Geometry processing (COMP 5115F) - Fall 2021
Outline
The course covers concepts, representations, and algorithms for analyzing and processing 3D geometric models. We will discuss the geometry processing pipeline that starts with the acquisition of geometric models (e.g., with laser scanning or stereo imaging) and goes all the way to the fabrication (3D printing) of the models. More specifically, we will discuss the tasks of acquisition, reconstruction, analysis, manipulation, editing, and fabrication of complex 3D models, and representations such as triangle meshes and implicit functions. The techniques covered have applications in computer graphics, engineering, medical imaging, and many other areas, while the field is still the subject of much active work and presents opportunities for future research.
Topics
- Surface representations and mesh data structures
- Registration and surface reconstruction
- Mesh smoothing and fairing
- Mesh simplification and compression
- Parameterization
- Mesh editing and deformation
- Shape analysis
- 3D printing and fabrication
Learning outcomes
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Summarize the main problems and solution methods in the field of geometry processing.
- Identify the most suitable techniques to address specific problems in geometry processing.
- Implement algorithms for processing of polygonal meshes and apply them to specific datasets.
Pre-requisites
Experience with computer programming, familiarity with linear algebra (vectors, matrices, etc.), and eagerness to study mathematical concepts and algorithms. Familiarity with computer graphics and/or computer vision and/or image processing are a plus but not required.
Recommended book
M. Botsch, L. Kobbelt, M. Pauly, P. Alliez, and B. Levy, "Polygon Mesh Processing", A K Peters/CRC Press, 2010.
We will follow this book closely in the first part of the course. Each topic will also have additional references and suggested readings. The second part of the course will use papers from journals/conferences as references.
You can find the notes, references, and assignments for the course in Brightspace.
Lectures
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:35pm-3:55pm, on-line.
Evaluation
The grade will be based on the presentation of a paper, assignments, a take-home exam, and a final course project. The idea is that the paper presentation and assignments will all converge to the same goal: the chosen paper will be ideally on the same topic as the project, while the assignments will set up the programming environment for working with 3D geometry. The project will consist in the implementation and evaluation of a geometry processing technique, followed by the submission of a report, code, and an analysis of the results. The take-home exam is open book.
Instructor
Oliver van Kaick.
You can e-mail me at Oliver.vanKaick at carleton dot ca for any questions regarding the course.