Foldable chain-based transformation method of 3D models

A 3D transformable model can be transformed into different shapes through folding operations to suit different needs, such as a table or a chair in daily life. Furthermore, the features of foldable structure and flat components allow it to be folded into a smaller stack for compact storage when not in use. To this end, this study applies a new foldable modular chain structure and proposes a novel method of constructing 3D models into 3D shapes based on this structure and guiding the transformation between shapes. For the construction of the model, that is, to find a module chain path that constructs the model shape, the divide-and-conquer method is adopted. The model is first divided into multiple units, and then the search for the linearly connected module sub-path is executed for each unit. This involves three major steps: unit-based segmentation of the model, search for the unit tree structure that can form the target 3D shape, and search for the modular chain path based on the unit tree. The experimental cases demonstrate the application of the square modular chain in the fields of furniture and toys and prove the effectiveness of the method in constructing and transforming the foldable chain-type modular configurations of the input 3D models.