K-set tilable surfaces

Abstract

This paper introduces a method for optimizing the tiles of a quad-mesh. Given a quad-based surface, the goal is to generate a set of K quads whose instances can produce a tiled surface that approximates the input surface. A solution to the problem is a K-set tilable surface, which can lead to an effective cost reduction in the physical construction of the given surface. Rather than molding lots of different building blocks, a K-set tilable surface requires the construction of K prefabricated components only. To realize the K-set tilable surface, we use a cluster-optimize approach. First, we iteratively cluster and analyze: clusters of similar shapes are merged, while edge connections between the K quads on the target surface are analyzed to learn the induced flexibility of the K-set tilable surface. Then, we apply a non-linear optimization model with constraints that maintain the K quads connections and shapes, and show how quad-based surfaces are optimized into K-set tilable surfaces. Our algorithm is demonstrated on various surfaces, including some that mimic the exteriors of certain renowned building landmarks.