Highlight-line algorithm for realtime surface-quality assessment

A new method of surface-quality assessment is presented. The model of highlight lines is introduced, and its properties and applications in surface-quality evaluation are demonstrated. The differential equation of the highlight-line model is derived, and the difficulty involved in seeking its analytical solutions is discussed. Alternatively, the creation of highlight lines is formulated as a surface-plane intersection problem, and solved using surface-contouring techniques. A fast highlight-line algorithm is developed utilizing an efficient traced contouring technique. The algorithm is robust, fully automatic, and, therefore, well suited for realtime quality-assessment tasks.