Interactive cutting of 3D surface meshes

Engineers and scientists from many fields are using three-dimensional reconstruction for visualization and analysis of physical and abstract data. Beyond observing the recreated objects in artificial space, it is desirable to develop methods that allow one to interactively manipulate and alter the geometry in an intuitive and efficient manner. In the case of medical data, a baseline interactive task would be to simulate cutting, removal and realignment of tissue. In order to provide for operational realism, the underlying mathematical calculations and topological changes need to be invisible to the user so that the user feels as though they are performing the task just as they would on the real world counterpart of the reconstructed object. We have developed a method that allows the user to directly sketch the desired cut contour on a three-dimensional surface in a manner that simulates dragging scissors through fabric. This new method can be employed interactively, allowing the user to perform the task in an intuitive, natural manner. r 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.