LayTracks: A New Approach To Automated Quadrilateral Mesh Generation using MAT

Proceedings, 9th International Meshing Roundtable, Sandia National Laboratories, pp.239-250, October 2000

MESHING
RESEARCH
CORNER

W. R. Quadros and B. Gurumoorthy
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, INDIA
Email: quadros@mecheng.iisc.ernet.in, bgm@mecheng.iisc.ernet.in
K. Ramaswami and F. B. Prinz
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, U.S.A.
Email: krishnan@rpl.stanford.edu, fbp@cdr.stanford.edu

Abstract
This paper describes LayTracks, a new mesh generation algorithm to automatically generate an all quad mesh using the medial axis transform (MAT). LayTracks combines the merits of two popular direct techniques for quad mesh generation - Quad meshing by decomposition and Advancing front quad meshing. The algorithm uses the MAT to lay rails across an arbitrary set of connected planar patches. Each rail starts from a node on the boundary and propagates towards the MA and then from the MA towards the boundary. Quadrilateral elements are then obtained by placing nodes on these rails and connecting them inside each track formed by adjacent rails. Spacing between the rails and between the nodes on the rails are fixed at the boundary of the region. The medial axis therefore serves as the natural termination for the propagation of both the rail and the mesh. The algorithm uses the medial axis transform to both decompose the region and avoid the expensive interference checks of advancing front method. The algorithm has been implemented and used to generate an all quad mesh on a set of connected planar patches in 3-D space. Extension of the technique to adaptive meshing and all hexahedral meshing is discussed.

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