EAGER: Hiding structure in geometric data exchange formats

3D打印、可视化和几何计算中的一个基本算法/软件问题是不兼容的文件交换格式。例如，3D打印数据通常以一种名为STL的格式存储，但有许多几何工具使用其他(不兼容)格式(一些众所周知的扩展名：STH、RPI和STEP，仅举几例)。该项目将寻求一个新的方向，以提高几何计算的兼容性和效率：将文件以其原生格式重组，而不将其转换为新格式。这将使3D模型的检查和处理速度更快。一个关键的新奇之处在于，这项工作将使用现有的文件格式，而不是创建新的文件格式。潜在影响包括更快地对复杂几何数据进行建模，以及对复杂设计(如机械部件或建筑数据)进行实时远程协作。原生文件格式的重组和保存在技术上相当复杂，并导致了几个有趣的研究方向：(1)仅通过重新排序数据就可以在文件中“隐藏”多少额外的几何信息？(2)应该“隐藏”的最有用的几何信息是什么；(3)在保留文件格式的同时为应用程序打包信息的最有效方法是什么？要记住的一个关键示例是STL如何冗余地存储面的顶点，这使人们能够引入冗余数据的新顺序，而不会扰乱底层文件格式。回答这些问题也有助于支持几何数据的流动。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

A fundamental algorithmic/software issue in 3D printing, visualization, and geometric computing is incompatible file-exchange formats. For instance, 3D printing data is usually stored in a format called STL, but there are numerous geometric tools which use other (incompatible) formats (some well-known extensions being: STH, RPI, and STEP, to name just a few). This project will pursue a novel direction to improve compatibility and efficiency in geometric computing: restructuring files, in their native format, without translating them into a new format. This will enable faster checking of 3D models and processing. A key novelty is that this work will use existing file formats rather than create a new one. Potential impact include faster modeling of complex geometric data and real-time remote collaboration on complex designs, such as mechanical parts or architectural data. The restructuring and preservation of native file formats is technically quite involved, and leads to several interesting research directions: (1) How much additional geometric information can be ``hidden'' in a file simply by reordering the data? (2) What is the most useful geometric information that should be ``hidden'', (3) What is the most effective way to pack information for an application while still preserving the file format? A key example to keep in mind is how STL redundantly stores vertices of facets, and that this enables one to introduce a new ordering of the redundant data without disrupting the underlying file format. Answering these questions can also help support streaming of geometric data.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.