Shape Reconstruction from Contours Using Isotopic Deformation

A method for shape reconstruction from contours is presented using isotopic deformation. The reconstructed shape is free of self-intersection and it can incorporate given feature correspondences. The method automatically adds vertices, where necessary, to satisfy these requirements. A new method for handling bifurcation is also proposed, which can handle cases that are problematic for some other algorithms. The method proposed is suitable for terrain modeling, since reconstructed shapes generated by the method do not have overhangs. The running time of the algorithm is dependent on the complexity of the input scene and is shown to be worst-case optimal for the class of task defined. Experimental results are included to illustrate the feasibility of the approach.