Method for interactively modeling graphical objects

摘要

A method generates a representation of a graphic object in a memory. A surface of the object is partitioned into a plurality of cells having a grid resolution related to an image plane resolution. A single zero-dimensional surface element is stored in the memory for each cell located on the surface of the object. A subset of the surface elements are selected as primary surface elements. The unselected surface elements are identified as secondary surface elements. Adjacent primary surface elements are connected by links. Primary attributes of the portion of the object contained in a particular cell are assigned to the associated primary surface element and the links of the associated primary surface element. The unselected surface elements are partitioned into groups, there being one group for each primary surface element, and secondary attributes of the portion of the object contained in a particular cell are assigned to the associated secondary surface elements. <IMAGE>