Feature line extraction based on winding number

Abstract

Sharp feature lines provide critical structural information in 3D models and are essential for geometric processing. However, the performance of existing algorithms for extracting feature lines from point clouds remains sensitive to the quality of the input data. This paper introduces an algorithm specifically designed to extract feature lines from 3D point clouds. The algorithm calculates the winding number for each point and uses variations in this number within edge regions to identify feature points. These feature points are then mapped onto a cuboid structure to obtain key feature points and capture neighboring relationships. Finally, feature lines are fitted based on the connectivity of key feature points. Extensive experiments demonstrate that this algorithm not only accurately detects feature points on potential sharp edges, but also outperforms existing methods in extracting subtle feature lines and handling complex point clouds.