Deformation of finite element meshes using directly manipulated free-form deformation

CrashViewer [5, 18] is a tool for visualizing car crash simulation input and output data consisting of nite element meshes. For a shorter work ow, a feature for local deformation of the car components represented by FE meshes is desired. This feature allows to quickly make minor corrections and enhancements directly on the FE mesh. The roundtrip through the CAD department and the remeshing of the CAD representation is avoided. The crash simulation can be started immediately with the modified car component(s). In order to achieve this goal, we investigate a variety of approaches related to free-form deformation (FFD). We base our implementation on the directly manipulated free-form deformation (DMFFD) [8, 7], adding various enhancements to this approach. We improve the deformation behaviour to be more uniform and consistent over time and space, and thus more intuitive and user friendly. Further, we present ways for increasing the efficiency of the computations necessary for mesh deformation. Finally, we specify a simple user interface which is easy to use while providing the necessary precision.