Efficient implementation of real-time view-dependent multiresolution meshing

In this paper, we present an efficient (topology preserving) multiresolution meshing framework for interactive level-of-detail (LOD) generation and rendering of large triangle meshes. More specifically, the presented approach, called FastMesh, provides view-dependent LOD generation and real-time mesh simplification that minimizes visual artifacts. Multiresolution triangle mesh representations are an important tool for reducing triangle mesh complexity in interactive rendering environments. Ideally, for interactive visualization, a triangle mesh is simplified to the maximal tolerated visible error and, thus, mesh simplification is view-dependent. This paper introduces an efficient hierarchical multiresolution triangulation framework based on a half-edge triangle mesh data structure and presents optimized implementations of several view-dependent or visual mesh simplification heuristics within that framework. Despite being optimized for performance, these error heuristics provide conservative error bounds. The presented framework is highly efficient both in space and time cost and needs only a fraction of the time required for rendering to perform the error calculations and dynamic mesh updates.