Interactive machinability analysis of free-form surfaces using multiple-view image space techniques on the GPU

In this paper we present a set of graphics hardware accelerated algorithms to interactively evaluate the machinability of complex free-form surfaces. These algorithms work in image space and easily interface with all common formats available on CAD systems. The running time of these algorithms is independent of the complexity of the surface to be analyzed and depends only on the size of the projected image of the surface and the largest available tool head. Interactive speed is achieved through clever use of data-parallel techniques that map nicely onto the programming model of modern programmable graphics processing units. We demonstrate a method for pre-calculating and storing the machinability of a surface within a texture to further reduce rendering costs. The algorithms are implemented and tested on a complex set of parts and their performance has been analyzed.