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From: wes@arco.com (Wes Monroe)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics.visualization
Subject: Re: Help: Creating 3-D mesh from arbitrary points.
Message-ID: <1991Feb19.172446.15002@Arco.COM>
Date: 19 Feb 91 17:24:46 GMT
References: <1991Feb14.190639.26922@lynx.CS.ORST.EDU>
Sender: news@Arco.COM
Organization: Arco Oil & Gas Company
Lines: 29

In article <1991Feb14.190639.26922@lynx.CS.ORST.EDU> johng@OCE.ORST.EDU (John
A. Gregor) writes:
>We have a relatively large (several thousand) set of ocean samples in
>3-D that we want to visualize.  Unfortunately, all the tools we have
>demand that the data be represented as gridded data or as a connected
>mesh (either tetrahedrons xor hexahedrons).  Any pointers to routines
>or literature to accomplish this would be greatly appreciated.
>
>Some more notes about the data:  It's scattered in XY but linear in Z.
>Also, the number of and distance between Z samples varies among the XY
>locations.
>
I have similarly configured data, and I also needed to feed my graphics
package geometric information as well.  In my case, the Z samplings represented
horizons or zones, so I just grouped data by zone, and then created triangles
and rectangles by traversing across the data and finding the nearest 2
or 3 neighboring points.

If what your trying to do is get a feeling for how the data is configured
spatially, then I might suggest an application called MacSpin for the
Mac.  Its reasonably inexpensive (<200$) and will post the data for you.
It will also "grid" the data with a simple technique, the nearest
n neighbors, but it will not output any grid connection network like what
your looking for.  Its from D2 Software, Inc, P.O. Box 9546, Austin Texas
78766-9546 (512) 454-7746.

Cheers,

Wes