Automatic mesh generation over intersecting surfaces

International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering, Wiley, Vol 38, pp.943-954, 1995

MESHING
RESEARCH
CORNER

Department of City and Structural Engineering. University of Hong Kong. Hong Kong Abstract
A fully automatic general scheme is proposed to determine and analyse the intersections between two groups of surfaces composed of triangular facets. By carefully maintaining the spatial position of the lines of intersection in regenerating mesh locally around surface intersections, pieces of surfaces can be arbitrarily combined and merged. A great variety of objects can be easily created by selectively putting together different surface parts derived from surface intersections. The new algorithm is best applied in conjunction with an existing surface mesh generator to enhance its general capability in dealing with objects built from intersecting surfaces. In fact, it is a powerful surface mesh manipulator, and through the repeated use of the process, complex structures can be rapidly and accurately constructed.