Methods for polygonal mesh simplification: technical report no. DCSE/TR-2002-01

For twenty years, it has been clear that many datasets are excessively complex for applications such as real-time display, and that techniques for controlling the level of detail of models are crucial. Many applications in computer graphics and related fields can benefit from automatic simplification of complex polygonal surface models. Applications are often confronted with either very densely over-sampled surfaces or models too complex for the limited hardware capacity available. An effective algorithm that produces high-quality approximations of the original model is a valuable tool for managing data complexity. This work begins with an overview of the most notable available algorithms for the automatic simplification of highly detailed polygonal models. Mesh decimation techniques are of particular interest because our previous work was focused on vertex decimation, and iterative edge contraction algorithms also seem to be a promising approach thanks to their ability to preserve volume, or other geometrical properties of the model. Our recent work in this field is also discussed and concludes the advantages and disadvantages of a vertex decimation algorithm. Finally a summary of the most significant directions in mesh simplification is presented, and the other possible future directions in this field are discussed