Automatic illustration of 3D geometric models: lines

Abstract

A system for the automatic generation of line illustrations of three dimensional sculptured objects is described. In particular, an enriched vocabulary of lines are defined which provide a means to impart meaning to visual representations of complex objects. Particular attention is paid to how the end conditions of individual segments effect how they are drawn. A graphical interface is described for creating illustration rules which translate the geometric description into the final drawing. Some algorithmic details are provided for implementation and preliminary results are presented.