Mesh Simplification by Curvature-Enhanced Quadratic Error Metrics

Polygonal meshes have a significant role in computer graphics, design and manufacturing technology for surface representation and it is often required to reduce their complexity to save memory. An efficient algorithm for detail retaining mesh simplification is proposed; in particular, the method presented is an iterative edge contraction algorithm based on the work of Garland and Heckberts. The original algorithm is improved by enhancing the quadratic error metrics with a penalizing factor based on discrete Gaussian curvature, which is estimated efficiently through the Gauss-Bonnet theorem, to account for the presence of fine details during the edge decimation process. Experimental results show that this new algorithm helps preserve the visually salient features of the model without compromising performance.