Creation of user-defined freeform feature from surface models based on characteristic curves

• The proposed method is easier and more efficient for user to define a new freeform feature from existing surface models than to start from scratch.
• A new representation method for freeform feature based on characteristic curves is proposed.
• Characteristic curves can be obtained by the innate curves or the recognized curves or the user-drawn curves on the surface models.

This paper proposes a novel method for the creation of user-defined freeform feature (UDFFF) from existing surface model. The developed methodology has four major steps: selecting the region of interest (ROI), obtaining the characteristic curves from the surface model, reconstructing the ROI surface, and parameterizing the UDFFF. To quickly create UDFFF on the ROI, the representation of freeform feature based on characteristic curves is proposed. First, the characteristic curves of ROI are obtained automatically or by a small amount of human–computer interaction. In particular, user can directly and easily draw the curves on surface to satisfy the designer's requirements. Second, from the set of characteristic curves that is obtained, freeform surface is reconstructed by a suitable surface generation method, e.g., sweeping, revolving, skinning, and filling. Finally, parameterization of the freeform feature is configured, which primarily involves establishing parameters and building the mappings between feature parameters and shape data. Moreover, according to the degrees of freedom, two types of parameterization of freeform features may be described: one (low degrees of freedom) can be accurately described by the characteristic curves and the other (high degrees of freedom) can be approximated with these curves. The proposed UDFFF creation method has been tested with examples based on the surface models. Experience with our prototype system indicates that it allows untrained users to create UDFFFs from the surface models.