Shape Inflation with an Adapted Laplacian Operator for Hybrid Quad/Triangle Meshes

This paper proposes a novel modeling method for a hybrid quad/triangle mesh that allows to set a family of possible shapes by controlling a single parameter, the global curvature. The method uses an original extension of the Laplace Beltrami operator that efficiently estimates a curvature parameter which is used to define an inflated shape after a particular operation performed in certain mesh points. Along with the method, this work presents new applications in sculpting and modeling, with subdivision of surfaces and weight vertex groups. A series of graphics examples demonstrates the quality, predictability and flexibility of the method in a real production environment with software Blender.