COMP 438/6381 - Geometric Modeling

All courses we offer have a syllabus and a course outline that is meant to provide information related to what you learn, but less so about why you learn it or what is the connection between the topics and our daily life. This is why, I model my courses as a story and this one has 5 chapters.

Chapter 1

Everything around us has a shape, but what is it shape exactly? And mor4e importantly how do we model it on a computer? The modeling pipeline and the tools associated with it is what users (i.e. engineers, artists, etc.) use to create (i.e. design and manufacture) 3D objects. This chapter provides a high-level view of the geometric pipeline starting with surface representations for different applications, associate data structures and the types of tools that the user might need to create, design and manufacture 3D shapes.

Chapter 2

In computer graphics, unlike other computer science subjects, it is critically to keep the human in control. Our goal is to provide tools that enable user to create without worrying about the underlying technical details. In other words, we want to maximize the creativity of the user while minimizing his work. This is more challenging than it sounds. We will go over user-centric modeling tools such as splines, subdivision surfaces, sketch-based modeling, constructive solid geometry, sculpting and deformation, text-based 3D modeling.

Chapter 3

Art imitates life. In many cases we need to capture the shape around us for many modeling purposes: repair a damaged bone using 3D printing, capturing 3D shapes of abnormalities such as tumor, capturing bodies and faces to name a few. This chapter will focus on geometric acquisition: 3D surface acquisition (3D scanning, Multiview-stereo, monocular reconstruction, volumetric acquisition, medical acquisition.

Chapter 4

Deep modeling / data-driven modeling. Intuitively, if we have access to many objects of the same type, we might be able to generate new ones using the existing ones as examples. These types of generative models have had an enormous success in the age of deep learning. In this chapter we will start with a brief intro in neural networks followed by how they are applied to several modeling problems. We will look at some examples such as body and face modeling.

Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5. Forms follows function. Many of the things we create must be manufactured and once manufactured they must have some physical properties. These three stages (design, manufacturing, and testing) have been generally decoupled creating a very rigid and expensive manufacturing pipeline. Previously, the design team created the objects, tested them using simulations or small mock-ups and the manufacturing team is trying to figure out how to make them efficiently making sure they retain the physical properties from the specifications. This is a particular challenge in industries with very long manufacturing pipelines such as aeronautic and automotive industries. In the last 2 decades the trend is shifting towards an integrated design, testing, and manufacturing stages that allows for flexibility and customizability of the manufacturing pipeline. What are the extra challenges in modeling for manufacturing and what tools we can offer. I will show examples in cloth modeling, architecture modeling (developable surfaces) and wing and sail design.