TSlicer: An optimal topology-based slicing algorithm for Z-monotone 3D meshes

IF 2.8 4区计算机科学 Q2 COMPUTER SCIENCE, SOFTWARE ENGINEERING

Computers & Graphics-Uk Pub Date : 2025-08-11 DOI:10.1016/j.cag.2025.104372

Ricardo Dutra da Silva , Henrique Romaniuk Ramalho , Rodrigo Minetto , Neri Volpato , Jorge Stolfi

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Abstract

We address a computational problem that is an essential step in computer graphics, 3D printing, and many other processes: namely, the slicing of a 3D polygonal structured mesh model (as can be extracted from an STL, OBJ, or 3MF file) by a set of parallel planes. We describe TSlicer, a sweep-plane algorithm that exploits the topological information provided by the mesh data structure to reduce the number of intersection tests. The output is a set of polygons on each cutting plane. The topological information allows us to produce the sides of these polygons directly in the proper sequence and orientation. Furthermore, a key optimization is proposed to a topological data structure to speed up the traversal of meshes with any Z-monotone polygons as faces. We show that TSlicer is optimal in the asymptotic worst-case sense, and, according to experiments, substantially faster than a previous method for slicing unstructured triangle list models, as provided by STL files. The source code and mesh models used in this study are available on GitHub.¹

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TSlicer：一种基于拓扑的z单调三维网格切片算法

我们解决了一个计算问题，这是计算机图形学，3D打印和许多其他过程中的重要步骤：即，通过一组平行平面对3D多边形结构网格模型（可以从STL， OBJ或3MF文件中提取）进行切片。我们描述了TSlicer，一种利用网格数据结构提供的拓扑信息来减少相交测试数量的扫描平面算法。输出是每个切割平面上的一组多边形。拓扑信息使我们能够以适当的顺序和方向直接产生这些多边形的边。此外，提出了一种拓扑数据结构的关键优化方法，以提高任意z -单调多边形为面的网格遍历速度。我们证明TSlicer在渐近最坏情况意义上是最优的，并且根据实验，它比以前切片非结构化三角形列表模型的方法要快得多，如STL文件所提供的那样。本研究中使用的源代码和网格模型可在GitHub.1上获得

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来源期刊

Computers & Graphics-Uk 工程技术-计算机：软件工程

CiteScore

5.30

自引率

12.00%

发文量

173

审稿时长

38 days

期刊介绍： Computers & Graphics is dedicated to disseminate information on research and applications of computer graphics (CG) techniques. The journal encourages articles on: 1. Research and applications of interactive computer graphics. We are particularly interested in novel interaction techniques and applications of CG to problem domains. 2. State-of-the-art papers on late-breaking, cutting-edge research on CG. 3. Information on innovative uses of graphics principles and technologies. 4. Tutorial papers on both teaching CG principles and innovative uses of CG in education.