusing parts of existing shapes. Specifically, two methods were designed [28, 27]. The first is a novel tool for easy composition of existing 3D models (i.e., triangulated meshes) into novel models [28]. This tool was designed with the intention of providing a means for rapid modelling by 3D graphics artists. This tool was further shown to have an interface which is simple enough to be automated, to a large extent, for various modelling tasks beyond composition. These tasks include repairing 3D models and filling-in parts of their surfaces. The simplicity of its interface has consequently prompted research into ways of fully automating shape composition from parts. In particular, the second outcome of this research is a method which automatically fuses depth patches from example objects, to produce a depth estimate for a novel object viewed in a single image [27]. A by-product of this reconstruction method, was the development of a system for automatic colorization of depth maps [26], which shares much of its design with the reconstruction procedure. This thesis describes these three methods, and presents related, ongoing and planned research.