Surface flattening based on energy model

This paper presents a method for three-dimensional surface flattening, which can be efficiently used in three-dimensional computer aided garment design. First, a facet model is used to present a complex surface. Then, a spring-mass model based on energy function is used to flatten the 3D mesh surfaces into 2D patterns. The surface elastic deformation energy distribution is depicted by a color graph, which determines a surface cutting line. The method presented here can efficiently solve flattening problems for complex surfaces. The accuracy of a developed surface can easily be controlled locally. Thus, compared to earlier methods, this method provides more flexibility for solving CAD and CAM problems.