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From: gupta@plato.engr.umbc.edu (Rajeev Gupta)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics
Subject: Triangular strip for NURBS surfaces?
Message-ID: <1991Jun13.223029.2389@umbc3.umbc.edu>
Date: 13 Jun 91 22:30:29 GMT
Sender: newspost@umbc3.umbc.edu (News  posting account)
Reply-To: gupta@plato.engr.umbc.edu (Rajeev Gupta)
Organization: University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Lines: 26

Hello all,

I am trying to get triangular strips from a triangularized NURBS surface.
    For a simple surface , comparing the z's of the triangle vertices
and that of the cutting plane might give me a strip, I guess. (with
special cases like cutting plane passing thru one or more vertices or
overlapping one or more edges of the triangles). 
    For a really obtuse looking surface , the path of the strip should
be more difficult to trace and one might obtain a fatter triangular band
going through a cluster of triangles. 
   Is there an easy data structure suggested for problems like these?
   What is usually the best or optimum way to handle a general problem
like this?
   References to an algorithm or an example code or any good-natured
help is more then welcome.

Also, I need some references to a package (in X11 env), which can
display surfaces, meshes etc. given for example the x,y,z coordinates of
control points for a NURBS surface.  I use MATLAB currently which is
kinda limited in 3dplots. Its o.k in displaying things in the parametric
domain. 

 Thankx and Looking forward to your suggestions.

 Rajeev gupta
 gupta@plato.engr.umbc.edu