A visibility algorithm for converting 3D meshes into editable 2D vector graphics

Abstract

Artists often need to import and embellish 3D models coming from CAD-CAM into 2D vector graphics software to produce, e.g., brochures or manuals. Current automatic solutions tend to result, at best, in a 2D triangle soup and artists often have to trace over 3D renderings. We describe a method to convert 3D models into 2D layered vector illustrations that respect visibility and facilitate further editing. Our core contribution is a visibility method that can partition a mesh into large components that can be layered according to visibility. Because self-occluding objects and objects forming occlusion cycles cannot be represented by layers without being cut, we introduce a new cut algorithm that uses a graph representation of the mesh and curvature-aware geodesic distances.