Interactive shape design using metaballs and splines

Implicit surfaces have received increased attention in the design and animation of 3D objects, since they posses some useful advantages over the traditional parametric surfaces. However, interactive design of such surfaces generally suffers from the relatively slow display speed and lack of efficient control facilities. This paper experiments the combination of the implicit surface technique and spline technique, in order to enhance the modeling capability of the implicit surface in practice, particularly in the design and animation of articulated characters.