3D Warp Brush Modeling

In this paper we introduce 3D Warp Brush, a new method for interactive shape modeling in an immersive virtual reality environment. 3D warp brushes are implicitly-defined tools that operate on triangle meshes. We combine the efficiency of explicit mesh representations with powerful implicit modeling operators. The area of influence of a 3D warp brush can be of arbitrary shape since it has an associated distance field. We define different warp functions including drag, explode, and whittle. A unique feature of our framework is the ability to convert meshes into 3D warp brushes at run time. Thus, we can easily expand our set of brushes based on a small set of base brushes, such as spheres or ellipsoids. Our underlying split-edge mesh data structure supports adaptive refinement and efficient rendering with on-the-fly triangle strip generation. 3D warp brushes only operate on mesh vertices, hence, underlying mesh processing is transparent to the modeling operations. The use of a Responsive Workbench and two-handed interaction allows the user to exploit the full potential of the modeling system by intuitive and easy modification of a base surface into a desired shape. We present several models, which have been created and modified using 3D warp brushes, to demonstrate the usefulness of our framework.