Acanthus ornament generation using layout subdivisions with parameterized motifs

Abstract

Acanthus ornaments frequently adorn Western architectural designs. The placement of these motifs varies according to the decorative object, with some having motifs arranged in a grid pattern. In this study, we propose a procedural modeling system aimed at generating acanthus ornaments on a planar surface. The proposed approach initially establishes the layout of boundary grids for acanthus motifs by subdividing the target surface into nonuniform grids. Subsequently, the medial axis line of the acanthus motif is generated to optimally conform to each boundary grid, employing a parameterized representation of deformable motifs. The three-dimensional motif shapes are ultimately constructed from the medial axis, with the shape parameters adjusted to improve aesthetic appeal. The proposed system generates various acanthus ornaments through rule-based layout subdivisions, offering users the option to select their preferred design while adjusting the motif shapes with a few manual parameters.