A Generalization of Algebraic Surface Drawing（代数曲面图的泛化）.pdf

A Generalization of Algebraic Surface Drawing JAMES F. BLINN Jet Propulsion Laboratory The mathematical description of three-dimensional surfaces usually falls into one of two classifica- tions: parametric and implicit. An implicit surface is defined to be all points which satisfy some equation F (x, y, z) = 0. This form is ideally suited for image space shaded picture drawing; the pixel coordinates are substituted for x and y, and the equation is solved for z. Algorithms for drawing such objects have been developed primarily for fLrst- and second-orderpolynomial functions, a subcategory known as algebraic surfaces. This paper presents a new algorithm applicable to other functional forms, in particular to the summation of several Gaussian density distributions. The algorithm was created to model electron density maps of molecular structures, but it can be used for other artistically interesting shapes. Categories and Subject Descriptors: 1.3.3 [Computer Graphics]: Picture/Image Generation--display algorithms; 1.3.5 [Computer Graphics]: Computational Geometry and Object Modeling--curve, surface, solid, and object representations; 1.3.7 [Computer Graphics]: Three-Dimensional Graphics and Realism--visible line~surface algorithms General Terms: Algorithms, Performance 1. INTRODUCTION The technology of creating realistic and visually interesting images of three- dimensional shapes is advancing on many fronts. One such front is the develop- ment of algorithms for drawing curved surfaces directly from their mathematical definitions rather than by dividing them into large numbers of polygons. Two classes of surfaces which have received attention are the quadric and the bivariate parametric surfaces. Bivariate parametric surfaces are generated by