This plugin is an implementation based on the paper "Reducing the Number of Different Faces in Free-Form Surface Approximations Through Clustering and Optimization" By Yuanpeng Liu, Ting-Uei Lee, Anooshe Rezaee Javan, Nico Pietroni, Yi Min Xie (2023, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cad.2023.103633)
Free-form structures are highly valued for their aesthetic appeal in architecture, but they typically comprise panels of many different shapes, which can pose great challenges for building construction. In this project, we aim to address this issue by proposing a novel clustering-optimization method to reduce the number of different n-gonal faces in free-form surface approximations. The method partitions the faces into several groups of similar shapes through clustering and transforms the ones within each group toward congruent forms through optimization. By utilizing this approach, the number of geometrically different panels can be reduced while satisfying a user-specified error threshold.
Main Steps:
1. Input a Brep and a Mesh
2. Adjust the solver to perform:
a) clustering alone, with the face shapes remaining the same
b) clustering and optimization to try to achieve congruent shapes
3. The obtained results are:
a) the superimposed faces per group
b) the output mesh with faces seamlessly connected, but the faces are slightly different, as indicated by the similarity error
c) a discrete form with faces replaced by their corresponding group centroids, leading to exactly congruent shapes within each group and gaps between adjacent panels
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