Simplifying spline models

We present a new approach for simplifying models composed of spline patches. Given an input model, the algorithm computes a new approximation of the model in terms of cubic triangular B ezier patches. It performs a series of geometric operations, consisting of patch merging and swapping diagonals, and makes use of patch connectivity information to generate C-LODs (curved levelsof-detail). Each C-LOD is represented using cubic triangular B ezier patches. The C-LODs provide a compact representation for storing the model. We also present techniques to quantify the error introduced by our algorithm. Given the C-LODs, the tessellation algorithms can generate polygonal approximations using static and dynamic tessellation schemes. The simpli cation algorithm has been implemented and we highlight its performance on di erent models.