A feature-based shape blending technique for industrial design

Blending or averaging of two-dimensional shapes usually operates on sets of discrete points or polygons approximating the objects. This relies on a series of evenly distributed or properly positioned points on the boundary of the objects. Features or characteristics of the objects are not well considered. This paper presents a simple but effective technique for blending 2D shapes composed of curve segments. Features that are essential for shape blending are extracted. Correspondence between features of the objects are then established. The correspondence between points on a pair of corresponding features are finally established for the interpolation process. This allows characteristic features of the objects to be retained in the blending operation which is essential in industrial design. An experimental system was developed for blending 2D contours with curved boundary. Test results showed that the proposed approach produces results suitable for industrial design. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.