Reconstruction of 3D objects: how to save time and memory while preserving details

Highly-defined 3D objects play more and more a central role in Computer Graphics. Actually, several fields of application deal with 3D assets (just think about the employment of AR/VR for videogames, medical applications, cultural heritage preservation, e-commerce). In such a context, the challenge is to create 3D models stuck to reality without wasting computational resources.

ADAPTA studio, a spin-off of Politecnico di Milano recently founded by Simona Perotto (Professor of Numerical Analysis at the Department of Mathematics), Leonardo Locatelli, and Francesco Clerici (M.Sc. in Mathematical Engineering at Politecnico di Milano), develops new solutions to automatically transform unprepped 3D assets in real-time ready objects. Innovative algorithms based on advanced mathematical methodologies are set up to significantly reduce the number of polygons describing the 3D objects (and, consequently, the weight in memory) while preserving the definition quality of the items. In particular, we adopt geometrical quantifiers that optimize the spatial description of the asset by adding polygons where complex details are present, while, vice versa, minimizing the number of polygons in correspondence with the simplest parts of the object.

ADAPTA studio’s algorithms can deal also with objects characterized by a texture. In particular, they allow the preservation of the original UV coordinates, thus demanding a unique texture atlas, independently of the selected LOD.

The innovative features of ADAPTA studio’s algorithms have been assessed by a cross-comparison with some of the well-established commercial software available on the market. The results provided by the new algorithms are optimal, both in terms of quality preservation and computational time. These optimal performances have motivated ADAPTA studio’s founders to patent the new algorithms.