A shape deformation tool to model character lines in the early design phases

This paper addresses the designers´ work and in particular the way they express an object shape through character lines. Based on this concept, a deformation feature is presented. The proposed approach includes curvilinear constraints to match the designer´s requirements and techniques for the quality and accuracy of the produced model. This method is applied to B-spline surfaces coupled with a mechanical model of a bar network; geometric constraints are automatically and adaptively added to monitor and control the deformation process. A few examples show the results obtained by this deformation feature with the help of curvature maps, used to analyze the influence of the constraints and the resulting quality