Rectifying Strip Patterns

Abstract

Straight flat strips of inextensible material can be bent into curved strips aligned with arbitrary space curves. The large shape variety of these so-called rectifying strips makes them candidates for shape modeling, especially in applications such as architecture where simple elements are preferred for the fabrication of complex shapes. In this paper, we provide computational tools for the design of shapes from rectifying strips. They can form various patterns and fulfill constraints which are required for specific applications such as gridshells or shading systems. The methodology is based on discrete models of rectifying strips, a discrete level-set formulation and optimization-based constrained mesh design and editing. We also analyse the geometry at nodes and present remarkable quadrilateral arrangements of rectifying strips with torsion-free nodes.