Viewpoint-driven simplification using mutual information

In this paper, a new viewpoint-based simplification approach is proposed for polygonal meshes. This approach is driven by an information-theoretic measure, viewpoint mutual information. Our algorithm applies the best half-edge collapse as a decimation criterion and uses the variation in mutual information to measure the collapse error. Compared to purely geometric simplification algorithms, the models produced by our method are closer to the original model as far as visual similarity is concerned. Our method also achieves a higher simplification in hidden interiors by being able to remove them leaving the visible surfaces of the mesh intact. Models generated by CAD applications can benefit from this feature, since these models are usually constructed by assembling smaller objects that can become partially hidden during joining operations. The main application of our approach is for video games where models come from CAD applications in which visual similarity is the most important requirement. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.